Not to gas myself, (but to gas myself lowkey) but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well my foundation as been looking lately. I believe it’s because I’ve made a few changes to my routine. It wouldn’t be fair if I kept them to myself so I’m sharing some tips for flawless foundation application.
Prep Your Skin: Hydrate, Hydrate, and Hydrate
I used to think that if I wanted a long-lasting, matte application of makeup, I had to make sure my skin was absolutely dry and oil free. I’d use the most drying cleansers, a little bit of toner and sometimes skipped serums and moisturizes because I didn’t want to have a greasy face before priming. Needless to say, I was wrong.
When you strip your skin of oils, your body naturally compensates by producing even more oil. The less hydrated your skin is, the more oils it will produce to offset that. So whether you’ve got dry skin or oily skin, do not skip out on hydrating your face prior to applying makeup.
When I’ve got enough time on my hands, I like to go for a hydrating sheet mask from peach slices, or more recently a Glycolic acid sheet mask from Pixi Beauty. Those masks usually require about 15-25 minutes of wear time. Then, I follow up the mask with a serum, typically the Daily Vitamin Infusion from Indie Lee. Finally, I use my usual moisturizer from Sunday Riley to finish off my skin care routine with a healthy glow. If I’m prepping my skin for daytime wear, I’ll add some SPF after my moisturizer because no matter what, SPF Is a must!
Layer Your Primers
If you’re confused about why you should be using a primer before applying foundation, have no fear. Check out my previous post on primers and my specific recommendations. If you’ve read that post you’d know that not all primers are created equal. Some are meant to boost radiance, while others are meant to shrink the appearance of pores. But what if my skin needs all of that? Don’t be afraid to use more than one primer.
When I’m trying to combat multiple concerns, I like to use multiple primers.
For example, lately I’ve been using the Milk Hydro Grip Primer to hydrate my skin. Then I’ll follow up with the Farsali Skin Tune Blur Primer specifically under my eye and on my forehead to shrink the appearance of my largest pores. The two are primers that anyone can use individually, but when I’m trying to combat multiple concerns, I like to use multiple primers. I’d say that a healthy limit is two primers. You don’t want to overload your skin with products before you even start your foundation routine.
Allow Your Makeup Time To Set Between Steps
This is the reason it’s difficult to do a full face beat in 20 minutes. However this is also my favorite of all the tips for flawless foundation application. If you’re applying various liquid products to your face, giving time for your makeup to set in between each set can give you fuller coverage and make sure that your makeup tools aren’t picking up too much product. After applying and blending my foundation I may wait about 15 to 20 seconds at least before adding concealer. After applying my contouring and highlighting concealer, I wait 30 seconds to a minute before blending.
Giving time for your makeup to set in between each set can give you fuller coverage.
If you feel weird about being idle while your concealer sets, find something else to do in the time being. I like to apply lashes while I want for my concealer to set. You could play around with the order of your makeup routine so that you have another part of your face to work on while you wait.
My favorite foundation/concealer duo right now for radiant skin is the Too Faced Born This Way Foundation and Concealer. The foundation includes ingredients like Coconut Water and Hyaluronic Acid which explains why my skin always looks plump and hydrated whenever I use it. It’s most definitely a new favorite of mine.
Baking As You Know It Is Over
If you’ve seen the IG tutorials, or if you’re a fan of baking yourself, you’re probably placing a considerable amount of product in the areas you applied highlighting concealer. Then you’d let it sit for about 5-10 minutes before dusting off the excess powder and moving on. However I found that that technique did little to protect from creasing and if anything it just left a cakey residue. Instead of piling on the powder, I tap off excess from my sponge and press the powder into my concealer. I’m very careful not to apply too much. I still dust off the excess but there is far less product and so instead of looking dried out and cakey, my makeup looks much more natural and skin like. I use any one of my favorite setting powders in a translucent or yellow shade to brighten under eye.
Liquid Gold Everything
And by liquid gold I mean highlighter. One of the last steps in my foundation routine, even though it is not foundation, is to apply a liquid or cream highlighter. Powder highlights, while the goods ones blend into the skin, still seem a bit too obvious. Liquid highlights like my current fave from glossier play, enhance your own natural highlight without standing out is unnatural.
That was certainly a lot of information. If you’re at all confused about what these tips look like in action, I’ve put together a Youtube Tutorial detailing everything! Check it out by heading straight to my Youtube channel, or watching it right here:
WHAT’S ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE TIPS FOR FLAWLESS FOUNDATION APPLICATION?
“She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.” Provers 31: 17
