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Find your perfect foundation? Oh, the drama–it's almost as nerve-wracking as prepping for a hot date. A study by Make Up For Ever spills the tea: over 55% of women struggle to nail their shade, and 60% admit they're a little clueless when it comes to application. But let's face it, foundation is the reigning queen of makeup kits. Ask any beauty enthusiast about their holy-grail product, and they will chant "foundation" faster than you can ask the question. Mastering the art of using foundation is the rite of passage every makeup newbie must conquer. Whether you’re team dewy or matte, finding the right base sets the stage for every look. Struggling to blend or match your shade? Relax, you’re in the right spot. This guide is your crash course in finding the one, foundation that makes your skin sing.
But wait, before diving into the nitty-gritty, let's talk about formulations. Liquid, cream, stick, or powder—each has its moment to shine. The trick? Match your formula to your skin's personality. With insider tips from pro makeup artists, Nykaa breaks down five essential tricks to ace your base. Ready to transform? Let's get glowing.
How To Choose The Right Foundation Shade
Finding the right foundation shade is like finding your skincare soulmate. It's all about harmony. To ace how to use foundation on the face effortlessly, start by knowing your undertone–cool, warm, or neutral. A quick wrist check can reveal if your veins lean blue (cool) or green (warm). When testing shades, swipe a few on your jawline, not your hand because how to apply foundation makeup means matching both face and neck seamlessly.
Once you’ve nailed the shade, let’s talk about how to apply foundation on your face like a true beauty guru. Use a damp beauty sponge for a dewy glow or a brush for flawless, full coverage. Remember, how to apply foundation is all about blending. Work from the center outward and don't forget to buff into the hairline.
Still wondering, how to apply foundation like a celeb? The secret is building up thin layers. Now go forth and slay with your perfect match.
How To Apply Foundation
1. Prep, Prime, and Perfection
Before getting into how to apply face foundation makeup, prep your skin by cleansing and moisturising it. A smooth base is the secret to avoiding the dreaded cakey look. After moisturising, apply a primer that suits your skin type to blur pores and fine lines, ensuring your foundation glides on effortlessly.
2. Select Your Tools Wisely
Do you know how to apply foundation like a pro? The answer is in the tools:
- Fingers: For a natural, skin-like finish, use your fingers. The warmth of your hands melts the product seamlessly into the skin. Start in the centre of your face and blend outward for a flawless look.
- Sponge: For a dewy finish, a damp beauty sponge is your BFF. Tap (don’t drag) the foundation onto your skin, focusing on areas that need more coverage. This technique is perfect if you’re figuring out how to apply foundation makeup evenly.
- Brush: If you like a smooth, airbrushed look, a flat or stippling brush is your best bet. Dab it into the foundation and use circular motions to blend.
3. Application Techniques
It's all about placement when it comes to knowing how to apply foundation.
- Begin with the T-zone: forehead, nose, and chin. These areas usually require the most coverage.
- Taper outwards toward the edges of your face to avoid harsh lines.
- Gradually build coverage-light layers always look more natural than piling on too much at once.
4. Set It
Once you’ve mastered how to use foundation on the face with your chosen tool, lock in your masterpiece with a light dusting of setting powder or spray. This step ensures your foundation lasts all day without budging.
Choosing The Right Foundation
Makeup Czarina to the stars and Nykaa makeup expert Namrata Soni says choosing the right shade of foundation is the first step to a flawless finish. "Look for a foundation with a slightly yellowish cast or undertone. Whether you're pale or dark, you always have some yellow undertones in your complexion," she explains. The pink, peach or whitish shade will just make you look chalky like a Japanese Geisha girl! On the other hand, a yellow-based foundation will blend beautifully into your skin tone, making it look fresh and healthy, which is exactly what the right foundation should do.
