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I took a class on basic makeup last year. It helps a lot knowing the basic and the importance of every tools in makeup. I also learned a lot base from experience and some friends who works in the industry. I am going to share a few things about what I know and I hope that this will also guide those who are starting and have an interest with makeup.
Let's start with the basic, which is the foundation. Wearing the right foundation will create the perfect looking and even skin tone that will look like as if you are not wearing any at all.
There are different formula of foundation depending on the needs and type of our skin. There are tinted moisturizer (which has a sheer, light weight coverage that provides a natural look), tinted face balm (for extra dry skin, this hydrates and gives the skin a dewy look; a great example is the blemish balm/BB cream), stick foundation (easy spot coverage from medium to full coverage depending on the needs of the skin), liquid foundation (which most of us use, this provides medium to full coverage and hydrates the skin, ideal for dry skin), oil-free liquid foundation (which I personally prefer, this is for combination skin as it absorbs oil and provides a medium coverage), oil-free cream foundation (for normal to oily skin, this is a good choice to cover acne and large pores just like how concealer works), then there is oil-free compact powder (for oily skin and great for touch-ups), mineral powders (for very oily skin) and so on... you just have to choose on which type that soothes your skin best.
As for me, I've been using MAC Studio Fix Fluid (liquid foundation) with SPF15. I have two shades, which are NC42 and NC37. I have recently learned that combining two shades (a lighter and a darker shade of foundation) can create a prefect foundation that will even out my skin tone. Also, it looks more natural compare to using only one shade as our skin tends to have uneven tone because of its exposure from the sun (and you can also skip the bronzer with this technique). You just have to know the points of your face where you should apply the darker shade (I apply this on my forehead and the side of my cheeks going to my jawline) and the lighter shade (I apply this around my mouth, on top of my nose line and on my forehead the top where my brows are), you can also mix the two shade to create another tone which can help balance the color (I do this on the part of my cheeks). You may use a foundation brush, a sponge or your own fingertips (as long as it is clean, don't want bacteria dancing on your face... haha!) to apply foundation.
If you prefer to use only one shade of foundation to your face it is still handy to have a 1-2 shades darker. It will accommodate the change of your skin tone during summer or in case you went on a vacation and have a little fun under the sun.
I also have two shades of MAC Studio Fix (powder foundation) in NC42 and NC35. I seldom use the darker shade as you can see from the photo (the lighter one is the more abuse one). I use this to just dust-off a little amount on the areas where my skin tends to be oily (that is the t-zone). This is also perfect if I needed touch-ups. This comes with a sponge but I prefer to use my kabuki brush to apply it.
I don't recommend this specific brand because I'm using it, feel free to explore every makeup counter and find what you need. This is the only second product I have tested and it soothes me well. I will probably check another brand after I'm done with this set.
Here is a little reminder:
1. Never be afraid to test and experiments which formula of foundation will best soothe your skin type.
2. The right shade of foundation will disappear from your skin.
3. If your skin is too oily sometimes the foundation turns a little bit darker (or ashy). Make sure to check and adjust accordingly, you might have to choose a foundation that is 1-2 shades lighter from your natural skin tone.
I hope you find this helpful. More tips and reviews on my next post. Do comment below in case you want to ask something or what you would like to see more on this blog.
♥ Kat
♥ Kat
