The first thing you should understand is your own skin. Is it Very Fair, Light, Olive, Medium, Tan, or Dark? If you're not sure, ask someone at the makeup counter and they can help you. Very fair people sometimes find difficulty to find the correct products. That skin tone is very close to white making it difficult to cover blemishes and is usually very sensitive. Make sure you take that into account and buy something that matches very well with your natural skin and will not irritate it. Light people, like myself, are pale, but they can pull off products with more color. Normally, you can wear one of the lighter shades, but the lightest may be too light. This kind of skin can also be sensitive, so be careful. Olive skin tones, have more yellow and less pink. You can have pale or tan olive skin because it has to do with the undertone more than anything. Your shade is probably either between Light and Medium or Medium and Tan. Next is Medium. Mediums have natural color to them and it's probably the easiest skin type to find a good shade for. Your skin can take more than lights and very fairs, so it probably is less prone to irritation. Still be careful though. Tan skin tones look like they have been in the sun all year round (lucky you). Your skin is probably not sensitive and has a good amount of color to it. There are usually a lot of different types of foundations and things in different, but close, shades, so asking someone at the counter may be helpful when deciding. Lastly, dark skin tones may also have trouble finding their perfect match like the very fair's. But luckily for you, your skin tone usually naturally blocks out unwanted color letting very few blemishes show through, if any. Remember not to go too light or it will appear very unnatural and cakey. The closer you can get to your exact shade, the better.
The next step is identifying what kind of product you need. Do you have a lot of breakouts? Dark circles? Redness? Or just a few spots? Is your skin pretty even? What are you trying to cover up? One of the most common misconceptions I've run into is that some girls have lovely skin that really doesn't need foundation. The point of foundation is to cover up things you don't want others to see. If you don't have anything to hide them there's no point in buying it. If most of the time your skin is pretty good, but some days your skin is uneven, I would recommend BB cream or a tinted moisturizer. It's very light coverage and will even everything out without a full face. You can use your fingers to apply it very quickly and easily. If you normally have some redness, but it's not terrible, I'd go for a light coverage foundation. You can apply it on just the spots that need it, or all over your face. I've found the best way to apply it is with a brush, but I have used my fingers from time to time. Medium to Full coverage foundations are for those who have very breakout-prone skin and should probably be applied with a brush. There's probably a lot of redness and breakouts which you want to cover up and this will do the trick. But don't think that because there's a lot to cover up, that you need to use a lot. A little will go a long way, I promise. These foundations are meant to cover it up with very little, so don't put on a whole lot or risk having a cake face. Yikes!
There are also two types of foundations - powder and liquid. Both work very well! Powder can be really good for oily skin and liquid is probably best for dry skin, but try them and see which one you like better!
Another thing that may come in handy is concealers. These are meant to continue to cover up spots and dark circles under your eyes. For breakouts all over your face, I would use a concealer close to your natural shade so it doesn't make the spot stand out more. You can also apply a green (yes, you heard me right!) concealer under all your makeup to help cancel out the redness. More orangey and yellow concealers are useful under the eyes to cancel out the blue and purple tones. These can be applied before and sometimes after the foundation. Another trick with concealers is that if you use one a few shades lighter than your natural skin tone from under your eyes to the top of the apple of your cheek in a triangle shape, you can help highlight your face and add some dimension. A darker concealer can be used on the hollows of your cheeks to accentuate your cheekbones just like contouring with bronzer will!
So now you've figured out what and what kind of product you need. The next step is what brand. Please understand that the most expensive does not always mean the best, but sometimes investing can also be worth it. I've tried high-end and cheaper foundations and it really depends on what works for your skin. For you girls out there on a budget, my favorite drugstore foundation brand is Covergirl. I use the Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 in ivory. It's a light to medium coverage foundation and works really well for me. As for high end, Nars is a great option. I've seen the Sheer Glow work very well on different skin types and at the moment I am using the All Day Luminous Foundation in Mont Blanc. It is Medium to Full Coverage and goes on very nicely. My biggest tip I've learned with that specific one is not to use a whole lot because it can get cakey. For BB cream on my good-skin days, I use the Ganier Skin Renewal Miracle Skin Perfector for Combination to Oily Skin in Light/Medium. It makes my skin really soft(: Lastly, my favorite concealer is from Mary Kay in Ivory 2. It doesn't get cakey and it covers really well.
Finally, a lot of times, foundation stays on longer with powder, but you don't have to use it if you don't want to and dry skin usually stays better without it because it's less drying.
Hopefully you found that helpful by explaining what everything is, or maybe just telling you a few facts you didn't already know! If you have questions, feel free to ask in the comments and have a lovely week!
Love Always,
Bree x
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