26/07/2021
What you need to know to choose the perfect foundation
Choosing a foundation is not an easy task, and it's not even a matter of shades. Foundations are made from a variety of materials that can interfere with your skin: rolling, flaking or oily sheen. Also, a good foundation should be light and almost invisible. We understand the intricacies of formulas and give tips that will help you choose the basis of your dreams.
Determine your skin type
There are 4 varieties: oily , dry, combined, normal. The first is notable for enlarged pores and a tendency to shine. In addition, it is dense and less sensitive to the influence of external factors. Due to constant hydration, oily skin ages more slowly, but its condition can worsen due to excessive or, conversely, insufficient care.
Dry skin is prone to flaking and rapid aging: to prevent this, it needs to be moisturized all the time. But on it pores are almost invisible. Combined, as a rule, dense and oily in the T-zone (in the forehead, nose, chin), but dry in the U-zone (in the cheeks and cheekbones). Normal is characterized by a uniform color and relief, a uniform matte texture, no oily sheen and peeling.
You can determine your skin type with a clean paper napkin by applying it to your face for 2-3 minutes. This should be done about 30-40 minutes after washing your face. If you see oily spots in the T-zone on the napkin, you probably have combination skin. The paper is clean, which means you are dry. Normal skin leaves even and barely visible spots, and oily skin leaves abundant areas, located almost throughout the napkin.
Understanding what skin type you have will help you choose a foundation that won't roll off, absorb too quickly, flake off, or lead to acne. In addition, formulations that moisturize and nourish the dermis are now on the market. Knowing your characteristics, you will be able to take good care of your beauty.
Choose the required format and composition
There are dozens of tonal options available. Let's list the most popular ones:
Powders
There are minerals - they are presented in powder form - and pressed. Both types are notable for their thin porcelain finish. Powders dissolve quickly in primer or sebum, so they work well for combination or oily skin. It is worth remembering that the mineral base does not hide all imperfections, but only slightly corrects the tone.
Powder cream
They are a hybrid of foundation and mineral products. They matte the face and fit tightly, camouflaging all imperfections. Most often, cream powders are recommended for people with oily or combination skin.
Creams
They are divided into liquid and thick. The first ones shade quickly, cover redness and blemishes well, are suitable for any skin except oily: most often they are based on oils that blur due to excessive sebum secretion. Thick creams have a dense texture that hides all imperfections, protects the skin from environmental influences and moisturizes it. For this reason, they are advised for people with thin and dry skin.
There are also oil-free matting agents: they are specially created for owners of oily and combination skin. These creams contain absorbent particles that absorb excess fat. Toronto-based make-up artist Christine Cho says they are great on their own, and matting can be enhanced with primers.
Sticks
Dense paraffin-based or oil-based products, packed in a pencil or plastic holder. They hide all redness, bumps and pimples. They should be used in dosage: there is a risk of overdoing it and achieving the effect of plaster. Sticks are most suitable for owners of normal to dry skin, but they can also be used by people with oily or combination types.
Some makeup artists, such as Sandy Linter, refer to BB and CC creams as foundations. Others adhere to the old classification, which does not include Asian remedies. This is due to the fact that moisturizing sunscreens with pigments appeared several years ago: before that they were without coloring elements.
BB and CC products are suitable for a wide range of users: they moderately nourish, moisturize and matte. However, like powders, such formulations do not provide a dense coverage, but hide only subtle capillaries or redness. This is because the creams contain so few dyes that they immediately blend in with the underlying skin tone.
Each skin type needs a different product. For example, on a face with an oily sheen, it is useless to apply a waterproof oil base: it will immediately blur due to the increased production of sebum. Dry skin is not on friendly terms with mineral powders, matting agents and cream powders: they deprive an already dehydrated face of moisture . For the combined type, it is difficult to immediately find the ideal remedy, because the restrictions for the first two varieties are relevant for it. Even for normal skin, there is a list of unwanted products. Although it accepts almost all textures, it is worth making sure that the composition does not contain alcohol, fragrances, talc, mineral oils, which can cause irritation and clog pores.
Find the right color
Usually, a foundation is found by applying a tester to the wrist. However, makeup artist Allen Avendano argues that this approach is wrong, because this area is usually lighter than the face. The same applies to the forearm: it is noticeably darker.
Instead, try applying foundation to your neck or a small area on your face - like the tip of your nose. To find the perfect remedy, try not to put on makeup before going to the store, so you don't have to rush to touch up your makeup or try to mix the tester with an already used cream.
Don't forget that foundations help correct color. If you have a reddish complexion, try products with a yellowish or pale green tint. For freshness, use foundations with a pinkish tone.
