Foundations Part I

For me, finding a foundation is like finding a pair of jeans.  I don’t enjoy it - it’s time consuming and the lighting in stores is absolutely terrible – so many times I’ve bought the wrong shade.  So what I propose you do is get a few stripes of chosen foundation onto the skin just below your ear, where your jawline starts and neck (this is where the true colour of your skin is – unspoilt by the sun), then go outside in natural daylight and see which one matches your skin tone.  It’s the stripe that has ‘disappeared’ that is the right one for you.  Don’t forget to take a mirror and/or another human being so they can see for you.  Don’t ever test foundations on your hands, wrists, forehead (the list goes on) as each body part will be a different colour.  If you have self-tan on your neck/décolleté, then match the foundation to that.  For those who have found the right shade but are wanting to buy a different foundation then take a little pot of what you’re currently using and then match it up on the hands (save you testing on your face). 

 

To save or splurge?  You need a decent one so buying an expensive one will only serve you well but if you have the patience, then keep an eye on what the big companies are doing (they have the money to do the best research) and then wait for their ingredients to filter down to the cheaper brands that come under their umbrella.  For example, Lancôme comes under the L’Oréal Group so whatever Lancôme have done, it will filter down to L’Oréal Paris or Maybelline.   Another one is Bourjois coming under Chanel (actually Coty recently bought Bourjois this year from Chanel but you get my drift).  Having said that though, there are many fabulous foundations that are from the cheaper brands.

 

I prefer to use my hands to apply foundation on myself, it’s quicker and you use less product.  If I am wanting a more polished, evening look then I will use a foundation brush (as I would do on clients).   Most bottles are pump-dispensed - one pump/click is the right amount to use for the face.

 

When applying, I don’t recommend bringing the product all the way down on the neck; if you have the right shade, you won’t need to do this.  Reduces risk of product on your clothes too.  Just underneath the jawline will do.  Also try not to be tempted to go a darker shade, it just won’t blend in – best to warm yourself up with bronzer, blusher or self-tan.  More importantly, wearing a darker shade of foundation is ageing (I sob when I see these young celebs with their orange faces and their hair and nail extensions – they all look 10 years older than what they really are).

Foundations Part II will be posted Friday!