Foundation 101

Let me tell you about my very long search for the perfect foundation. No wait, let me sum up. There's too much to go into. I will tell you it was a seven year long search with hundreds of dollars invested to try different formulas and brands. I tried so many foundations, I sort of lost track of them all. Here are the foundations I've tried over the last two years: Urban Decay Naked, Estee Lauder Double Wear, bareMinerals, iT cosmetics powder, Loreal True Match powder and liquid, MAC Studio Face & Body, MAC Pro Longwear, MAC Studio Fix Fluid, MAC MatchMaster, Glominerals, Ultimate Face, Laura Mercier Silk Creme and Revlon ColorStay. 

It was a very long, stressful, annoying, expensive and enlightening journey. Here's what I think you should know about it. My absolute favorite turned out to be the Estee Lauder Double Wear. I'll tell you more about that later. First lets start with some basic information.

The most popular forms of foundation are liquid or powder.

Although powdered foundations like bareMinerals are very popular, I have decided to avoid them altogether. Every powder foundation settled into fine lines and wrinkles quickly. They made my skin look dull and even dried it out more. I found that they didn't blend well for me, they caked a lot and overall I just don't like them.

Liquid foundations are my favorite. There are a thousands of companies with various formulas for every skin type and color. Not every great makeup is expensive. There are some drugstore brands that are recommended by several makeup experts. Makeup Geek is one of those. The website is fantastic. You can watch video tutorials and learn all sorts of tricks and tips. Plus she even makes her own makeup formulas. Love her. For drugstore brands, we both recommend Revlon ColorStay.  

There are two formulas in this line, one for combination/oily skin and one for normal/dry skin. My first problem with this line is undertone selection. As with most drugstore brands, the formulas come in pink or yellow undertones. If you don't have the right skin tone, you end up with a pink or yellow, very unpleasant, mask. If you want to try out a drugstore brand, I recommend purchasing from a store which allows returns if the color isn't correct.

My absolute favorite foundation is Estee Lauder Double Wear! 

Once you set it - you can forget it. It is a long-wear, 15 hour, foundation. It dries semi-quickly which allows enough time for blending, but then sets and doesn't move. The formula is medium to full coverage, can be built on and not feel like a mask. It comes in 30 shades which means there is something for everyone. When matching 

To apply it, I place dots on my face (as pictured) 

then take a DAMP beauty blender and blend outwards toward my jaw and hairline. 

Use the more pointed end around eyes and nostrils 

Use the wide side to blend over large areas, including cheeks, jawline, forehead, etc. 

Then I take a foundation, or concealer, that is about 1-2 shades darker than my skin and apply it directly under my chin and blend outward, down my neck to create a contoured jawline. 

The purpose of foundation is to even out skin tone. When I first started wearing makeup, I used it to hide imperfections that I was embarrassed of. I used way too much! Instead of making my skin look flawless and creamy, it looked like a mask on my face plus it ended up caking and unflattering. Here is the before and after comparison for you. 

Once you have blended your foundation, check to see that your skin tone is even throughout. If you notice any patches, simply add a small amount on them and blend again. Blending is absolutely the key to a beautiful finish. Nothing is worse than that harsh line at the jawbone, hairline or around the eyes. 

There you are my friends. My simple foundation routine. Let me know what you think about this. Please send me some before and after pictures so I can see your work.