Foundation - What To Look For

In the shower this morning, I was pondering what would be the best blog post I could start off with. I wanted something that could help my Makeup clients and general blog readers alike and without a doubt, I get asked the most questions about Foundation.

The foundation struggle is real guys. The beauty industry is completely saturated with so many different types, each promising you that you will look like Cara Delevingne when you use theirs. Go to any counter and they will ask you what coverage you want and what kind of finish you are after, even though so many people don't even know what these mean! So I'm hear to help lovelies, here is the basics of Foundation!

The first thing you need to think about when shopping for a new foundation is coverage. Coverage basically means how much of your skin the foundation will cover (e.g. blemishes, spots and uneven tone).

Tinted Moisturiser -

no cover, will only add a slight colour to your complexion.

BB & CC Creams -

 extremely light cover, mainly to even out the tone of the skin.

Light -

covers minor imperfections, looks very natural & almost like your own skin.

Medium -

will cover most imperfections, can still look natural if applied correctly.

Full -

 covers all imperfections and leaves little of the skins natural tone & look visible.

Max -

completely covers all skins natural tone and leaves almost doll-like perfection.

The second thing to consider when purchasing foundation is what kind of finish you want your foundation to have.

Matte -

almost powder like finish with absolutely no shine. Most artificial looking finish. Best for Oily skin.

Satin -

almost matte with a slightly less powdery finish. Best for normal to oily skin.

Luminous -

gives a "lit from within" appearance to the skin. Most natural & skin-like looking finish. Best for normal to dry skin.

Dewy -

gives an ultra bright, radiant and slight sheen to the skin. Best for dehydrated and dry skin.

There are various other things you may consider when choosing a foundation, whether or not to have SPF is a big one. SPF in foundations is fantastic if you don't have a great skincare routine as it means you're still protecting yourself from sun damage, however if your daily moisturiser has SPF then there is no need for your foundation to have it too. SPF is a very important thing to consider if buying a foundation for nights out as the titanium dioxide included in sun protection causes a flash back effect in photos making your face look much paler than elsewhere on the body. You may also want to consider if the foundation claims to have any skincare benefits (e.g. moisturising) and the feel/texture of the foundation, for example if you want a full coverage but do not want the feeling of a heavy foundation.

I hope this helps anyone who feels confused about all of the Makeup lingo used around foundation and makes identifying what you need a little easier! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below and I'll see if I can help :)

ark xo