Foundation: The base for your make up routine

Welcome back everyone! Since my last post talked about how to make your face healthy and clear we will talk about the next step, make up. When doing your make up routine the first thing you want to start with is your concealer, foundation and powder

Step one: Concealer
The first thing you need to do when applying make up is to add concealer. Concealer is used to cover up, or conceal, any trouble spots you may have such as acne, birthmarks and/or age spots. It is also used to cover up dark bags under the eye. Concealer typically comes in two types: solid stick or liquid.

Solid stick and Liquid Concealer



When choosing a concealer you want it to be one shade lighter than your foundation. This way the concealer will be covered by your foundation and will reflect light off of the trouble spots. Picking a concealer with a pink undertone will really help cover dark under eye circles because it contrasts with the dark color as well as reflect light making the circles appear lighter.

You should place a small amount of concealer on all trouble spots and blend in with a finger or concealer brush. Now you are free to continue to the next step.

Step two: Foundation
The next step is to apply your foundation. The first thing you need to know is what shade of foundation you will need. A good way to determine this is to match the color to the skin on the back of your wrist. Since your face gets a lot of sun it may be a different color than your body. Simply put a small amount of foundation on this area and find the closest match. It may be necessary to mix different shades to find a perfect match.

Other than selecting your shade you need to decide what type of foundation you would like to use. This will also determine how to apply the foundation. Today the make up market is full of various types of foundations. The main types are liquid and powder. Variations of these forms have arisen such as mousse and spray foundation.

Liquid foundations have been the norm for years. Many people have probably seen their mothers use liquid foundations or have used them themselves.

Liquid foundations have the reputation of being thick, cakey and heavy. With new formulas that have been developed liquid foundations are not as oily and do not have as many chemicals in them. A new twist on liquid foundations is tinted moisturizers which is healthy for your skin.

Liquid foundation should be applied with a foundation brush or your fingers. Sponges are ok to use but you should throw them away at least once every two weeks because they can gather bacteria. Place a dab of foundation on your forehead, nose, under each eye, each cheek and chin and then blend in. Make sure that you blend in well so you do not have lines and continue foundation to your neck if it is not the same color as your face and the rest of the body.

Powder foundations are becoming increasingly popular because they have a lighter feel on the face than liquid. A lot of powder foundations today are mineral foundations which are really healthy for your skin.

Mineral powder foundation

To apply this type of foundation you will need a brush. The bigger the brush the more naturally the powder will go on and the easier it will blend. You need to dip the brush in the powder then tap the access off. Next apply the powder to your face starting at your forehead. You want to apply the foundation in small, fast, circular motions. Once you have covered you entire face you are finished with this step.

Step Three: Powder
The final step of this process is applying powder. Powder is used to seal in your foundation and be a primer for the rest of your make up. You apply powder the same way as powder foundation since it is the same form. After you apply your powder you are finished with the first part of your make up routine.

I hope that these tips are easy to follow and will help you start your make up routine. In upcoming posts I will walk you through more steps that will become part of your make up routine.