With make up sales at an all time high, it’s hardly surprising that many of us are buying products that we don’t ever use! We’re lured by clever advertising to buy the latest foundations without having the basic info we need to make the right choices. I’ve put together 5 easy steps to help you get it right…
1. Know what you want your foundation to do
Do you want to let those freckles shine bright or do you want to cover your broken veins? Foundations come in a variety of coverages and finishes. Know what you want it to do before you hit the nearest make up counter. A good consultant should be able to help with this by asking you some key questions such as ‘what sort of coverage do you like?’ There’s full coverage foundation for covering scars and birthmarks, medium coverage that you can ‘build’ and light coverage that can be ‘barely there’. Add to that the different formulations such as cream, powder, mousse and mineral and you’re forgiven for getting it wrong for so long! Decide what you want it to do and in which formulation.
2. Testing Testing
Your foundation isn’t a mask. Nor should it be a different colour to your neck. It’s not your foundations job to change the colour of your face so it should blend seamlessly. If you’re having to colour your neck to match, chances are you’ve got the wrong colour.
Tone it down
Knowing your skin tone is where most people go wrong. Have you bought foundations in the past and wondered why they just don’t look right? You thought you’d found the perfect colour only to get it home and it just looked weird! Take a really good look at your skin. You’ll have a pink undertone (cool) yellow (warm) or a mixture of both (neutral) Check out the inside of your wrists. Do your veins appear blue or green? If they look blue/purple, you’re cool-toned. If green, you’re warm-toned. If you have trouble telling, you’re probably neutral. Once you know this it can help with everything from knowing the colour of clothes, jewellery and hair colour that suit you
3. Lights, camera action
How many times have you got a foundation home to find it’s totally wrong? Department stores and shops often have unflattering fluorescent lighting and you might find that what looks good while you’re there doesn’t look so great when you get home! Ask the consultant to put some on you (usually on the jawline) and go to the windows if there are any. If not, ask for a sample or put some on and go outside to check. Remember, we’re trying to match it to your neck. Many high end foundations aren’t cheap so you need to know the colour is EXACTLY right before parting with your hard-earned cash. If you’re buying off the shelf, this can be even more difficult as you’re on your own!
4. Add colour
Ok so this isn’t necessarily about foundation but I wanted to add a word about colour. Foundation alone can look flat. It’s the job of your blusher and bronzer to add colour to your face, not your foundation.
5. Added extras
Formulations for foundations are becoming more and more sophisticated and many now have light reflectors, sun protection, moisturising properties, anti-wrinkle agents to name but a few. Go back to no.1 to decide what it is you want your foundation to do for you to help you decide.
So there you have it! A quick guide to choosing the perfect foundation. Hopefully this will help you in your buying decisions and stop you wasting your hard-earned money on products that aren’t right for you.
Happy shopping!
Much love
Julie x
No gimmicks, no nonsense, just beautiful, bespoke treatments
