“First of all, know that your face is not a wall, so you don't need to apply foundation evenly everywhere. That's when it'd look unnatural, heavy, and flat. Apply it only to where you need, and always be sure to avoid putting it over areas with lines, like smile lines, since that would bring them out even more.”
Many of us think that we should apply base products all over the face, but this isn't actually the case and is a common foundation mistake. “Too much product on the skin doesn't look natural,” says Naoko.
Concentrate the foundation in the center of your face where redness and blemishes tend to be more problematic. Apply just a dab of foundation on each side of your nose, and in the center of your forehead and chin, then blend outward.
You absolutely can! But whether it is seamless depends on: 1) the accuracy of the color match, 2) the coverage and finish of the formula, and 3) your blending skills. Have you considered a BB cream or tinted moisturizer? Perhaps easier for some coverage that is pretty lightweight and more forgiving.
Creating a long wearing foundation is very simple. It's a combination of many layers, not huge amounts of product that gives you longevity. Your primer would be one layer, your foundation being the second and your setting powder being the third.
Never put concealer or foundation on your eyelids as a base, it will cause your eye makeup to crease.
"Apply makeup to your face based upon the thickness of the supporting tissue. This means the lightest and thinnest application of makeup should be where the skin itself is the thinnest—for example your forehead, around the eyes and bridge of the nose," says French.
All of the artists agreed that you should be blending your foundation down your neck on a day-to-day basis. "For everyday, I'd recommend blending your foundation down your jawline and buffing it down slightly, that way you avoid any color differences," says Bedrossian.
Don't Paint, Buff. No matter what tool you're using—a foundation brush, a BeautyBlender, or your fingers—buff (or bounce, if you're using a sponge) the foundation into your skin as opposed to “painting” it on to build coverage smoothly and avoid streakiness, says Park.
Sponges work best, for instance, with lightweight liquid formulas or stick foundations. Creamy, thick foundations would be better served with a brush (so you can buff out the edges for a more natural finish).
“Focus your application on the center of your face first, patting foundation into the sides of your nose, then out onto the tops of your cheeks and under the eyes. Stop applying more once you reach your cheeks – from there, just blend out what's already on your skin.
On the flip side, if you're not running into a lot of pigmentation issues with your skin at the moment, applying a light layer of foundation before anything else can help you achieve the best and most natural look. Whatever you do, make sure not to forget the most important step: a face sunscreen!
Your Skin Type Matters
Just don't pack them both on, “A common mistake people make is using powder foundation on top of a liquid foundation,” Major says. This can result in a cakey finish. Mature skin or dry skin types should reach for a liquid foundation, as powder foundation can settle into fine lines and wrinkles.
The foundation and setting powder paired with the oil and sweat on your face can make you look like a hot mess. Cake-face is a term used in the beauty industry to describe a look that uses too much foundation and powder, resulting in a thick and overdone look, like the makeup has been “caked” on.
Do your eyebrows after foundation. Some people choose to pencil their brows on before foundation and concealer so they can later use concealer to carve out their shape and ensure there are no jagged edges.
Yes, many professional makeup artists and beauty gurus swear by applying liquid foundation with their fingers. This tactile approach provides a skin-like, natural makeup result since you're massaging the makeup onto your skin. Using your fingers works on all skin types and with both cream and liquid foundation.
If you want your makeup to last longer, applying a primer under your foundation is a no-brainer. Since foundation doesn't stick to my nose, I personally only apply a primer to that area and it's all I need. You may apply it to oily areas only or to your whole face for a flawless finish; it's up to you.
Foundations are meant to make skin even and either luminous or matte, depending on skin type, and both of these formulas will do nothing to help you under your eyes. While it doesn't hurt to put foundation under your eyes, it certainly doesn't help. Skip this move and only add concealer and/or corrector under the eyes.
Women often swipe foundation or concealer over their lids to minimize darkness and to create a base for their shadows and liners. This is a bad idea. First off, you never want to put anything on your eyelid that is not meant to go on the eyelid.
In the class of makeup best practices 101, makeup artists recommend applying eye makeup first before moving on to face makeup with foundation first and then (and only then) concealer.
Here's something that helps when I apply liquid foundation: ya gotta give it time. Always give it enough time to set before you jump in with powder, so like four or five minutes, because if your foundation is still wet when you apply your powder, all sorts of terrible, horrible, frightening things happen…
“Application can take a bit longer with your fingers because you need to keep layering and blending to get what you want. If you're in a rush, and want your foundation application to be quick and polished, then I'd use a brush.” For the best of both worlds, you could use your fingers and a brush in tandem.
You don't wait for your foundation to dry.
Aka it takes a little time to completely dry once you've applied it. This means if you speed through your beauty routine and dust a powder product over it immediately, it's going to heavily absorb into the first spot you applied it and it won't blend out properly.