The world of makeup can certainly be a confusing one if you’re unfamiliar with it and choosing the right foundation is known to be one of the trickiest parts. Matte, satin, dewy? It’s an unforgiving landscape for the inexperienced and most of us have horror stories to back that up. If you’ve been having trouble pinning down the right base for you – fear not – as today we’ve shared 4 foundation tips to help you on you’re seemingly fruitless mission.
1. The base
The first and most simple trick to picking out the right base for you is determining your skin type and which foundations typically work for it. As a rule of thumb, oilier skinned girls should try foundations with a matte/satin finish, as well as considering a powder as well as a liquid product, and girls with drier skin should stick to a more moisturising formula.
2. Testing the right spot
When people try on foundation shades in store they tend to swatch them on their hands/wrists to see if they match, which is a big no-no. If you look in the mirror and place your hand/wrist next to your face, they will be fairly different shades. When looking for your perfect shade, you should always swatch the foundation along your jaw line to ensure that it not only matches your face, but also blends well into your neck – an area that tends to be paler.
3. Think about the snaps
One big question that people always ask about finding the right foundation is why they look much paler in flash photography. This, ladies, is thanks to our old BFF SPF – an essential during the day but a nuisance when you’re on a night out. There are two simple solutions to this problem, so take your pick. The first is to buy a ‘night time’ foundation that doesn’t contain SPF (but be sure not to wear it out during the day) and the other is to go for a foundation without SPF next time you’ve run out and instead protect yourself during the day with a high SPF face cream under any makeup. Your choice.
4. The inside counts more
Finding a foundation is so hard, not only because you have to find the right shade and finish for your skin, but also because many people are sensitive to ingredients within certain formulas that can cause breakouts. As a fellow sensitive-skinned gal, I tend to opt for mineral-based bases when I can as they contain a lot less irritants, such as additives and fragrances, making them generally a lot kinder to the skin. Choosing mineral-based products over non-mineral makeup may result in a big improvement for your skin. Got any other tips for finding the perfect foundation? Do let us know. Want to hear about any other beauty hacks? Leave any suggestions below.