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Basic Makeup Q & A: Foundation
By Destroyx | December 24, 2009
A while back I asked you guys for any questions you might have regarding makeup application and you all came up with some great questions which I have answered below. Since there were so many questions, I have broken them up into groups (foundation, eyes, lips, hair) and will be posting them once a week for the next few weeks.
The first topic to be tackled is the subject of foundation. I received many questions like the two following questions and thought it would be prudent to tackle these questions by writing a short step by step foundation tutorial below.
QUESTION: ‘About the basics, what’s the difference between concealer/primer/foundation and what do you use? Every time I use foundation (I use the cheap Cover Girl kind) it flakes off, sweats off, etc. I really like how it looks but can’t keep it from sweating off and forming lines/clumps on my face. Not sure if I explained that correctly but I have no clue about makeup and asked advice from my friend and she got me that. So any advice on basic foundation and things like that would be great.’- Cara
QUESTION: ‘Just wondering, is there anyway that you can apply alot of makeup, but make it look like you haven’t applied the amount that you have? Your makeup always seems to look flawlessly Natural (if you get what i mean, Not a mistake in sight xD)’- TrojanDownloader
ANSWER: Looking ‘flawless’ comes down to three things- preparing the skin, using the correct product and applying it correctly. (Also, in the case of my photoshoots… good lighting helps too!)
What makeup products do I use?
- Primer or Oil Free Moisturizer - MAC Prep + Prime Skin or Neutrogena Oil Free Fresh Moisture (Primer prepares your skin for smooth foundation application)
- Foundation - MAC Studio Fix
- Concealer - MAC Select Cover Up (Concealer is generally made from a thicker consistency than foundation and provides coverage for blemishes and redness)
- Finishing / setting powder - MAC Blot Powder Pressed (Provides a matte finish to your base, so it’s optional depending on if you want a dewy or matte finish)
Above: My favourite MAC Blot Powder, MAC Studio Fix Foundation and Concealer.
STEP #1: Find the correct product
Make sure when you buy foundation or concealer that it suits your skin tone perfectly. Don’t be afraid to test the foundation on your cheek. Many people try foundation on the back of their hands. However I find that the skin tone on my hands is not exactly the same as on my face, so I prefer to test foundation/concealer on my cheek. I often have great difficulty buying the right shade of foundation for my skin tone (because I’m asian have yellow undertones), so I often have to enlist the help of a sales assistant to match the correct shade to my skin. So do not be afraid to ask for help from a friend or from the sales assistant.
Another thing to consider, is to think about when and where you will be wearing the makeup, as different foundation types are suited to different occasions and uses. Generally, liquid foundations give the most coverage of any foundation type which will give you a ‘flawless’ look on camera. However for everyday use, I would probably recommend a pressed foundation powder which will give you a natural look but won’t make you look ‘overdone’ every day. Sometimes, you might just want to wear a translucent or loose mineral based powder which will mattify and absorb the oil on your skin, instead of wearing a full face of makeup. (I’d recommend this for summertime particularly).
STEP #2: Preparing the skin
Before I apply makeup, especially before any photoshoot I make sure I exfoliate my skin properly. At the moment I am using a Nivea scrub which has little grains in it which get rid of any loose skin flakes. This is a really important step because if you skip this step, you’ll get little clumpy bits of foundation powder collecting around any loose skin, making your skin appear very uneven. Next, I either like to moisturize the skin with oil free moisturizer or apply a foundation primer. This will ensure your foundation applies smoothly.
STEP #3: Applying foundation
There isn’t a right or wrong way to apply foundation. You will need to experiment to see which makeup application technique works best for you. I’ve worked with many different makeup artists who have had radically different ways of applying it. Some like using sponges, others use many types of makeup brushes and some like to use their fingers. Personally, I like to use a foundation brush to apply the foundation as I find that brushes use a lot less product than a sponge. Sponges often tend to soak up a lot of product, however they are great for a non streaky application and you can get a smooth result. At the moment I have found a lot of people recommending applying liquid foundation with a duo fibre brush (such as the MAC 187 brush) with liquid foundation to achieve an ‘airbrushed’ look.
When you apply foundation, try to work in a well lit area, or you might end up caking it on. Make sure you apply the foundation all the way to your neck, otherwise you will get that obvious ‘mask’ look.
STEP #4: Setting the foundation
For a long lasting matte makeup base, I like to set the foundation with a translucent powder, or setting powder. There are many brands available, and most do the same job. A kabuki brush is a great brush for setting translucent powder or mineral foundation. You only need to lightly dust your face with the powder. I generally concentrate on the t-zone area as I find this is where I get the most oil build up.
General Foundation Q & A
Here I have answered each question regarding foundation individually.