Soni says that while it's tempting to go a shade lighter, it invariably looks unnatural. "Always try to match foundation to your exact skin tone. In natural light, make a stripe of the foundation from your cheek to your jawline, and gently blend it into the skin. Now do the same with another foundation that's one shade lighter and another that's one shade darker. The shade that blends in completely should be your pick, but double-check it against your forehead, since most women tend to be darker here. If it works in both areas, you've picked the right shade," she explains. Take your pick from Lakme Absolute Mattreal Skin Natural Mousse 16hr, M.A.C Studio Fix Fluid or NYX Professional Makeup Can't Stop Won't Stop Full Coverage Foundation.
Blend It Right
Nykaa makeup expert Arshis Javeri says more than half of all women don't use a brush or sponge to apply their foundation. "There's a reason why makeup artists do," he chuckles. "It's the best way to get a flawless finish," he adds. Use a brush with a domed head like Colorbar Picture Perfect Foundation Brush to blend foundation into the skin with light, circular motions. "This technique ensures you use less of the product and gradually build coverage where you need it, " he explains. However, if you're planning to use your fingers, remember the idea is to look flawless, not caked up. "Dab pea-sized dots of foundation on your forehead, one each on the tip and along the sides of your nose, and one on your chin. Spread the colour over your forehead, down the nose, across your cheeks, over your chin, and along the sides of your face," says celeb makeup artist and Nykaa expert Ojas Rajani. Always blend down or sideways, never up, she adds, so that foundation doesn't catch on the peach fuzz on your face. Then blend the liquid toward the perimeter of your face, getting sheerer as you move toward your hairline and jaw for a soft, smooth finish.
Choose Your Formula Wisely
For extra coverage use a heavier texture foundation. If liquid foundation is what you want, choose a formula with silicone. "Avoid luminous or matte formulas because they can make the skin look too moist or too flat," says Rajani. She says you should look for the words "lightweight," "sheer," or "invisible." Try formulas like L'Oreal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation and Max Factor Face Finity All Day Flawless 3 In 1 Foundation. For flawless all-day coverage instead of loading up on a product use a mattifying formula such as Lakme 9 To 5 Flawless Matte Complexion Foundation.
Typically lightweight foundations don't mask every flaw. For extra coverage use a heavier texture foundation. like Lakme Absolute Luminous Skin Tint Foundation. Soni says ideally every woman should have two shades of foundation, "one for the winter months, when your skin is paler, and another for the summer months when your skin is slightly darker. For those in-between months, you can always blend the two to develop your own shade," she says.
Apply Foundation Everywhere
Nothing looks more comical and unfinished than a well made-up face and naked neck and décolletage. Applying foundation on all exposed skin is particularly important if your neck is darker than your face. Also, don't forget your ears. "Fair-skinned women tend to have redness on their ears. Finally, be sure to blend a light layer of foundation over eyelids and lips," says Javeri. This thin layer of foundation holds on to lipstick and eye shadow, somewhat like a primer. It also allows eye shadow and lipstick colours to look truer to their shades.
Conceal To Perfection.
To mask a zit that appeared overnight Soni has the perfect technique; After applying foundation all over the face, use a concealer brush to apply concealer in the exact same shade as your foundation directly on top of the blemish, blending outwards in a star shape, then blend the edges gently with your fingertips." Then press a small amount of powder on it to set it. "Repeat—continuing with concealer and powder—until it's completely camouflaged," Nykaa recommends LOreal Paris Infallible Full Wear Concealer and Maybelline New York Fit Me Concealer.
Ask ten girls to name their one be-all-end-all makeup product and all of them will say ‘foundation’ even before you can complete the question. The art of perfecting foundation makeup is perhaps the first skill that a makeup beginner learns and rightly so. Well, if you’re still struggling with getting that base right, you’ve landed at the right place. Here begins your journey to finding the best foundation for your skin tone. But before we begin, it’s important to learn about the different formulations of foundation so that you can take your pick.
Different Types of Foundations
1. Liquid Foundation
Easily the popular variant, liquid foundations have a lot to offer. From creating a dewy or matte finish to providing light, medium or full coverage, a bottle of liquid foundation is highly recommended for a beginner.
