Try before you buy: Part III
**Foundation / Concealer / Powder
**
While eye shadows, blush and lipstick might be the fun stuff to shop for, foundation, concealer and powder are actually the hardest. But when beauty shoppers find it, they are always the most loyal to their face improving finds.
So how do you get the right color, consistency and coverage for you?
Try before you buy.
Foundation & Concealers:
a1468.g.akamai.net ad.linksynergy.com
CARGO OneBase Concealer + Foundation In One, #04 ad.linksynergy.com
We sure ask a lot of our foundations and concealers. It has to glide on, look amazing, cover everything and last all day long. But when we find it, we are true blue loyal. So how to get that perfect one?
Put them to the test.
Test 1. Color
This is by far the most important test. Why? Foundations have undertones that, if too much, or too strong can really do a number on your skin. You want a foundation that has a touch of peach, pink or yellow in it to warm up the skin. Just a touch. Which one works for you? The lighter skins look best in pink, medium skin in peach and darker skins in yellows. You may have a favorite, but the overall look should be soft. And avoid those with gray, blue, or green undertones. Yes, they're in there. To avoid, color swatch on a piece of white paper and all your undertones will show up. If you see a lot of one shade in your foundation, keep looking. While it does warm up your skin, too much can make you look jaundiced. Can't tell? Apply a couple shades in a row. It's much easier to see it when it's compared to another.
Test 2. Oils & Waxes
Do you have a problem with your foundation disappearing on you? or going shiny too quickly? Blame the oils and waxes in your foundation. While some is needed to help the product glide on, too much can cause havok with your skin. After color swatching on your paper, wait a few hours. See an oil ring around the color? That tells you that your foundation is too oily/waxy.
Test 3. Consistency or Feel
The feel of the product is important. We want foundation to glide on, feel fantastic and last forever. The feel of the foundation can tell you a lot. Is it heavy? Thick? Trouble spreading? This will most likely settle into your pores, make your skin look heavy, ashy. You want a soft feel to it, like cashmere. The easiest to apply and light enough to glide over your skin, not into it. Try a test by applying a touch onto the back of your hand. Blend in and let sit for a few hours. If you see it settling into the lines of your skin, it'll do the same on your face.
Test 4. Coverage
The best place to test for coverage is not on your face, but on the inside of your wrist. If your concealer, or foundation can soften those veins and discolorations on the inside of your wrist, it will look great on your skin.
Test 5 . Color
Once you've got the coverage down, then look for color. Match color always on the side of your jaw and blend into your neck. The trick is not if it blends, but how quickly. And only put on a tiny bit. Now blend the edges and see if you can get the color to blend in 2-3 swipes. If so, perfect. If not, keep looking. This is the most important test you can do to find the right color. Remember, it's not if it blends, but how fast.
Powder:
a1468.g.akamai.net ad.linksynergy.com
Awake Stardom Loose Powder For the Face, Sand Dune 03 ad.linksynergy.com
Rub a dab of powder on white paper. The undertones will show up easily and you can avoid those powders that make you look ashy, or gray, or too pink or orange. Can't tell? Colorswatch two powders next to each other. And watch out for those neutral or transparent powders. They can have some color in it as well.
This is important if you have oily skin. You want a powder that has no feel to it. Why? The heavier the powder, the more likely it will settle into fine lines, and the more likely you will feel like you're wearing a lot of makeup on your face. usually, the heavy makeup feel doesn't happen until you put foundation on. First, rub the powder between your fingers. How does it feel? heavy? thick? You want powder to feel silky, smooth, light. But not too slippery. Too much slip and you may look shiny after a few hours. The next test you can do (and fun also) is to blow a bit of the powder into the air. If it falls to the ground fast, it's too heavy and probably has way too much talc in it. If it seems to hover in the air, perfect. Lightweight and will last.
Try before you buy:
Part I - Eye Shadow & Blush
Part II - Lipsticks
Technorati Tags: the beauty newsletter