So what is the Best foundation?
- Sharon Leigh
- Sep 20, 2023
- 3 min read
If I had a dollar for every time somebody asked me for a recommendation for a foundation, I would have made a small fortune by now!
As a working Makeup Artist, I work with many different products to be used on talent and can see how they wear under harsh lights and for long periods. Over the past 20 years, I have had ample time to play with different colour pigments and formulas.
It’s important to understand that what we as professionals choose to use in front of the camera is often vastly different from what we choose to use on our own skin daily.
When considering and assessing skin foundations, it is important to consider the needs and reasoning for use. Do you require coverage, hydration, sunscreen protection or something else?
Not every foundation works flawlessly on every skin type. Factors such as hormones, skin condition, environment and ingredients can cause the look of a foundation to be vastly different on one person's skin than it would appear on someone else’s.
The secret is to try before you buy. Thankfully, Mecca and Sephora will happily give a small sample pot to take home and try at leisure, which I highly recommend!
Here are my top tips for choosing a foundation:
1. Purpose.
Consider the use or need and be prepared to buy two products for different reasons, for example, a tinted moisturiser with an SPF for Day use and a full-cover foundation for special events or going out. If you like sheer and glowing, you don’t need to part with your favourite BB cream or tinted moisturiser. You can always add a full-cover concealer where and when required.
2. Colour and tone
Choose the correct colour foundation. Unfortunately, not every sales assistant is adept at matching skin colour, particularly under store lighting designed to make products look spectacular!
There are two basic tones in foundation, Cool which is Rose or Pink and Warm, which is Yellow or Orange. Thankfully, in 2023, plenty of make-up lines sell ‘neutrals.’ These generally contain more green pigment and are neutral and not too yellow or pink.
It’s also important to consider if you like to use tanning products on your body, you may need to choose a deeper foundation to match your safely simulated sun-kissed glow!
3. How to choose a colour
Never match a foundation to your hand colour; test it on the hand first to try the consistency and to determine the tone. If you like the consistency
Apply a small amount to the jawline. Look at the colour. If you cannot determine, put another similar swatch next to it. Colour is easier to determine when comparing shades. A cool colour will look rosy or reddish, and a warm colour will cast a yellow or peach tone. It isn't easy to compare the tone in the foundation when in a bottle.
The face colour may often be 2-5 shades lighter than the body, mainly due to sunscreen protection. If the foundation is matched to a particular part of the body, the overall look will be balanced. Remember also it is not uncommon to mix foundations as desired. We Makeup Artists have been doing this for years.
Once applied, check the foundation in natural light. Artificial lighting and downlights don’t provide correct lighting, which can hinder true judgment.
4. Application
My favourite way of applying foundation to myself is using clean hands and gently massage into the face. Professionally, I use a foundation brush to blend efficiently and clean thoroughly after use. I don't like using beauty blenders repetitively, as they harbor bacteria and dead skin cells. If you have suffered from any bacterial or viral infection in the skin, including acne, using an unclean sponge to reapply foundation will re-contaminate the skin.
When considering parts of the face, I suggest you consider a large ‘T’ shape when you concentrate most of the application, then blend out to the corners of the face and down to the neck to décolletage as desired.
5. Favourite brands
I have no affiliation with these brands; they are purely recommended based on use and experience.
Best foundation for acne-prone skin
Favourite hydrating foundation for mature skin
Favourite tinted moisturiser with SPF 50
Concealers
I hope that takes some of the guesswork out of your Foundation journey! Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Please let me know what else you would like to hear about?
Sharon
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