Foundation can be a godsend. It evens out our skin tone, hides blemishes and fine lines, and — on those days when we look as tired as we feel — foundation can make us look a little less like a cast member from the Walking Dead. Foundations can also protect you from harmful UV damage, moisturize your skin and provide a protective barrier between your beautiful visage and environmental pollutants.
There’s a lot to love about a great foundation. There’s also a lot to lament if you don’t know how to put it on correctly. You may think you looked refined, poised and polished a la Grace Kelly, but you actually looked more deranged and dogged a la Pennywise from It.
If you want to make sure you’re applying your foundation correctly, but don’t want to sit through a 20 minute tutorial on YouTube, read on. Here are five simple and amazing hacks to help you master your foundation application.
Use Color Corrector!
Colour correctors help conceal the major skin imperfections: pimples, rashes, veins, dark spots, and dark circles. But color correctors come in pinks and purples and greens, so which to use?
Here’s the lowdown on picking your perfect match:
If you have fair skin, use pale pink to mute blue spots.
If you have medium skin, use peach to mute blue or purple shadows.
If you have olive skin, use yellow to neutralize dark shadows or purple.
If you have yellow tones you want to hide, use lavender.
If you have redness due to pimples or skin sensitivity, use green.
Adopt the Trifecta
Foundation can be great, but if you want the best coverage, you need to apply color correctors, foundation and concealer — and in that order.
Use the color corrector in the places you need it, like over acne, sun spots or red skin, and then apply the foundation all over. Finally, apply concealer to add a polishing touch. Applying concealer all over is too opaque, and will make you look like you’re wearing a mask. Remember: the point of wearing skin perfecting makeup is to make it look like you’re not wearing skin perfecting makeup at all. You want to look as radiantly natural as possible.
Prime for Lasting Coverage
Oily skin happens, whether it’s genetic or hormonal. To prevent your foundation from wearing off mid-day due to excess oil, apply primer on your T-zone (forehead, nose or chin) to help your makeup stick around longer.
Shade Perfection
Oh, which to choose, which to choose? Finding your perfect shade of foundation can be tough. What looks right may not actually be right when it’s on your face. Don’t be afraid to try some out on your cheek or chin if you are unsure which foundation would look best with your complexion.
Work Inside Out
Don’t just slap foundation on your face Wild West style: work from the middle of your face, out. This technique will help you avoid that mask-looking line around your chin and hairline.
Bonus hack: While you’re working your way out and up, also apply foundation on your eyelids to conceal red capillaries that make you look tired.
While there are countless other foundation hacks, these are the ones that you absolutely have to know if you plan to wear this skin perfecting cosmetic. Master these, and you can be confident your face looks amazing.
Related Article: 5 Makeup Mistakes You May Be Making and How To Solve Them
