3 Things You Need to Know About Choosing Foundation

its all about that base...

 

Today I'm going to be focusing on liquid foundations. There are many factors to consider when making your choices; such as the occasion and your lifestyle. You need a foundation to suit these needs and fit your routine. Foundation is the most important element to get right. A poor choice can ruin the overall effect of your great eyelashes--or distract from your bold lip color.

1. COLOR

Because of beautiful variety and ethnicity mixes, many women have skin tones that don't come in a bottle. This can be very frustrating. I can't tell you how many times I have been color matched incorrectly at the makeup counter! To help you understand what makes your skin its color think of it this way:

Skin pigment contains all colors reds, blues, yellows and so on. What makes each of us distinct is the percentages of these pigments.

• What to Match

It is not uncommon for women have more than one skin tone on their face, such as darker tones around the chin and mouth or a pinkish nose and forehead. If you were to match your pinkish chin, your whole face may look pink! Pick a color to neutralize the redness while still blending with the surrounding skin. Try matching the area where your jaw line meets your neck below the earlobe. For some people, this is a good area to match.

• Your Custom Color

To get my best match I use two shades. This way you can choose the tones that are present in your skin and combine them into your perfect shade! Keep in mind it is double the cost, because you are purchasing two products. However, it lasts longer because you are using less from each individual bottle.

These are my personal foundations. Shades #32 & #18

2. THE BASE--WATER, OIL OR SILICONE?

Formulation makes a difference in texture, weight of the foundation and how it wears during the day. It's very common for foundations to be a blend of these main bases or just to be strictly one of them. Brands also tend to have a few different types in their lines. For instance, MAKE UP FOREVER Face&Body is water-based, but their HD foundation is a combination, being silicone/water-based. Oil-based foundation is not a good choice for those with oily or combination skin. So establish what kind of coverage you need, and what finish you would like your skin to have when making your selection.

3. SUN PROTECTION FACTOR (SPF) 

Not all foundations contain SPF. I use MAKE UP FOREVER Face&Body as my everyday foundation-but it contains no SPF-so I put this on before applying my foundation. It is crucial that you check if your foundation contains a SPF! Makeup artists and photographers usually prefer using makeup with no SPF because it adds an undesired texture or sheen to the skin that can show up in photographs.

It's common for foundations to have an SPF of 15, which means that you will have to reapply a sunscreen throughout the day if you are continually exposed to the sun.

I hope these tips were helpful! Please leave any thoughts or comments!

- Ms. Coiffeuse ;)