Foundation Textures and Techniques

Foundation Textures and Tips

Hi Ladies,

I thought for my next blog I would hand out some tips of foundation techniques, from past experience working on Make Up Counters and visiting clients on a freelance basis the one thing that I got asked a lot was how to select the right foundation and how to apply. So I thought I would do a blog on giving out a few handy tips to you all.

It is important not to get stuck using the same makeup all year round as with the seasons changing so does your skin and it can be either dry or oily. A lot of ladies when selecting the colour of foundation, match it to the top of the hands or wrist, this is not correct. Please make sure the make up artist on the counters or yourself match the colour to the neck area. In summer the face can be a different colour to the neck as the sun has caught the face and not the neck. So it is best to match to the neck area and after you have applied your entire make up add bronzer to even out the skin.

The main point of a foundation is to even out the skin tone and colour of your skin. It can be a tricky business picking the right shade for your skin and also knowing what type of foundation is best suited to you, below is a list of all the different foundations you can purchase and next to each one I have written a short explanation of what they do.

Full Coverage – This one I am a huge fan off I love a full coverage but not so it is thick and you can see it on the skin, which is why I opt for Lancôme Teint Miracle (see my previous blog in more detail for this), A full coverage foundation will effectively cover blemishes, redness, scars and discoloration. A good full coverage foundation is Lancôme Teint Miracle RRP £29.00. With this foundation you can opt for a medium coverage or full, as it is build able. I know it is a little pricey but it lasts me for 5-6 months and is a fantastic product. And that is with me using it as a full coverage. Bare minerals are also fantastic for a full coverage look.

Oil Free – Fantastic for you ladies who are prone to oily skin. Oil free foundations will help keep shine away, this is done by the foundation creating a matte and textured finish to the skin. An oil free foundation will not contain any mineral oils or lanolin, these are the ingredients that cause clogged pores and can also cause sensitivity. A good oil free foundation is No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation RRP £13.50 this foundation balances oil production and minimises blemishes.

Sheer Coverage – A sheer coverage foundation will not provide you with a lot of cover, your skin will look more natural. This type of foundation will still even out your skin but will allow freckles and beauty marks to still show. The result of this foundation will be the effect of a make up free face. A good sheer coverage foundation is MAC Face and Body Foundation RRP 23.00

Moisturising – Great for dry to normal skin, as this provides extra hydration and also works well on mature skin. Again another good one for this is Lancôme Teint Miracle.

Illuminating – This type of foundation will give the skin a nice healthy glow and luminous finish. A good illuminating foundation is Bobbi Brown’ Award Winning Luminous Moisturizing Foundation RRP £30.00 this is fantastic for boosting the skin and firming the skin, this foundation also helps reverse the visible signs of aging and leaves the skin with a healthy glow – perfect.

Cream to Powder – These foundations normally comes in a compact, and once applied dry to a powder finish. These give a medium finish so great for providing more coverage, but not as much as a full coverage foundation. A good product for this is Benefit Play Sticks, RRP £23 - £26.00. A silky consistency, which provides a natural looking coverage.

Mousse – A mousse foundation will provide a matte or natural glow to the skin, the texture is very light and will feel really light on the skin. Maybelline do a good range of mousse foundations and No7 also do a fantastic mousse (Intelligent Balance Mousse Foundation), which is also great for oily skin this retails at £12.50

Tinted Moisturiser – A tinted moisturiser is great for a little coverage just enough to give the skin a little pick me up and a nice glow.  Tinted moisturisers are great to take on holiday instead of using a foundation. These also sink very easily into the skin. Benefit do a great tinted moisturiser called you rebel RRP £23.50 this also adds moisture to the skin.

BB Cream –Another product which I am a huge fan of, BB Creams provide more coverage than a tinted moisturiser but not as much as a foundation. They are lightweight and feel like silk on the skin. They cover blemishes, even out the skin and hide and uneven skin i.e. redness. A great one I have used on myself is Boots No7 BB Cream this is the only one on the market that caters to all three skin types. RRP 12.95.

Powder Based – This provides a non-reflective finish to the skin. A powder base can also be used on top of a liquid foundation to set it.  A good powder based foundation is Max Factor Crème Puff RRP 5.99.

So hopefully make up lovers with all the different foundations I have listed, this will make it a little easier for you to pick a foundation which is suited to you, your skin and what coverage you would like.

Below are a few of my tips on the application of foundation:

Before applying any foundation please make sure you cleanse, tone and moisturise. Please wait for your moisturiser to sink in until you apply your primer.

Apply primer, and again please wait a few minutes for this to work into the skin

Make sure you are applying your foundation in natural light

Apply small dots around your face, i.e. on the forehead, chin, cheeks and nose.

Apply your foundation in downward strokes to minimise pores, sweep over the ears and under the jaw line, none of us want that awful line do we J

Once the foundation is properly blended, if you require any more coverage add concealer instead of more foundation.

It is important to add a powder on top to set the foundation this also minimises shine.

