How to find your PERFECT foundation!

This blog is for you Timeless Beauties who have been asking me about foundation, and how to find the right one for you!

    Picture this:  You walk into your local department store, head straight to the make-up counter and ask for help picking your new foundation.  The incredibly sweet and helpful make-up artist behind the counter shows you how to match your foundation based on the color of your jaw line, and directs you to the perfect product based on the concerns you voiced about your skin.  She applies your new color for you and hands you a mirror.  Perfect match!  You walk outside and head to your next destination.   Catching a glimpse of your reflection in your rear view, you are suddenly startled!  What looked AMAZING in the department store now appears too dark (or way too light) and thick (or way too thin) in the harsh natural light of the sun!  Is that shine you see in your t-zone (or perhaps you are WAY too matte)?  Did you really just spend THAT MUCH money, only to walk out of the store looking like this?  NOOOO!!! 

     I’ve been there!   Can I tell you a secret?  Although a lot of those helpful Makeup Artists are trained in both Cosmetology and Esthetics, make no mistake:  they are there to sell you a product.  I have worked those counters, and I was very good at selling the “product of the month”, or whatever the company I was working for was pushing.  It is really important to do your research before you go in so you have a firm idea of what you need to avoid walking out feeling buyer’s remorse. 

     The common trick for match your foundation color is to use 3 close but different shades , and finding the closest match to your jawline (or worse, your hand).  Here is why I can’t get with that: 

1.        The lighting is notoriously terrible in Department stores.  You will find your best match

         in natural light.

       2.        Invariably your jawline will be much lighter or darker than your décolletage (neck and 
                chest) or your hand
       3.       Foundation oxidizes after about 10-15 mins, causing it to become slightly darker.
       4.       Your skin condition and level of desired coverage should be a BIG determination.

     Now you know I’d never deliver bad news to my Timeless Beauties,  and then just walk away!  What kind of Make-up Artist would I be if you left this blog without feeling more informed and ready to find the perfect product for you?

Let’s talk foundation!!!

     As we begin, my personal philosophy on everyday foundation is: “A little goes a long way”.  If you have the right product and you have a great skincare routine, you will not need a lot of product to achieve the coverage your desire.  There are 3 major pieces of information I take into consideration when advising my clients on the right everyday product for them.

1.        Skin condition  -

                a.        Dry Skin – A moisturizing foundation is perfect for you.  Go light on the powder.
                b.        Combo Skin – Your choices are much more varied.  You could go with everything from
                        a mineral foundation powder to a matte, or a more moisturizing foundation to achieve
                        a dewy (translation:  youthful) look.
                c.           Oily skin – You are looking for a foundation that is oil free or matte.

2.       Desired coverage

              -          For everyday makeup, it would be wise for you to take an  
                     honest look at your skin’s condition without make up.   Far
                     too often I see women with beautiful skin wearing much
                     more make up than they actually need (often in the wrong
                     color) for coverage.  The result is very aging. 

3.       Decolletage color

       -     I am a big believer in the tried and true matching warm or

             cool undertones: with the exception that I match to the neck

             and chest, as opposed to the jawline or hand and then go ½

             to 1 shade lighter to allow for oxidation and contouring.  It’s

             also a good idea to rematch yourself in the summertime

             when your skin is a little bit darker.

 

So, in practical terms what does that look like?

     Let’s use my skin as an example.  I tend to be fairly dry in the winter, so I lean more toward moisturizing mineral liquid foundations.  In the summer time, I will often use nothing more than a tinted moisturizer and my foundation for areas that need a little more coverage (Ie. Around my nose and under my eyes) and a little powder in my t-zone to set.  I am pretty fair skinned, so I know that anything with the word ivory in it is probably a great place to start.  If I know I am going to be photographed, I will stay away from anything with too much shine (flash can cause your reflection to appear oily) and amp up my contouring. 

 

 

Tell me about your tricks!  What works for you?  Any drugstore favorites?