Nykaa Recommends: Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte
2. Stick Foundation
A foundation stick makes the application super-easy and non-messy. Especially recommended for women who are always on the go, you can carry this beauty in your handbag for easy retouches, without worrying about the chances of an accidental spillage.
Nykaa Recommends: Nykaa SKINgenius Foundation Stick Conceal Contour & Corrector
3. Cream Foundation
The perfect foundation for dry skin, cream formulas provides medium to high coverage and leaves your skin with a smooth texture. However, if not blended well, they can end up looking cakey and unflattering.
Nykaa Recommends: Lakme 9 To 5 CC Mousse
4. Mousse Foundation
Mousse or whipped foundation have very little air whipped into them. This manufacturing process makes the formula lighter and smoother, so it goes on your skin a little easier. Good for mature skin as it’s less likely to settle into fine lines and wrinkles.
Nykaa Recommends: Lakme 9 to 5 Weightless Mousse Foundation
5. Powder Foundation
Much like your regular compact but with higher coverage abilities, powder foundations come in two options – pressed and loose. Both are perfect for almost all skin types and can be easily carried anywhere for easy foundation makeup reapplications.
Nykaa Recommends: Shiseido Syncro Skin Self Refreshing Custom Finish
How To Apply Foundation
Though it looks pretty simple, most women still have their questions about how to apply foundation on their face. So, if you’re done with all those confusing video tutorials, here’s the foundation makeup tutorial you need.
- Firstly, start with a clean canvas. Use a mild face wash to wash off any dirt or grime that might have settled on your face.
- Next up, prep your face with a lightweight moisturiser.
- Now it’s time to apply an even layer of a face primer. A primer helps your base makeup to stay as long as you want it to.
- Next up is the concealer. Target acne spots, pimple marks, pigmentation around the mouth or any other face imperfections with your trusted concealer.
- Then, it’s finally time for your foundation. Whatever product you use, remember to blend it well since blending is the key to a flawless complexion.
- Last up, set your base with a compact. Proceed to eye and lip makeup to complete the look.
Foundation As Per Skin Type
When it comes to picking the perfect foundation, you need to keep three things in mind – skin tone, skin type and coverage. To get the uncanny shade that blends naturally with your skin, you must try and experiment. But for the other two factors, we can help you out! Here’s a list of our favourite foundations you can choose as per your skin type and coverage needs.
For Oily Skin
Is your skin naturally glossy like a glazed doughnut? Does your foundation resemble a greasy, messy goop by noon? We totally relate to your makeup struggles! You need an awesome foundation that controls excess oil, doesn’t cake up and stays in place through the day.
1. Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte+Poreless Liquid Foundation
A must-try for all with oily skin types, this lightweight product is sure to impress you. True to its name, it evens out your skin, leaves it poreless and is extremely comfortable to wear. If you’re looking for sheer to medium coverage, this is your best bet.
Our secret ‘tried and tested’ reason to opt for this beauty? The matte finish lasts much longer than usual, making this a pocket-friendly, all-day base.
2. L'oreal Paris Infallible 24hr Matte Cover Foundation
Need a failproof, perfect camouflage that covers up your acne and blemishes? Try this-full coverage, oil-absorbent formula that helps control oil on your face. The matte effect is to die for and makes your skin look supernaturally flawless!
Cherry on the top? It comes with SPF 16 P+++ to protect your skin from sun damage. And it lasts for 24 even-toned hours.
For Normal Skin
You’re neither here nor there when it comes to choosing foundations. Some make your skin break out and look greasy, while others make your skin flaky and patchy. The perfect foundation that suits normal skin must be oil-free, yet hydrating and shouldn’t cake up
1. Revlon Colorstay Makeup For Normal / Dry Skin
We absolutely love two things about this godsent foundation – it has a moisture-balancing formula and it’s made with ‘Time Release’ technology. Meaning? It’ll last super long and keep your moisture intact without moving towards either extremes – dry or oily.
