Makeup Basics: Foundation Tips

It’s no secret that I’m a mama that loves a good makeup look! Makeup is my happy place and it’s been my thing long before I became a mama. I remember the days in college I would spend HOURS watching Youtube tutorials so I could learn how to achieve a flawless makeup look. To this day, learning new foundation tips are my favorite thing to do. Realistically, if your foundation doesn’t look well, everything else will likely look a mess. Like most things in life, you have to start off on a good foot. So I wanted to share with you some makeup foundation tips I love and use that will help you achieve that perfect base.

Find Your Match

This first makeup foundation tip is probably one of the more obvious tips. Your foundation simply won’t look good if you’re not wearing the correct shade with the correct undertones. This may mean switching out your foundation shades during the hotter months if you’re easy to tan. 

As a WOC, finding the perfect color match is probably my least favorite thing to do in the makeup realm. Realistically, there are so many brands out there that just aren’t inclusive. While I will say a lot of brands have made STRIDES, we still have a long way to go. Especially when it comes to drugstore foundations. 

One way I’ve navigated this struggle is through the site findation.com. You simply put in the brand and color of some of your current foundations. The more brands you add the better!

Less is More

A sure way to end up with a cakey face is to pile globs of foundation on. Especially if you plan on bronzing, highlighting, and contouring on top of that foundation. Don’t expect your foundation to do your concealer’s job. Your foundation is supposed to be the base of your makeup and even out your face as a whole, not cover up spots, blemishes, and imperfections on your face. 1-2 pumps of the foundation is more than enough. If your foundation doesn’t have a pump top, you can more than likely find one on amazon. If this isn’t an option for you either, you can eyeball a dime size on the back of your hand and pull a little at a time from the back of your hand.

Conceal!

Concealer is traditionally thicker than foundation so as I mentioned above, you want to use your concealer specifically for any areas of discoloration that is peeping through your foundation. 

If there is an area under my eye or on my forehead I want to conceal, I use a highlighting color (2 shades lighter than my foundation color). Anywhere else on my face, I conceal with a concealer comparable to my foundation. 

For maximum coverage, you can always allow your concealer to sit on your face for a couple of minutes (until it’s close to dry) before blending it all the way out.

Use the Right Tools

There are so many brushes and tools out there today. To be honest, I haven’t tried them all but there are a handful of foundation tools I know and love which makes me reluctant to get my hands on everything out there. 

My favorite foundation tool is probably a damp makeup sponge. I love that I can use a sponge for my foundation and concealer but my favorite thing about it is that it sheers out makeup making it easy to build coverage. I’ve used the real techniques sponge for the longest but lately, I’ve been loving these sponges I talked about on my Amazon beauty post. 

If I’m going for a more full coverage look, I love using an ELF Powder brush for my foundation. It’s important to take into account my “less is more” theory when using a makeup brush because brushes tend to transfer more makeup to your face. 

Set your foundation

Since there are seasons when my face is on the drier side, I’ve had a TIME finding loose setting powders I love. If you have combination to dry skin, my less is more theory is super important here! You have to find the perfect balance between setting your foundation but not drying out your face. 

Your tool is also super important here. For me, the popular route of using a beauty blender to set my face isn’t ideal. I prefer to use a fluffy brush.

To transfer the product I place some product in the top of the powder first, lightly dip my brush into the top and shake away excess powder before brushing it on my face. 

I actually use two different powders according to which area of my face I’m setting. I use the Maybelline Fit Me loose powder (color Medium Deep) under my eye and the Fenty PRO FILT’R Instant Retouch (color Nutmeg) on the outer edges of my face. 

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And that’s it! All this is done before I go into highlighting, contouring, eyebrows etc.. I hope you found these makeup foundation tips helpful!

It’s also important to remember that skincare is king! Makeup won’t hide all of the issues you’re having with your skin. It wasn’t until I took care of my actual skin that I fell in love with my makeup routine. If you’re looking for some skincare tips, check out my cleansing routine and moisturizing routine posts!

XO

Michelle