QUESTION: ‘Do you have any recommendations for a good concealer, and the best way to apply it? ‘- Kites
ANSWER: There are a few types of concealers. They are appropriate for different purposes. Here are some of my favourites which I can recommend
- Mac Select Cover up: This is great for under eye circles. When covering up darkness under the eyes, you’ll definitely want to use something liquid based (not something super thick, because that will dry the under eye area out and you’ll end up with fine wrinkly lines). I apply this will my finger tip in a dabbing motion. Don’t use a ‘wiping’ motion or you will end up with streaks. Sometimes I use a concealer brush in the same way and use more of a ‘dabbing’ motion.
- Mac Concealer Stick: This is great for spots and places that need thicker coverage. For example, I find the skin around my nose is redder than the rest of my face because I blow my nose a lot due to my allergies. So I use this thicker concealer to even my skin tone out. The Concealer Stick has a thicker consistency which means it can hide anything. Make sure you dab this on too, a concealer brush or a finger will do just fine.
After you have applied your concealer dab some foundation powder over it to ’set’ it, and it will blend right into your foundation.
QUESTION: ‘I’ve always wondered if it’s best to put concealer on first, then go over the top of it all with foundation, or to put the foundation on first then fix up any blemished areas with concealer. What are your thoughts on that?’- Piroska
ANSWER: I have actually done both and both techniques work well, so it’s a matter of personal preference as you can achieve the same result applying the concealer first or after foundation. Lately I have been applying concealer on any circles under my eyes and then I will put foundation all over the top to ’set’ the concealer. Sometimes if I put the foundation down first, I find I can ‘over apply’ the foundation on the parts of my face which should probably be best covered with concealer. I have often found that I can often get away with simply putting concealer on instead of doing my whole face with foundation and concealer. The less makeup I can wear the better!
QUESTION: ‘I have a really basic one that I should know the answer to by now. Should foundation be applied first then eye make up, or should the eyes be done first? I do find it to be easier to do the foundation first, but sometimes I get fallout when doing my eyes and that messes it up. I’ve seen it done both ways in various tutorials.’- Persephone 66
ANSWER: It really depends on what colours you want to do your eyes with. Firstly, if you are going to use a lot of dark colours it is pretty much inevitable that there will be fallout, so I prepare for this. What I like to do (if I am going to use dark colours) is firstly do my foundation base from my forehead down to my upper eyelids. I leave my cheeks, nose and chin without any makeup. Then I do my eye makeup on the upper eyelids first. Afterwards I clean up any fallout or mess I’ve made on my cheeks with a baby wipe and do the foundation on the bottom half of my face. Lastly I apply my under eye makeup.
If you like to apply foundation to your entire face before doing your eye makeup, I would suggest applying a dusting of translucent powder on your cheeks where the fallout will probably occur. Then if you get any fallout, you can simply dust it away (with a large powder brush) and it shouldn’t leave any marks on your cheeks.
QUESTION: ‘How do you wear a lot of make-up without looking like a drag queen? you are always so flawless…’ - Miss Laurabell
ANSWER: I think the secret is not wearing too much foundation, though I often am guilty of caking it on. I am definitely a fan of theatrical and artificial looks, but I try not to cake on the foundation as I find that’s the one thing that can really make you look ‘overdone’. Having said that, I often feel like a bit of a drag queen with my false eyelashes and big eye makeup, but I just take a deep breath and stride forward with confidence!
QUESTION: ‘How would one apply a white, or very light foundation without looking like you fell face-first into a bin of flour? I’ve noticed many goth models can wear white foundation, and looks like their skin is naturally that pale, but when I wear white foundation, I have the above-mentioned flour bin syndrome.’- Lolita
ANSWER: As a general rule, I always wear the same colour foundation as my own skin tone. Unless I am purposely doing a ‘geisha’ look or something theatrical, I will always wear a natural colour. Particularly because of my yellowy skin tone, white makeup would look ridiculous on me and I would get the ‘flour bin’ face.
So I would suggest, going for a natural skin colour, especially if you have darker skin. Many goth models can get away with the white because they have naturally pale skin… If you get that ‘flour bin’ syndrome, it could be because the white is too much lighter than your natural skin tone. If you did want your skin to look a little lighter, I would instead choose a colour only a few shades lighter (perhaps an ivory). I would also suggest going with a translucent powder or a setting powder… you will get a super nice ‘luminescent’ look about your face which is in my opinion a little more appealing than a stark white face.
QUESTION: ‘Here’s a big one. What tips do you have for wearing makeup at gigs? How do you keep makeup (and hair for that matter) looking good through all the sweating and jumping around? Something I particularly have trouble with is keeping lipstick on through all the singing and licking my lips, etc. Is there anything you do differently with gig makeup? Do you put it on even heavier so people can see you on stage? Cheers!’ - Michelle Belle
ANSWER: This is a good question. The short answer is, I don’t really do anything different for wearing makeup on stage foundation wise as caking the makeup on can make you prone to looking a bit sweaty after a few songs. I like to apply a ‘Blot Powder’ to give me a super matte base which prevents that sweaty look… however, I think looking a bit sweaty and disheveled is often a part of playing a punk rock show!
