How To Make Your Foundation Look Like Skin, According To The Pros

Let’s get real for a second, girls. As much as we love all the extra things our foundation promises us, we really just want it to make our skin look like, well, skin (minus the redness, acne scars, fine lines, and sunspots.)

While foundation can sometimes do a really good job of this, other times, not so much.

Sometimes pigments settle into fine lines, powders cake over blemishes, textures clash, shades don’t match.

And sometimes, the foundation that you applied to make your skin look better, actually ends up making it look a lot worse.

We did a little research on how to apply the most natural-looking foundation possible. This is what we came up with:
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Prep, prep, & then prep some more: Most of us slap on some moisturizer in the mornings and get straight to work. However, anyone who’s anyone in the beauty world knows this is one of the worst things you can do. In fact, this process can take from 20 to 30 minutes. Most artist start with a soothing toner or mask, then they massage in oils, serums, face creams, and eye creams, waiting a few minutes between each step to allow them to settle. If you want to look good, you have to dedicate it some time.

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Rethink your primer: just because it’s called primer doesn’t mean you should smear it all over your face. The best thing you can do is cocktailing formulas --smooth on an oil-controlling primer in the T-zone and a silicone-based one for the rest of the face.

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Conceal Before Foundation: a common mistake most people make is they start slapping on foundation without concealing blemishes or undereye circles so they end up overcompensating and using way too much product. Instead, what you should do is take care of them with a lightweight concealer first and then asses how much foundation you need from there.

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Blush First: We know it sounds crazy, but applying blush before foundation will give your skin a natural looking flush. Professionals use tricks like this all the time at fashion shows and they work wonderfully.
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Go Drop By Drop: Most of us wear way too much foundation. What we need to do instead is buy a foundation with a dropper rather than a pump. That keeps it from soaking up the product and makes it look more natural.
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Choose Wisely: when it comes to choosing a formula, most artist agreed that liquids tend to look the most natural. Choose one that is medium to light-coverage and buildable.

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Take it Down: You know those times when it’s clear you overdid it? Well, just dip a big powder brush in a plain moisturizer and sweep it over the skin, the same way you would apply powder. That takes the foundation down a bit and adds a subtle illuminating effect.



By The Editorial Team