Foundation 101

Carrying on from the very start of this month, when I began a new series on this blog - 'Makeup 101' - I thought I'd do the next one for you all today! And, seeing as we started with Face Primer (which you can check out here if you fancy) I thought it was apt that we carried on throughout 'traditional' makeup application order (as in, starting with your Face/Base first) and do all things Foundation next! I won't always be doing these style of posts as close together as this, but I guess it's just the way things worked out this time - so I hope you find it useful! Let's get started...

• Pick the right one for you, according to your skin type and preferences! Personally, I feel like what foundation will be best for you all depends on either what your skin type is or what type of base/makeup you like and feels suits you best - and maybe a mix of the both! For example, if you have dry skin, you might want a more hydrating, glowy foundation; whilst someone with an oily skin type could perhaps prefer a matte finish. What format are you after - your 'traditional' liquid, foundation stick, powder, or maybe something else? What level of coverage do you want - low, medium, high? Perhaps you want it to be buildable and able to sheer out or layer up to dial up or down the coverage!
• Get matching! A good foundation is all about a good shade match. First off, you need to determine what your undertone is. Are you 'warm', 'cool', or 'neutral'? You might find if you're more 'warm', your skin-tone will be more yellow-toned and your veins on your wrist more green; whilst if you're 'cool'-toned, your skin-tone will veer more on the pink, rosey side and your veins will appear more blue. Can't definitely determine and feel like you're a bit of a mixture? You may well be 'neutral' - slap bang in the middle! 
• Find your favourite application technique. Depending on what you find works best for you and your skin and what kind of coverage/finish you want will determine what application method you'll want. Something like a brush will likely give you the highest level of coverage out of a foundation, whilst a makeup sponge will probably sheer things out a little more - providing you use it dampened! However, I always prefer how a sponge works my base into my skin and leaves a completely seamless finish so, as I said, it definitely is a mix of both. Hey, maybe you even fancy going 'old school' and using your fingers to blend things in?
• Work in thin layers. Whether going light on the coverage, or full-full, or something in-between - I always like to work in light layers. Especially when going on the high end of the spectrum, it's always best to start off with smaller amounts and build up gradually, rather than going in with loads, all at once. It'll also help it last longer and better too...
• Set it into place! Lastly, when it comes to a good base, it's all about locking it down into place. Cause, who wants to put all this work in, for it to just slip, slide and melt off your face a mere half an hour later? Not me! So, for this, I'd recommend two things - a good powder and a good setting spray. Even if you're not big on powder, even just applying a little in the areas you really need it will do wonders for longevity; whilst a liberal spritzing of setting spray all over will also really help to lock your base down.