Make up Basics

By Chris

Alright let's start of with the basis of all makeup. Here is what I know and tihnk of foundations.
Feel free to comment!! And anything else I should add in =) Our next few posts are all going to be dedicated to the basics of hair care and makeup and nail care =) I hopw you guys enjoy!!

There is Matte Finish: Which will not reflect any light. Your skin looks matte like paper. This finish is good for people with oily and combination skin.

Then there is Dewy Finsihes: Which will reflect quite a bit of light. This gives a young and youthful appearance. This finish works well for people with dry and normal skin.

The third is Satin/Velvet Finishes (there's debate on what the name should be here): This finish is right slap dab in the middle, it's dewy, but not too dewy,
and matte but not paper like matte. This finish defianetly gives you the most natural finish to the skin. This finish works well for normal skin,dry skin and combination skin.

Now again like with eyeliners there are different Foundation types.
Again these are usually just different mediums to play with, but also have a different coverage factor.
The three questions you should ask yourself when buying and trying a foundation are these:

1: What's my skin type?

2: What Coverage level do I want/need?

3: Do I like the feel of this medium on my face?

Now once you answered those questions you can say whether or not you like a foundation. But let's go ahead and talk about coverage levels.

There are three coverage levels:
1: Light Coverage- For a simply natural look (perfect for the beach) this works well if you have little blemishes and skin discolouration, looks almost like you're not wearing makeup.
2: Medium Coverage- More Coverage obviously (the preferred coverage for most people) This is to hide discolouration, blemishes and scars.
3: Full or Heavy Coverage- The most achievable coverage level, (some girls like this coverage type... I can't say why) but this should be used if you have A LOT or very Drastic
    discolouration and blemishes. This is usually used to cover up bad scarring and bad acne blemishes.

So once you figure out the coverage you would like, it's time to select a foundation TYPE.
Now there are as far as I know Six different types of foundations (there could be more I don't know. But as far as I've seen and worked with sixif you have more let me know!!)

Powder foundation: This will give you light coverage. Powder works well for a light coverage on a hot day when you're going to be sweating. It covers MINOR blemishes and corrects the skin.
   These will give you a matte finish. A lot of people also use this to UP the coverage of their liquid or cream foundation and help set the foundation partially.
   This works well for oily skin types. I wouldn't suggest this for dry skin as it could make your skin flaky looking.

Liquid Foundation: This can give you Light to full coverage depending on HOW you apply it, and how buildable it is. These can have any of the three finishes, so check the lable!
   This can be really nice if applied sheer, but also build up to give more coverage for a night out. It will cover more blemishes and dimish pores.
   Careful with indented scars (like chicken pocks or acne scars) make sure it doesn't sink in there and sit there, blend over and out (also use a primer it will help!)

Cream Foundation: This will give you usually medium to full coverage, again depending on how you apply it. Cream foundation works well if you have dry skin, or combination skin.
   Cream foundations I've seen either give you a matte finish or a dewy finish, but I haven't found one that sets to a satin finish. This foundation is great for covering
   Acne are problems and scars, again be aware of indent scars as the product can "sit" in them. This personally isn't my favourite because on my face it feels quite heavy
   and I like my face to feel free and fresh (any suggestions on a better one?)

Mousse Foundation: This is one of the newest foundations on the market. It literally touches and feels like a mousse. The coverage is medium to full (maybe light if applied with a sponge)
   They feel light weight on the skin, work well on mature skin and won't sink into scars as much as liquid and cream foundations can.
   I tried this foundation and it worked for my skin, but haven't used these on anyone else so I don't know how it would react with really oily skin or acne prone skin
   (please leave comments =D of your experiences) These I've found are usually matte (again correct me if I'm wrong)

Tinted Moisturiser: This (technically) isn't a foundation, it's literally a child of the liquid foundation but I'm giving it it's own category. It's basically a liquid foundation
   watered down with a moisturiser. This will give you the lightest and sheerest coverage out there (works well for being outside) It will correct minor discolouration
   and moisturise your skin. This works well on almost all skin types except really oily skin.

Mineral Foundation: Now this one again is kind of a VERY different formula. I'm giving it it's own category because even though it is either powder, or liquid, it has it's own formula.
   Now I never personally used mineral foundation on my face before but as I know the fowder can be applied mixed with water, moisturiser or just by itself.
   This will work well on your skin type (according to the other type you are in normal foundations) but I've heard these will also CLEAR up your acne and pimples
   and will provide nutrients and vitamins to your skin.

Hope this helps some of you in the battle for foundations.
I you have questions please ask me!!
<3 Chris