The make-up and beauty industry are ever changing and keeping up with trends and products are almost impossible. To make life a bit easier we will be looking at foundation; what you need to know, tips and tricks as well as what to avoid. Not everyone wants to look like a porcelain doll, but most of us wants even smooth cover without spending hours in front of the mirror. After all a beauty regime should be sustainable at the very least!

- By Karla Jansen van Vuuren

A few things to consider for flawless and even skin is:

1. What type of coverage do you desire? For instance, do you believe more is less and want a sheer look? Or do you want full cover without any indication of blemish or sign of imperfection? Or maybe you want something in between and would like more of a medium coverage… These are personal preferences and will totally depend on your personality and the occasion for which you are applying make-up.
2. What skin type do you have? Do you struggle with dry or oily skin? Or maybe you have a combination of these.
3. What durability do you expect from your foundation? Is 6 hours sufficient or do you need something that will last for 12 hours?
4. What are your expectations and personal preferences? What is it that you want from a foundation?

You may have heard of this saying: a little goes a long way… Well, for me this is what I want in a foundation. Something with good coverage that do not require layer upon layer of product.

The first thing you need to look at when deciding to buy a foundation is getting the right color & formula to suit your skin type! Nothing worse than an orange walking among us, am I right? When testing or matching foundation you need to look at the area where your neck and face meet. Your neck needs to be the same color as your face.

Tip:

When testing a foundation apply a small amount of foundation to your jawline and blend up as well as downwards into your neck. If you can’t see a difference in color between the two areas, you have found your match!

The second important factor is Durability. For a longer lasting foundation, you do need to apply a setting powder. Here you have 2 options, you can either use a loose translucent powder for everyday use, or you can use a fixing powder which makes your foundation waterproof. Let’s just say if you plan to party for more than a day, then fixing powder away!!

For perfect application you need to use the right Tools. There are many options out there, but personally I prefer either a foundation brush or beauty blender.

So, let’s look at how to apply your foundation...

Before application you need to make sure your face is clean. It is important to remove excess oil from your skin before applying foundation. Secondly you can moisturize or apply your primer. Kryolan has various primers. You need to use the right type of primer for your skin type.

If you have a very dry skin, you can use the Kryolan Ultra Underbase Primer to alleviate the dryness.

Regarding the actual application, it is best to decant your foundation onto a mixing plate (metal plate) with a spatula. Start applying your foundation with the applicator of your choice. Apply the foundation in a thin layer to the face, avoid using too much product as you don’t want a cakey look. Make sure to blend the foundation into the hairline, neck and ears.

All of us have some type of wrinkle or line, whether it is from aging or simply laugh lines, and we all know how frustrating it could be when all your foundation migrates into the creases… To avoid this problem gently blend the foundation out of the creases and press powder over the area to set your foundation, especially on the eye lids.

Once foundation has been applied to the entire face, apply the setting or fixing powder by pressing on the powder evenly. Leave the powder on for 5-10 min and brush the excess off with a powder brush.

In short, this is how to apply proper foundation!

For any enquiries on which products to use or advise on what would work best for your personal needs, visit us at our Blush Offices at 311 Ontdekkers rd. Roodepoort or drop us a mail at westrand@blushacademy.co.za and our team of professional make-up artists will gladly assist.

We have various full-time and short-courses in make-up artistry, hairdressing and beauty if you are interested in building a career in the beauty industry.

Proud stockist of Kryolan Professional Make-up.