This week let’s think about the best foundation. There are lots of different bases on the market. Some provide lots of cover and some are more natural. It’s important to find a great base for your skin. The better your base the better your make-up will look. The right base will minimize discolorations, flaws and sallow skin. It will also ensure that you have a great finish that will provide a great look on the day as well as beautiful wedding photographs.
Watch out for:
·Cheap ‘glittery’ make-up. Cheaper brands can leave a glittery finish on your skin, they may look OK in real life, but be very aware if the makeup is being photographed as camera flashes can affect the base colour and finish drastically, giving a tacky look that no-one wants.
Bases with a high SPF also need to be avoided for special events. It can really help to look after your skin and protect against sun damage. But when photographed it can leave drastic white flashes reflecting off the SPF inside your products. This can leave you looking strangely washed out.
·Shimmering highlighters– if you are going to use these, either highlighters, or shimmering bronzers, use very sparingly and focus on the cheekbone and under the eyes only. Flashbacks from a camera can make the whole face shiny and features can look disproportionate and distorted.
Go for:
A smart colour correcting and makeup setting primer to start your makeup – blue, removes dark circles and green eliminates redness, apricots and silver tones lighted and brighted olive and sallow skins
Then make sure you smooth over a photo finish primer. Watch out for the smashbox and benefit versions they are great.
A great under-eye concealer, is another essential, apply this after your all over primer. No7, Rimmel, and MAC do great stick concealers that can fit any budget, use the lightest tone that you can get away with and use sparingly with a concealer brush. These also double up as a matt highlighter, and very light tones can be applied under foundation to lighten very dark areas, this technique works particularly well on Asian skins.
A quality base tested and checked on the cheek in natural light is the next step. Smashbox, MAC, No7 and Estee Lauder all do great long wear foundations. I always prefer liquid as it is longer lasting and works well in all lights for different times of the year. Mousse foundations are also great for daytime summer weddings if a particularly dewy finish is desired.
For important events it’s always best to have your base hand-mixed and checked by a expert.
Finish with some great setting powder, Smash-box mineral powder is my current favorite, its ultrafine texture and invisible finish make it fantastic for all skin tones and its very long lasting.
Spending plenty of time on the perfect base will have many benefits. First your make-up will last a great deal longer. The finish will look smoother and more professional, and the colours will have a much more even coverage and stay true all day. The make-up will photograph very well too, reflecting the true shape of the face and the contours to the cheekbones.
Claire Green
