A beautiful makeup starts with a perfect base. Even the effects of different products such as your highlighter, blush, and bronzer only come out well when you use a ...
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A beautiful makeup starts with a perfect base. Even the effects of different products such as your highlighter, blush, and bronzer only come out well when you use a good base, to begin with. In fact, a few tips to apply foundation can make you appear more attractive and stylish even if you go for a simple makeup look. As such, it is essential that you spend some time to apply your foundation well and make sure that your skin looks great. In this post, we tell you about some tips to apply foundation.
There are four different types of foundation available these days.
Liquid foundation is the most popular of the four and works for everyone. If applied well, it can make the skin appear flawless just like that of the supermodels you see on screen. However, other types of foundations have their strong points too.
In this post, we look at the top 5 tips to apply foundation flawlessly. To understand the tips, we have divided them into two parts. First, we share 2 tips to apply foundation that are common for all foundation types and later, we talk about tips that are specific to each type of foundation.
Tip # 1: Prep Your Skin
The first and foremost tips to apply foundation is, a foundation will look good on your skin if it is smooth and clean. You can choose a simple cleanser to remove any traces of makeup, dust or grime from your skin. Next, tone your skin using an alcohol-free toner to tighten the pores and follow up with a moisturizer. If you have dry or flaky skin, you can scrub your face with a gentle face scrub and then tone and moisturize it.
[Also read: 6 Must-Dos To Prep Your Skin For Makeup]
Tip # 2: Apply a Primer
If you have large pores, it will be helpful to use a primer. Face primers also help to make the foundation application process smoother besides helping it last longer.
There are different kinds of primers out there in the market. You can use the one that it is suitable for your skin type and skin condition. A primer acts as a barrier between your skin and its foundation, keeping your pores from becoming clogged. An important tip to applying a perfect foundation is, people with oily skin should use a gel- or a water-based primer while those with dry skin should use a cream-based primer.
The ways to apply foundation are specific to each foundation type. In this section, we look at 3 tips to apply liquid foundation. Then, we quickly see tips to apply foundation for the other three foundation types.
How to Apply Liquid Foundation: This foundation is great for all skin types. Here are 3 tips to apply liquid foundation.
Tip #1: Dot the Foundation All Over Your Face
The best way to ensure even foundation application is to first dot it all over the face. Pump out foundation at the back of your hand and use your finger to dot it all over your face.
You can use a foundation brush too but if you use your fingers, they can help you warm up the foundation slightly which will help to blend it well.
Also, start at the centre. When you look at someone’s face, the centre of the face is what the eye naturally focuses on and this is why you need to start from here and move outwards.
Tip #2: Use a Foundation Brush to Spread It Evenly
If you do not want to dot the foundation all over your face, you can skip tip 3 and use a foundation brush to spread the foundation all over the face. Start from the centre, slowly moving outwards in the direction of growth of your facial hair. Use small strokes for more control. Since most people have uneven skin tone, broken capillaries, large pores and/or blemishes, the centre of the face needs more coverage.
Take your time to really blend in the foundation all over your face. You can even use a damp sponge to apply your foundation. Always start with a small amount and slowly build the layers for more coverage.
Tip #3: Set It with a Powder
Most liquid foundations can stay put for 2 to 3 hours before the facial oils start to break it. The foundation tends to slowly fade away during the course of the day. To stop this from happening, you can use a translucent powder to set your foundation. It will make it last longer and remove any extra shine. You can carry a compact with you for touch ups when your skin gets oily in the T-zone.
[Also read: 8 Party Makeup Tricks That Can Make Your Makeup Last All Night]
A quick look now at the other three foundation types:
Applying Powder Foundation: Powder foundation offers the least coverage of the four but it is quite easy to use. Most of these foundations come in a compact packaging with an applicator that you can use. Though quite easy to use, one way to get the best results from powder foundation is to build it slowly for coverage. Otherwise, it can look a bit cakey and unnatural. Mineral powder foundations are great for oily skin.
Applying Cushion Foundation: You can apply a cushion foundation similar to a powder foundation even though it has a cream-to-liquid consistency. Just tap it all over your face and build it up in the areas where you need more coverage. These foundations usually have a dewy finish and look quite natural on the skin. Just like liquid foundation, they are usually great for all skin types.
Applying Cream/Stick Foundation: Stick foundations are making a comeback. They are more suitable for dry skin and people with oily skin will find these foundations to be a bit too heavy. To apply a stick foundation, run the stick all over your face in long strokes and then use a buffing brush to blend it all in. Make sure that you blend in the direction of the growth of facial hair to make it look natural. Set it with a loose powder to make it last all day.
And now for a final bonus tip: Choose the right foundation colour for your skin tone.
It is important that the foundation shade looks natural when you apply it to your face and that it blends well with your neck. If you are blessed with good skin, you can use a tinted moisturizer or BB cream to even out your skin tone and use concealer to deal with the blemishes, saving your foundation for special occasions when you want to look perfect.
[Related Reading: How To Apply Foundation The Right Way]
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