A few ways to limit shine is to apply foundation with a brush or sponge instead of fingers and also use an oil free primer.

I really hope this helps with your foundation application and in selecting the correct foundation.

Any questions please feel free to message me

Sarah x

Highlighting the Face & Body

Highlighting the Face and Body Techniques

Hi Make Up Lovers,

I have written below some great tips on highlighting the face and body, this helps contour and sculpt the face and really enhances your features. Highlighting products are used to reflect light, which in return adds definition and dimension to the face.

You have a whole range of highlighting textures to choose from these range from shimmer powders, liquids, gels and cream sticks. It can be quite confusing and daunting when you visit a make up counter as they have so many different names such as shimmers, iridescent, pearlized and illuminizers but don’t fret these all do the same thing. So you can now browse with confidence that you know they do the same job.

Ok so now I have explained a little about the textures and what highlighting adds to the face please find below some tips on were and how to apply these to your face and body.

This is a little trick I learnt at the Make Up School and I love this, by applying shimmer down the centre of the nose in a straight line creates the illusion of a smaller straighter nose – Genius don’t you think.J, for this you can use a eye shadow highlighter, or another product I have used before is the highlighter out of the Benefit 10 bronzer RRP 23.50 . But really any product that is a light shimmer will work for this.

This next one is a top favourite for me I do this every day and it looks gorgeous, so why not give it a go, Liquids or shimmer powders placed above the cheekbone really enhance your cheekbones and reflect light. So this needs to be placed right at the top of the cheekbone, apply this in a c shape so from the top of your cheekbone going just underneath the eye. A great product for this is MAC Cream Colour Base in Shell  RRP £14.50, I use this a lot on brides to be and you can apply this on top of powders and liquids. First apply your blusher or bronzer and the highlighter is always the last step. Again the Benefit 10 bronzer is amazing for this as the pallet is split into two half’s one a highlighter and the other a bronzer so great for highlighting and sculpting.  With this product you can kill two birds with one stone.

Highlighters can also be applied to the centre of the lips this creates the illusion of plumped fuller lips, I sometimes use an eye shadow highlighter for this it works perfectly. The one I use the most is the highlighter shade 1 out of the MUA Undressed palette, this palette is £4 so a great buy for all your highlighting shades plus darker tones.

Highlighters can also be applied to the body to create the illusion of longer more slender limbs; you can apply the highlighter down the centre of the shins, arms and collarbone. A great product for this is MAC Strobe cream RRP £12.50, this product is also great for highlighting the face, a great buy for my kit as it works in so many different ways.

I hope you give some of these tips a go they really do look amazing you will see the difference in your skin and dimension to your face immediately. I know some of the products are a little pricey but they are so worth the investment they last for so long and work on the skin like a dream.

Keep your eyes peeled for my next blog on Foundation Techniques this will also include more highlighting products, is there no end to what these products can do ;-), amazing.

x

Make Up Competition - Winner Revealed and Goody Bag Revealed

Drumroll please !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

And the WINNER of my Make Up Competition goes to Danielle Smith, well done Danielle.

The Make Up Goody Box pictured here is what will be on its way to you.

Your FREE critique of the work you created will be sent to you over the next couple of days.

I will be running another competition very soon so everyone keep your eyes peeled. Well done Danielle x

Benefit 10' Highlighter and Bronzer

Benefit 10’ Bronzer and Highlighter £23.50

WOW – How have I not had this in my Make Up Kit before now??????

This pallet by Benefit is perfect for sculpting those cheekbones, Highlight and Contour in one easy sweep – Perfect. The pallet consists of a satiny pink and bronze powder duo, which equals the perfect 10’. In the pallet you receive a lovely soft natural-bristle brush.

Little tip on how to get the best from the pallet – Pop a bit of the pink shade onto the brush and sweep this over the apple of the cheek going up towards the hairline, then apply a mixture of the two colours together and apply again on the apples of the cheeks up to the hairline, You can blend the two together or leave a bit of the pink highlighter just on top of the cheekbone under the eye. I then personally like to apply the bronzer onto the brush and with the applicator end pointing directly facedown, run this under your cheekbone to achieve that sculpted contoured effect.

You can purchase this gorgeous pallet online at www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk or in store at various department stores.

Now I have this little gem in my kit it is definitely going to be a keeper. 

Sarah x

Strawberry's and Cream

So today I re created a Strawberry's and cream look which was inspired to me by one of my favourite make up artists Karla Powell, her work is amazing. I get so much inspiration from her.

Below is the look I re created, I used MUA Pallets in Pretty Pastels and Immaculate, I used a white rimmel eyeliner on the waterline, a loreal liquid eyeliner and my gorgeous Benefit Lashes, I just lurvvvvvv them they are so big and fluffy yet still look quite natural. I would definately wear this look for a night out. You can purchase all MUA Products in your nearest Superdrug or online at www.muacosmetics.co.uk

Sarah x :-))