Choosing and Applying Makeup Foundation -
A Simple Step by Step Guide

By Donna Kelly

Makeup foundation is the secret to whether your makeup will look good or not.

Foundation helps to smooth out your skin tone, conceal blemishes and gives you a healthier glow. Applying makeup without a foundation base can actually accentuate unsightly skin problems, rather than conceal them.

Choosing and applying foundation should be a simple procedure, but there are pitfalls.

Here is an easy step by step guide to choosing and applying foundation.

Foundation Makeup Step 1. Decide what foundation coverage and finish you prefer.

Decide what type of look you would like to achieve. Foundations can offer coverage from sheer to heavy and finishes that range from matte to satin. Degree of coverage and type of finish is very much a personal choice.

Foundation Makeup Step 2. Choose the right shade

Once you have chosen the ideal formulation (coverage and finish) for you, you're ready to choose the perfect shade to match your skin tone. There is a good selection of foundation shades available from the lightest of shades for pale skin through to shades for the darkest skin tones. Here's how to select the perfect shade for you.

How to select the perfect shade

• Ensure you're in natural daylight when trying out foundation colors, so you can see exactly how your skin will look once you leave the shop.

• Select a couple of shades which look as though they'll match your skin.

• Don't try foundation on your hand or on your wrist- they're a different color to your face.

• Stroke a little color onto your jaw line to ensure you get a tone that will blend with your neck as well as your face. The shade that seems to "disappear" into your skin is the right one for you.

Foundation Makeup Tip: Bear in mind you may need a slightly darker shade of foundation for summer when your face will naturally tan.

Foundation Makeup Step 3. Moisturize

Begin with clean hands and a clean face. Apply the moisturizer appropriate to your skin type. Let your skin absorb the moisturizer for a few minutes, particularly if your skin is oily. Applying foundation to freshly moisturized skin ensures you have a perfect base with which to work. Apply foundation 10 minutes after moisturizing. If you don't allow the moisturizer to absorb into the skin, your foundation could "come off".

Foundation Makeup Step 4 Apply concealer

Camouflage any under-eye circles and facial blemishes with concealer. Your concealer should be a slightly lighter tone than your foundation.

Foundation makeup step 4 - Apply concealer

Foundation Makeup Step 5 Apply foundation

When applying foundation use a cosmetic sponge - using your fingertips can result in an uneven, greasy finish. Dampen the sponge first squeezing out the excess moisture - this will make foundation application easier and prevent the sponge from soaking up too much foundation. Place a small amount of foundation on the back of one hand. Dip your makeup sponge into it. Apply foundation by dotting it on your forehead, cheeks, chin and nose and then blend each one with your sponge. Blend out to your hair and jaw line until the foundation vanishes. Pay special attention to blending around the nose, mouth and jaw line. When applying foundation, slightly rubbing toward the neck area helps create less of a line around the face!

Foundation Makeup Tip: Be sure to blend, blend, and blend. Special areas to watch are the hair and jaw line. And be sure that your face isn't one color and your neck another.

Foundation Makeup Tip: When putting on foundation, always do it in a bright room or by a window. This way, you can see what hasn't been blended-in properly.

Foundation Makeup Step 6 Set the foundation with powder

This is an optional step that you may find beneficial. A light brushing of powder on your foundation sets the foundation making it longer lasting. If oil surfaces during the day, blot the area with a tissue then apply a light dusting of powder. Always apply powder to set make-up and reapply throughout the day to prevent shine.

Makeup Tip: The light dusting of powder also helps with eye shadow application and also makes the eye shadow longer lasting.
Important! If you want a tanned look, don't use a darker foundation, use a bronzer.

Donna Kelly's passionate interest in beauty and makeup began as a young girl experimenting in front of the mirror with mom's cosmetics - while she was out of course. It was inevitable that Donna would go on to formally train as a makeup artist and eventually launch her own brand of high quality makeup and skin care products. As a business women and mom with 2 children Donna understands the time pressures on women today and through this, and other articles, has endeavored to take the complexity and mystique out of feeling good and looking great with some "busy women friendly" beauty tips and advice.

The above makeup guide is now available as part of a collection of makeup guides published in PDF format for your convenience. Visit the Free Downloads page to pick your free makeup guide collection.

Step by step makeup guides are easier to follow when you can look at pictures and diagrams to make sure you're doing it right. Even better is learning insider techniques from a professional makeup artist if you're lucky enough to know one.

Before you can apply perfect makeup and make yourself look more beautiful instantly you have to first find a professional makeup artist who is willing to share their techniques with you.

Start applying your makeup like a Professional Makeup Artist and make yourself look absolutely fantastic everyday.

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