Perfect Foundation Application in 5 Steps (for every skin type!)

A perfect or at least near perfect foundation application is easy if you break it down into a few steps, pretty much like any makeup application really....

In the video below, I've gone into detail on all of these steps, 5 of them in total, which should help lead you to being able to apply your foundation & base expertly!

I've said it repeatedly before that how you care for and prepare your skin will have the biggest impact on how the rest of your makeup base will turn out, so of course, prepping the skin is Step #1.

STEP 1;

Prepping your skin.

1. Moisturise your skin, even if you have an oily skin type, use a gel moisturiser that will hydrate your skin and help control the oil production.

2. You can also apply a serum if needed, on drier skin types for instance, and use a water spritz to add moisture before your moisturiser.

3. Always ensure your face is 100% clean before beginning this step.

4. Be aware of SPF (Sun Protection Factor)

5. Don't apply too much product as the skin can only absorb so much of the product.

6. Massage the moisturiser into the face, this is particularly useful for dry, flakey skins. If you suffer from acne however, particularly pustular acne, using your hand may just aggravate your skin, in this case use a brush to apply your moisturiser.

7. If you are using an oil based moisturiser, you will HAVE to use an oil based foundation as water products will separate over an oily base.

8. Allow at least 10 minutes for your moisturiser to absorb into the skin before applying any more products. If you don't have 10 minutes, wait as long as you can and blot off excess.

STEP 2;

Priming your skin.

1. Applying a primer can be skipped if you are in a hurry, however priming the face will make the foundation last longer, look better, apply to the skin easier and control oil etc.

2. Less is more, applying too much primer will be counter-productive as the foundation will just slip and slide over a heavy, thick base.

3. Use the correct primer for your own skin. Colour correcting primers will help with a sallow complexion or high colouring etc. Mattifying primers which often contain powders and are silicone based will help keep your foundation from getting too shiny and ruined by the oil. Hydrating primers will help keep the skin hydrated throughout the entire day!

4. No need to wait any time after applying your primer before moving onto your next step.

5. There are foundations available that contain primers in the formula for those of you who like products that do several things at once! Max factor and Soap & Glory both each have a foundation that contains primer.

STEP 3;

Applying your Foundation.

1. You should never rely on your foundation for concealing, that is what concealer is for. Use your foundation to even out your skin tone primarily, and it will inevitably conceal some discolouration etc.

2. I recommend using a light to medium coverage buildable foundation and apply concealer after where needed.

As with primer, less is more!!!

3. To get a flawless, streak-free application, use a buffing/stippling brush to apply your foundation, however if you have flakey skin or noticeable downey hairs, use a flatter shaped brush and only use downward strokes to apply your foundation.

4. Only apply where needed, I often barely apply any to my forehead as it's my clearest area and is usually covered by my fringe.

5. Start by applying your foundation to the centre of the face and work outwards towards the hairline and jawline where the coverage should be lighter.

6.. Always match your foundation shade to whatever skin is on show on your neck and chest. If you are wearing tan, match to this, if not, use a paler colour to blend in with your natural skin colour.

7. Bring the foundation down onto the neck if needed.

8. Apply the foundation in light layers to build up coverage. Never apply too much in one go.

9. Avoid the immediate eye area.

10. If using a sponge, apply the foundation first with a brush or your fingers and use the sponge to buff and blend out the foundation. Wet the sponge for lighter coverage.

STEP 4 ;

Conceal.

1. Almost always apply your concealer on top of your foundation! The exceptions being if you are using a powder foundation or air-brush foundation, or if you are using a colour correcting concealer, in those cases apply concealer first.

2. Use a yellow toned concealer in beauty makeup to cover redness.

3. When spot concealing, use a small brush, apply directly to the blemish and leave for a short time before buffing out the edges.

4. Your concealer must match your foundation colour almost exactly! (If your foundation is pink based and you have red spots, you may need to apply a little foundation over the concealer if using a yellow concealer.)

5. Generally, thicker cream concealers are better for the face, for spot concealing etc, and liquid concealers are better for use around the eye area.

6. For the under-eye area, pink based concealers are brightening, an orange or peach based concealer will counteract blueish tones, yellow based concealers should only be used on red or purple/red areas. (Yellow toned concealers will give a greenish cast over blue areas)

No matter how dark your undereye circles are, they will always have an undertone!

STEP 5;

Set your Base.

1. If your foundation feels sticky on the skin for a few minutes after applying, wait a small while to apply your powder so that it doesn't cake, otherwise apply straight away!

2. Press & roll your powder in place, whether applying the powder with a powder puff or brush. This will really set the base in place!

3. Even if you have dry skin, a small amount of a conditioning powder will prolong the wear of your foundation. Blot powder is great for absorbing oil on more shiny skins but take care not to allow it to look cakey. Use blotting papers along with the powder. 

4. An optional extra would be to spritz a setting spray over the finished base. This acts like a hair spray on the face.

NB: Sometimes it is better to do your eye makeup before starting your foundation routine!!! This will make cleaning up any eyeshadow fallout much less stressful!.

Hope this helps.

Shiv.

xx