Powder Foundation - yenhoon
Liquid, cream, powder, mineral. Foundations come in many varieties. How do you choose what's right for your skin type and your lifestyle? And apply it?
Foundation prepares your face for the real makeup. It makes your face into a paint-ready canvas, so getting the right kind of foundation is very important to achieve a flawless face. Make sure the foundation you choose is right for your skin type, your lifestyle, and your makeup regimen.
How to Choose the Best Foundation for Your Skin
Liquid Foundation:
- Great for people with dry skin. Get some with moisturizing properties and you're good to go. A word of warning to those with fine lines or oily skin: liquid foundation can be broken down and displaced by the natural oils produced by the skin, so those with oily skin can end up with foundation creased in their fine lines. See the application tips below to avoid this pitfall.
- More than any other type of foundation, liquid foundation is going to give you that flawless, airbrushed look.
- Best applied with fingers or a wedge.
- Coverage: Medium to Full.
- Recommendations: Clinique Perfectly Real Makeup, Smashbox High Definition Healthy FX Foundation SPF 15.
Cream Foundation:
- Great for people with normal to dry skin. It should be avoided by those with oily or combination skin, especially if you have fine lines.
- Best applied with a wedge.
- Coverage: Medium to Full.
- Recommendation: Smashbox Camera Ready Full Coverage Foundation UVA/UVB SPF 15.
Powder Foundation:
- Good for combination and oily skin. Can make dry patches more obvious, so be sure to moisturize well before applying.
- Best applied with a brush (one large powder brush and one concealer brush).
- Coverage: Sheer to Medium.
- Recommendation: CARGO Wet/Dry Foundation.
Mineral Foundation:
- Great for all skin types! Usually comes in loose powder form. Again, moisturizing is important before application.
- Best applied with a brush.
- Coverage: Sheer to Medium.
- Recommendation: Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation.
Tinted Moisturizer:
- Best for normal to dry skin, but can be used by those with combination skin. If you have oily skin, choose an oil-free moisturizer like Laura Mercier's Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer.
- This type of foundation is the best natural look. It lets your natural beauty shine through with minimal coverage.
- Best applied with fingers.
- Coverage: Very Sheer to Sheer.
- Recommendation: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer.
How to Apply Foundation
Before applying any foundation, make sure to cleanse and moisturize the skin. You can skip the moisturizer if you are applying a tinted moisturizer. If you have oily skin or combination skin with an oily T-zone, you can also add a mattifier like Lancome Pure Focus T-Zone or Neutrogena Pore Refining Mattifier.
- Liquid and Cream Foundation: Best applied with fingers or a wedge. Dot all over the skin, and then blend by pressing the foundation into the skin. Make sure to blend out the line under the jaw. Set with a powder like Smashbox High Definition Dual Finish Micro Powder SPF 15. This last step is crucial to preventing skin oils from breaking down the foundation. If you have oily skin, it's best to play it safe and wear a mattifier underneath the foundation.
- Powder and Mineral Foundation: A moisturizer is key, even if the powder has moisturizing properties. Also, a primer like Smashbox Photo Finish Primer or Bare Escentuals Primer can help to keep the powder from settling into fine lines and wrinkles. Apply with a brush specifically made for powder foundation, like the Bare Escentuals Face Brush. To add extra coverage, dot on extra powder with a concealer brush. For an overall heavier coverage, use a kabuki brush all over the face and neck. Set with a powder like Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil.
- Tinted Moisturizer: The extra moisturizer is optional. Apply with fingers. Coverage is usually buildable, so start with a little bit and add on if needed. The tint lasts longer if set with a powder, but the whole point of tinted moisturizers is ease, so the extra step can be skipped.
Copyright Adrian Sindu. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Adrian Sindu - Name: Adrian Sindu Education: B.A. English
