Foundation Makeup, The Basics
Selection is the last thing you will need to worry about when it comes to foundation makeup. This type of makeup used to be available as only very thick creams which were not exactly healthy for your skin. Now, foundations come in many varieties from thick creams to light, tinted moisturizers. The thicker the foundation, the more it covers but the harder it is to blend and work with. In the case of the lighter products, blending is much easier, but it is more difficult to conceal any imperfections.
Your foundation makeup should not only cover any blemishes or imperfections but should make your skin appear healthier and give you that youthful glow.
Tinted moisturizer is ideal for skin that does not require a lot of coverage. It will even out skin tone and provide excellent hydration.
Mousse or whipped foundation is liquid foundation which has had air whipped into it making it smoother. It is ideal for all skin types and applies smoothly, offering excellent control but also slightly lighter coverage.
Liquid foundation makeup is has the most widespread use due to the fact that it applies so smoothly and coverage can be varied by slowly increasing the amount of product used. It can be found in waterproof, smudgeproof or 24 hour versions.
Cream-to-powder foundation is also very popular because it saves a lot of time. It goes on in liquid form but dries to a powder finish that reduces oil and will last you all day, so you are not fiddling with foundation and powder.
Powder foundation makeup is very light and easy to apply, providing sheer to medium coverage. It's great in summer.
Concealer is a very thick foundation available as sticks or as a compact and is used for intense coverage of small areas, i.e. that huge pimple that just had to show up right on the day of the big dinner date, or the dark rings under your eyes after a very late night.
Stick foundation is a combination of cream foundation and concealer. It provides a greater degree of coverage and is quick to apply. It's also great for keeping in your purse since it's so easy to apply so you can touch up your makeup at any time.
Mineral foundation makeup is made from natural ingredients and does not contain harsh chemical dyes. It contains mineral pigment that is ground to a smooth texture which is bound to more natural ingredients, such as shea butter in some cases, to form an excellent foundation that offers long term coverage. Some even claim that they can go to sleep with it and wake up looking just as good as when they first applied it. One problem though is that since it is all natural some women will have trouble finding the proper color match.
To choose the best foundation makeup for you so that it does its job properly, in other words makes your skin look picture perfect but without anyone being able to tell you are wearing anything, you absolutely must pick the right foundation type for your skin as well as properly matching color.
You must determine your skin type and buy a product specially formulated for you, i.e. dry, normal or oily. If you have combination skin then you can use two types of foundation, for oily skin on your "T" area and normal or dry for the rest. You must be careful with waterproof foundation makeup as well as the smudgeproof variety since they sometimes contain ingredients that may irritate your skin. It is wise to test on a small area to judge your skin's reaction.
Picking the correct color tone for your skin is not an easy process. The best area to test is on your jaw line, certainly not your wrist or the back of your hand. It would be ideal to check the color in natural light as artificial lighting has a tendency of distorting the color slightly.
The secret to proper application is blending it properly into your hairline, under your jaw line, the corners of your nose and mouth. You can use a sponge, brush or your fingers, it is not all that important, as long as you blend properly and check to make sure no differences can be seen.
If you would like more ideas here are more makeup tips as well as advice on getting the perfect pout.