So you've assessed your skin - the age, smoothness, texture, level of oiliness and dryness and figured out what kind of foundation formula you need (see previous posts in the series). Now imagine you are in the foundation section of the beauty supply store, drug store, or Sephora/Ulta. I'm going to walk through a few examples:
1. Your skin is smooth and doesn't require color correcting and is normal (not dry, not oily) - If I were you I could walk into any store and pick up a foundation, so choosing one is honestly based on my preference - do I like a drier finish to my face or do I want it dewy.
2. Your skin is textured with hyper -pigmentation (dark spots) and is very oily - skin prep and skin care is suuuupppperrr important but in terms of foundation, you need something full coverage and mattifying. The consistency of the foundation will probably have to be a bit thicker and and be either a demi-matte or silicone formula. Layering the foundation is key to ensuring the skin doesn't look cakey. Unless you've mastered skin prep - stay away from cream foundations. Stay away from too many water based products because the natural oils in your skin will break down products much quicker. You can also use powder foundations with great results but the formula has to be great in order to get the amount of color (pigment) you need.
3. Your skin is super dry but relatively clear - make sure that you exfoliate regularly because dry skin is prone to dry spots which can cause patchiness in your foundation. Essentially your skin does not produce much oil and non lubricated skin gathers dead skin cells. So exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! Your foundations and skin prep should be more moisturizing for this very reason and you can get away with very dewy foundation. Liquid and cream foundations will work great for you. Stay away from powder foundations in general; but if you do decide to use it, make sure it is with a light hand.
My number one recommendation above all else is to get a sample before you purchase a full sized foundation. Foundations can be pricey and some formula's can cling to wrinkles or may not work well with the skin prep you need. So test it out.
These are just some examples of considerations you need to make when choosing a foundation. What questions do you have about foundations?
Comments