Another fabulous product that guarantees up to 24 hours of coverage, it is great for medium coverage.
2. Makeup Revolution Fast Base Stick Foundation
For full coverage and flawless finish, this foundation is a must-have. It hides acne and blemishes seamlessly. Its semi-matte formula leaves your skin dewy fresh, and ready for those perfect Insta moments. And to top it off, it's completely vegan too.
What do we love about this magic stick? It melts into your skin and blends seamlessly. What more do you need?
For Dry Skin
Thirsty skin? Say goodbye to your dry woes and pick a foundation that hydrates and nourishes your skin along with giving you flawless coverage. Keep in mind that if you have dry skin, heavyweight and full-coverage foundations tend to show flakes. Stick to sheer to medium intensity.
1. SUGAR Ace Of Face Foundation Stick
And ‘Ace of Face’ it is. This miracle medium to high coverage product blurs away pores, fine lines, dark circles and blemishes. Its cream-based formula blends perfectly on dry skin with its handy in-built brush and keeps a soft matte finish lasting almost 12 hours.
Flaunt your always-picture-perfect skin with this wonder stick, that by the way, fits perfectly into your handbag.
2. Lotus Make-Up Ecostay Intensive Serum Foundation
What better way to cover up your imperfections lightly with a nourishing, natural serum? Its ultra-fluid formula defies signs of aging and hydrates your skin from within. When you use this sheer coverage serum, you’ll observe an almost invisible film of foundation, nestling on your skin for a flawless evened out tone. It’s got the goodness of Bulgarian roses and Vitamin E in it.
How To Remove Foundation?
Foundation: the magic wand of flawless skin, but by bedtime, it really and most definitely needs to go. Wondering how to use foundation on face and say goodbye to it later? Well, it's actually quite simple, all you have to do is start with a gentle makeup remover like micellar water or an oil-based cleanser. Massage it in, breaking down every speck. Follow with a foaming cleanser for a squeaky-clean feel. Bonus points for double-cleansing, because your skin deserves extra love. While it's important to know how to apply foundation on the face, it's skincare gold to know how to remove it. And don't forget that soft towel pat-no rubbing.
Conclusion
And there you have it, your step-by-step happily-ever-after for mastering how to use foundation on face. Whether you're slaying the art of how to apply face foundation makeup for a dewy daytime glow or perfecting how to apply foundation on face for that flawless red-carpet finish, remember: practice makes perfect. From knowing how to apply foundation with a brush to dabbing with a sponge, the key is blending like a pro.
FAQs
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How do I know if I have cool or warm undertones?
There are several ways to determine if you have cool undertones or warm undertones. The easiest is to look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. If they are bluish, you have cool undertones and if they are greenish, then you have warm undertones.
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What tool is the best while blending foundation – brush or blender?
Yes, hyaluronic acid is suitable for all skin types, including oily, dry, and sensitive skin.
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Should I use a moisturiser with hyaluronic acid daily?
Both, the makeup brush as well as a beauty blender have their own sets of pros and cons. Go with whatever works better for you.
Beauty blenders don’t leave blend lines behind. They absorb no product and hence, give maximum coverage with minimal foundation. Also, its soft surface is gentle on skin, making it an ideal choice of women with sensitive or dry skin. However, they can be a tad bit more expensive than brushes.
Makeup brushes, on the other hand, help you with precise application and layered coverage. However, the bristles can be a breeding place for bacteria that can further lead to skin problems. Hence, brushes need to be cleaned on a regular basis.
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How do you apply foundation for a natural look?
Use a damp beauty sponge or a stippling brush and blend in thin layers, focusing on the center of your face and blending outward.
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How to use foundation on face without it looking cakey?
Prep with moisturiser and primer, apply in light layers, and set with a fine-mist setting spray.
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How to apply foundation makeup with full coverage?
Layer a medium-coverage foundation with a brush, then spot-conceal areas that need extra attention.