For my eyes, I always like to do them big, so false eyelashes are always a priority. Lastly, to keep your lipstick on properly I would suggest applying a base of foundation, lining the lips with a pencil and then putting lip stick over the top. I am a huge fan of gloss, however it is prone to smearing, so I would go with a satin or matte lipstick instead if you don’t want it to get everywhere. For hair, I just put as many hair pins in as possible and then use liberal (…very liberal) amounts of hair spray.
QUESTION: ‘I understand that your makeup looks flawless on you. (Because your face is flawless and stunning.) However, how you do suppose your style of Makeup would look upon another person?’- P-chan
ANSWER: Makeup is a highly individualistic pursuit. Some makeup styles can look great on one person and funny on another. That is why experimentation is key for great makeup.
Before I started doing tutorials, I had a quandary about whether I should start doing tutorials because my makeup style is something I’ve created around my own facial features and my own tastes. However, I kept getting asked a lot about doing them, so I thought ‘what the heck!’ The makeup tutorials are more for people to get inspired by rather than replicate exactly. I enjoy watching a lot of makeup tutorials, but because I don’t have an ‘eye crease’ (having asian eyes) I can’t replicate most of the looks. So instead, I just take inspiration from the colour ways and application techniques and try to put my own spin on things. So I guess to answer your question… I’m not sure how my makeup would look on another person, but I am excited to see how my looks can inspire others to either recreate, reinterpret or create their own unique looks.
Topics: Amelia Arsenic, Beauty, Makeup |
December 24th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
[...] • If you’ve ever had any questions about applying foundation, Amelia Arsenic answers them all! [...]
December 24th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Thank you very much for this. It’s helped me a lot. Will there be more of these?
December 25th, 2009 at 1:50 am
I actually just went out today and bought myself some MAC concealer as a present to myself and I am going to try and get some practice time with it this weekend to make it look natural. Thank you so much for the pointers here and I’m looking forward to the next instalment.
December 25th, 2009 at 2:09 am
Thank you for answering my question, makes me want to put my own spin on your makeup looks. Not everyone looks the same, and that’s ok!
December 25th, 2009 at 2:41 am
Great post! I’m going to link this post on my facebook fan page (I’m a photographer) so hopefully some of my models who can’t afford a makeup artist can go in and do their own makeup for a shoot.
December 25th, 2009 at 5:04 am
That was one of your best posts yet! I’ll be buying some of your makeup brushes soon- they’re the most affordable I’ve seen so far- a Laura Mercier brush set costs $250 dollars, and it’s exactly the same as yours!
Thank god for your makeup line. And Merry Christmas!
December 25th, 2009 at 5:16 am
Thank you, that was a great help! I have had difficulty with foundation in the past, (mask, flour-bin, tangoed, I’ve done the lot) but no more!!
and happy christmas from england
xx
December 25th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Tae Dark- Yup! I’ve got 3 more planned. One for questions about eyes, lips and hair.
Kali_Lynn- Yay! Dabbing is your friend when applying concealer. Trust me.
P-chan- Precisely! I mean I used to get really depressed when I was younger because I didn’t look like any of the european models in the magazines, but then I realised I could put my own spin on things, which is much more rewarding!
Brittany- I appreciate the link, and I hope it helps people!
Heartcorecuteness- Thanks sweet cakes! Makeup brushes can be very expensive that’s for sure but they don’t necessarily need to be. I appreciate the support!
Rebecca- hehe.. I make mistakes all the time. That’s what’s fun about getting better! Merry Christmas too sweetie!
December 26th, 2009 at 12:41 am
Oh yeah! Amelia, I tried the foundation, lip liner, then lipstick trick. My lips look kickass! Before then it was hell trying to find my lipline, and the lipstick looks better too!
Thank you!
December 27th, 2009 at 4:51 am
Thanks for posting this!
December 28th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
great tutorial…you are just stunning and your makeup is just amazing…can you also do a tutorial on your red eye makeup that is shown alot in the post before this…i really want to know how you do that….love ya
December 30th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Thank you for this :)
I always have trouble with foundtations as I’m very pale, but i have red patches from excessive sunburn and scarring and such, which makes things difficult
I’ve recently invested in MAC Foundation and Concelaer, and was debating about the primer, but you’ve swayed me! :)
and thanks for all of the hints, too :)
They’re quite similar to what my favourite MAC Make Up Artist Laura is always telling me :P
xx
December 31st, 2009 at 3:06 am
[...] Amelia Arsenic’s back to it again, this time with a great Basic Makeup Q&A on Foundation. [...]