Foundation 101

While spending some time with family a couple weeks ago my cousin asked me about foundation. She said she doesn't like to wear foundation but every now and then will use concealer to cover up scars, blemishes, dark circles, freckles, etc. We just got to talking about foundation and its importance so I thought I would do a post about it!

Alot of times we think foundation just feels cakey and cloggy and yuck! But it doesn't have to be that way! There are 3 different types of coverage. Sheer coverage, medium coverage and full coverage. There are also different types of foundation; powder foundation, cream foundation, and liquid foundation. 

So, lets talk about WHY we would even wear foundation in the first place. To me, the whole reason to wear foundation is to even out your skin tone and add some radiance to your complexion. A lot of women have red parts in their skin, around their nose, around the corners of their mouths, maybe even on the cheeks and forehead. So the skin then appears blotchy. Foundation will help even that out!  Another thing is the correct  foundation can make blemishes look less noticeable and it can make you look younger. Now just because I am saying that these are the reasons for foundation does not necessarily mean you are going to go cake on a thick layer of goop. Foundation is there to enhance and compliment your appearance, not change it. Do we understand the difference? =)

So what kind of foundation and coverage does your skin need then?

Sheer Coverage: If you are blessed with a clear and smooth complexion go for the sheer coverage! It will feel very light and give you subtle coverage. Sheer coverage foundations come in liquid, powder compact or a tinted moisturizer. 

Liquid is the greatest foundation to get for all skin types, you can either get an oil-free formula for oily skin or a moisturizing formula for dry skin.  

This is NARS Sheer Glow Foundation $42 at Sephora good for Dry skin 

or you can find the NARS Sheer Matte Foundation for Oily skin at Sephora as well. 

or 

Laura Mercier's Moisturizing Foundation $42 at Sepora

This foundation can be a very light coverage but is build able to create a more fuller coverage, so great!

Powder Compact is a dual finish powder foundation that gives you a quick sheer coverage. Just apply with a brush and your set to go! Super easy and great for touch ups on the go. What's great about powder foundation is you can also use a wet sponge to apply for more coverage if you ever needed to.

This is the Laura Mercier Foundation Powder $40 at Sephora

Then there is a Tinted Moisturizer, which is by far the sheerest of all sheer foundations. What it is is actually what it sounds like, a moisturizer with a little color added to make a tint. This is perfect to use during the summertime when your at the beach or lake and you don't want to wear much makeup. It definitely evens out the skin but at the same time provides very light coverage. Plus, a lot of moisturizer's have sunscreen in them so this is great in protecting your skin from the sun!

This is Urban Decay's Urban Defense Tinted Moisturizer SPF20 $30 at Sephora

or

The Smashbox Sheer Focus Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 $30 at sephora

Medium and Full Coverage: Medium to full coverage have thicker consistencies. You're going to want to use this type of foundation for concealing breakouts, scars, and even for just wanting a longer lasting fuller coverage. Types of medium and full coverage foundation are creme, stick, creme-to-powder and mineral powder. 

Cream-to-powder is so quick and simple, it has two in one! It goes on creamy and dries with a powdery finish. This type of foundation is great for oily skin because the powder part of it helps cut down on the shine. I also love that this foundation has buildable coverage, starting at medium and can build to full.

This is Clinique's City Base Compact Foundation $24 at Sephora

Mineral Powder is a loose powder that sticks to the skin, creating a medium to full coverage. This foundation is also great for oily skin because the mineral's help soak up the oil and feels really light.

Bare Minerals Foundation $26 at sephora

Cream is a foundation that is very smooth and creamy. It can be great for dry skin, however, you want to make sure you don't do too heavy of an application otherwise it will make your face look "cakey". I love to use a sponge for cream foundations and instead of a swiping motion I do more of a stippling motion. Also, the great thing about cream foundation is you can mix in a little bit of regular moisturizer to the cream to create a more sheer coverage. Cream really can be used as all three coverage's!Another thing that is great is you can always use the cream foundation as a concealer. It's so versatile!

This is Cover FX Total Coverage Cream Foundation $42 at Sephora

Stick  foundation basically is very similar to cream foundation, its more of a cream foundation and concealer in one. This is probably the best type of foundation for someone who wants the fullest coverage there is. It is ideal for normal to dry skin and someone who needs the coverage. On someone with clear skin it might look too heavy and cakey. 

This is Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick $41 at Sephora

These are all just examples and I am sure there are a ton of other brands that work just as well! These are just a few that I really like. If you are wondering what color of foundation to get check out my other blog post here about how to find the correct color of foundation! 

Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!!

Have a great day =)

Leah

How to find the correct foundation color

Have you ever felt so lost when it comes to finding the correct color of foundation?! You don't want something too light otherwise your face looks like a ghost and then you don't want something too dark that you have this round circle stopping right at your neck and you become this floating head. ughhh. Why does it have to be so complicated?

Notice how Emily Blunt's face is a lot paler then the rest of her body? Poor thing! She still looks beautiful, maybe she had spent the day out on the beach and got a tan and then didn't have time to go get a little darker foundation color?? Anyways, the point is it's super important to get the correct color match of foundation! I've totally made this mistake before, I'm sure we all have! I have gotten into the habit of taking a picture of myself before i'm done with my makeup because sometimes the bathroom mirror lies and a picture tells you the truth! We all get darker in the summer and paler in the winter so its important to have a darker and lighter shade of foundation on hand for the different seasons.

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I think a good place to start is to figure out your correct undertone. It has taken me awhile to figure out my own just because for awhile my skin was pretty tanned growing up and I always thought that I must have  olive skin undertone. What I didn't understand was that the tan was my skin tone, there are lots of different skin tones, very light, light, medium, dark, etc. and there is another part to your skin called the undertone. I was getting these two mixed up!

Sooo, then I moved to Idaho. Land of snow and ice for 9 months out of the year. Where your skin never see's the sunlight. My skin is very white now and I can really tell that I naturally have a light skintone with a little pink in the undertone. I would consider it more neutral/cool because it's not super pink but its not super yellow either. A good way to figure your own skin undertone is to wear a white shirt or put a white plain piece of paper up to your face and you will definitely be able to tell. There are cool (pink) and  warm (yellow) undertones and a neutral undertone.

Once you've figured your undertone out most foundation brands will tell you if they are for pink undertones or yellow undertones, olive or beige undertones.

If you live near a store that carries the brand of foundation you want to buy, go in there and swatch alittle on your jaw line to see if it blends in and disappears. This will be your correct shade. The key is you don't want to see it! Also, it helps to talk with a professional who works there and they can help match your color if your still struggling.

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But, if you're like me and live in a small city where the nearest Sephora is 4 hours away then you can go here.
Coolest website EVER! I just barely stumbled across it and it is sooo cool! I'm way excited I found it! What you do is enter in your skin tone and undertone and then it shows you a graph of different brands of foundations and the color. So you find a brand and the color that matches you best that you've already used and from there you can find the correct color in another brand without even having to try it on! For example I know for sure that I am Fairly Light in Bare Escentuals bare minerals foundation, so then from there I go down the graph and find that I am a #115 in Make up Forever HD foundation. Does that make sense? If not, go there and try it out! It's called Foundation Matrix.

Hope this all helps with your next purchase of foundation!
What are your favorite brands of foundation to use?

Leah