Oh! Â WHAT? Â Wait! Â …I just woke up from my long cryo-nap. After all of the fun I have had, a gurl needed a break! I was resting my eyes to ready myself for today’s blog. Â Today’s topic is all about foundations! Â We’ve gone over brushes and brush care. We’ve gone over cleansing and prepping the skin. Â Now it’s time to start the foundation.
Foundations come in many different textures and formulas. Â It can be intimidating to stare at the counter full of glass bottles and guess which one is coming home with you. Â My first recommendation for you is – ASK FOR HELP!!! Â The trained professionals behind the counters at department and specialty stores are there to help you. When shopping for foundations, common questions are:
What skin type do you have?
Do you have oily, dry, combination, sensitive, or problematic?
What kind of coverage are you looking for?
Barely there, medium, or full heavy coverage.
This is as difficult as it gets. Â If you don’t know the answers to your questions, no worries! Â Those trained pros are there to make your life easier.
If you don’t have the luxury of a makeup artist’s help, here is some help from yours truly:
OIL SLICK
Having oily skin means that you can wash your face and it can look shiny or even like an oil slick within 1-2 hours. Most people with oily skin will get excess oil in all areas and not just the T-zone. Oilier skins do not need anything with added oils. Your best bet is to find a water-based foundation. These foundations will be labeled in various ways such as oil-free, matte, or mattifying.
SAHARA DESERT
You know you have dry skin if you wash your face and it feels tight after washing it. If you have no shine or very minimal within six hours or more of washing, then you more than likely have dry skin. Some key foundation types for dry skin are oil-based liquid foundations.
COMBO
If you have combination, you can feel or look shiny or oily across your forehead, and dry down your nose. Most people with combination skin have limited oil that can be bothersome by mid-day, or say 4-6 hours after washing their face. Â People with combination skin can wear either oil-free or a regular oil-based foundation, depending on the amount of oil and whether there are any reoccurring breakout areas. To play it safe, if your skin is combination and does not feel tight after washing then you should choose an oil-free foundation.
TEXTURES
Foundations come in different textures.  Liquid, cream, stick, powder, liquid to powder, and  mineral are what people commonly see.  Each has its benefits.
Liquid – Â can have UV protection, be easy to blend and give a more natural finish
Cream – can have UV protection, be easy to blend usually provide a little more coverage
Stick – great for full coverage (gurls it can cover anything from a zit to a beard)
Powder – one step and can work as well as liquids. Great for oily skin
Liquid to powder – a one-step foundation and powder
Mineral – provides UV protection, Talc-free, and lightweight. Â (be careful, it can appear iridescent or shiny)
COLOR MATCH
The biggest mistake I see in makeup wearers is choosing the wrong foundation color. Â There is nothing worse than seeing a beautiful face that looks like it’s wearing a mask!!! Â I don’t want to see the foundation, I want it blend away!!! Â The best place to match a foundation is the declate (upper chest) or neck area. Â If you match this, you will create a seamless blend.
APPLICATION
Now that you know what to wear, I’ll show you how to wear it. Â There is a common misconception that foundation has to go all over the face. Â Some people need a little coverage, some a little more. Â If you just want to even out your skin tone then a little goes a long way. Â Apply your foundation where it’s needed.
Using fingers or sponges can work well, but I prefer a brush. Â If you remember my brush topic, Â you will remember my favorite brush for foundations. The M.A.C. 188 brush. Â It works well to buff the foundation into the skin.
CONCEALERS
If I’m using a foundation and concealer, I’ll usually use concealer second. Â Once the foundation is on, you can just spot apply where you need to. Â Usually under the eyes, around the nostrils, laugh lines, and on blemishes. Â Concealer can be applied with fingers or a brush. Â I prefer the M.A.C. 195 concealer brush (here is a great link to find the perfect M.A.C. brushes). Â You can just take a small amount of the product and just pat them into place.
FINISH LINE
Now that you have just created a flawless skin, you need to protect it. Setting your makeup is great to make sure that your face stays intact. Â Using a big puffy brush helps apply a loose powder. Â A loose powder lightly dusted over the top of your cream or liquid foundation will do set it. Â I follow it with a spray finisher like FIX + from M.A.C. (you know Cover Girl doesn’t cover, boy…. I cant help it..I’m a MAC whore!!!!). Â Loose powders can come in translucent (invisible) or with a tint. Â I find that translucent is more flexible with your natural pigment changes from season to season.
I’m getting a transmission from a galaxy in need of a makeover…I gotta go!!! I’ll leave you with this great beauty tip from Drag Superstar, Nina Flowers. This was Venus Starshine reporting..over and out!
C U Next Tuesday