Honestly(and maybe I shouldn't be telling you this, but I will because I care), everyone can make their makeup look great, pretty easily. The key to great looking makeup is the skin, and by that I basically mean the foundation. Yes, if you have gorgeous, perfect skin, your makeup is going to look better, but even if you don't, a good foundation can make a WORLD of difference.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I have rosacea and large pores and a good amount of texture on my skin, so finding the right shade and consistency to make my skin look like the best version of itself, is a constant quest for me. To me, foundation is the most important part of your makeup routine and it is where a lot of people get it wrong. Fortunately, this is an easy fix.
Here are the three most important things to consider when picking a foundation and applying a foundation: 1. COLOR MATCHING!-- Trust your own eyes. When you go into a Sephora or an Ulta, the people working there always want to swatch the foundation on your neck. NO. Here is what you should do: ideally bring your own beauty blender or sponge (if you don't have one, you can use one of the disposable sponges there). Take a small amount of one shade of foundation on the sponge and dab it onto your T-Zone and up under your eye on one side of your face. Then, take another shade and do the same on the other side. Blend as well as you can. Then take a few steps back and look at your face in the mirror. Compare both sides to see which color looks the most like the rest of your skin. Does it appear to match the skin on your neck? Is it too warm (i.e. pink/peachy)? is it too cool (i.e.blue or gray) is there too much yellow for your complexion? Also, while doing this, notice the consistency of the foundation. Is it full coverage, medium coverage, or light? Does it accentuate your pores and/or blemishes? Does it cover your redness etc.? Do this with as many colors and textures of foundation as necessary. Then for guaranteed results, get a sample and take it to your car. The absolute best place to get an accurate reading of your makeup is in your car mirror. It is the most unforgiving mirror in existence, but will give you the best results.This may seem like a lot, but having the correct shade and coverage of foundation, sets the stage for the rest of the makeup application. If your face doesn't match the rest of your body, then it will throw off your eyeshadow and your lip color and everything else. Also, foundation can be really expensive, so if you are going to splurge, you want to get it right.
(If you are selecting foundation at a drug store, you will not have the luxury of taking home a sample, but you can still apply to your face and check in the car. Also, if the shade range is limited or you can't seem to find the perfect match, you can always blend two shades together. This is often necessary to get the most perfect match.)
2. MORE IS NOT ALWAYS MORE-- Once you have picked the perfect shade, it's time for the app
lication. For best results, you want to start on a freshly washed, exfoliated and moisturized face (use a primer if you choose, it is not necessary). Pump out a little bit of the foundation onto a palette, or a lid, or any flat, non-porous surface you don't mind getting foundation all over. Then with a brush or damp beauty blender, dip into the foundation and begin to build. You can begin wherever you prefer on the face. You do not necessarily need to put the same amount all over your face. Begin to dab the product onto the areas you want to color correct first and blend and blend and blend. Need more? Add more. Don't need more? Leave it alone. Over application of product is the quickest way to make you look older. If you need it all over your face, obviously that is fine, but start with a little and continue to build until you have reached your desired level of coverage. I then like to go in with a small brush (around the size of an average eyeshadow brush) with densely packed bristles and focus on any blemishes or excessive redness (around the base of the nostrils, for example.) Take the brush, as if you were a painter, and take a little bit of the foundation onto the tip. Then press/dab the brush onto the redness until it is covered and then blend out the edges. You can use your finger tips to help soften the edges and press it into the skin. The warmth and the natural oils from your finger tips make an excellent blending tool. Then step back a bit from the mirror, in good lighting, and check for any hard lines. The jaw line, cheek bones and hairline are great culprits for incomplete blending. Setting with powder will help the products to stay in place longer and to remain matte. But again, you can overdo it with the powder which can also make you look older than you are.
3.BLEND!-- I am just reiterating this here because it is so important. Blend, blend, blend. Having hard lines is the cardinal sin in makeup. When you leave the house, take your brush or beauty blender with you and do your final check in the car mirror. Your car mirror will never lie to you. If you look good in your car mirror, you look amazing everywhere else.
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