What's Your Perfect Foundation?

Foundation is the one cosmetic that every woman should have in her cosmetic bag or drawer (or closet, for real make-up junkies). Foundation has one purpose: to create a blank canvas that you can use to add the colors that you love. It's not a blush or bronzer, and if you try to use it as such, I can promise you, you'll look ridiculous. You need to choose the right foundation for you, and that depends on your skin type as well as your skin tone.

Before you can find the best foundation for you, you need to determine your skin type. Most make-up artists agree that there are five basic skin types: dry, oily, normal, combination, and sensitive. Most of you know your skin type already, but here's a little test for those who don't: with a clean (but not just-washed) face, press a dry facial tissue against your skin lightly. If it shows all of your face, you have oily skin. If you can clearly see oil where it touched your forehead, nose, and/or chin, you have combination skin - that is, normal to dry where you see no oil, and an oily "T-zone" (forehead, nose, chin). If it shows a very slight amount of oil, you probably have normal skin. If you see nothing on the tissue, you have dry skin. If your skin gets red easily, or reacts badly to some make-ups or lotions, then you probably have sensitive skin.

Your skin tone is important too; if you have yellow undertones, you don't want to use a foundation with a pink or blue undertone, and vice versa. Some make-up lines tell you a lot about foundation and concealer color (see www.prescriptives.com, for example), while some just say "cool" or "warm" tones. If your skin has yellow undertones, or you're a woman of color, chances are the "warm" tones will look best on you. If your skin has pink undertones or blue undertones, you'll probably use "cool" tones. If you're just not sure, go to a make-up counter at a high end department store; the counter expert will be able to tell you your skin type and tone (and you don't have to buy anything). Try little swipes of different colors on your chin line; if the make-up disappears, it's your shade. If it looks yellow or pink, then it's not for you.

The photos with this article show five basic types of foundation. The most common type is a liquid foundation. Liquid foundation is the best type for dry skin, but it can work for everyone. If you have oily skin, check the ingredients and avoid those containing oil; if you have sensitive skin, make sure it's hypo-allergenic and says something like "safe for sensitive skin" on the label. Although you may be told to apply it with your fingers or a sponge, don't. Either of those methods will probably put too much foundation on your face - you won't like that and neither will anyone who sees you - and it won't look natural. (Remember Tammy Faye Bakker?). Besides, you'll go through that foundation twice as fast, and that can be a budget-killer. Use a foundation brush. First, put a very small amount of the liquid foundation either on your palm or on the back of your hand just under the web between the thumb and first finger. Use half of what you think you'll need.. Dip the end of the foundation brush into the make-up, then dot it lightly onto your face, and blend it over your face with the entire brush surface. Look in the mirror. If you like what you see, move onto the rest of your make-up. If it's streaky, blend some more. You want to look like you have perfect skin, but not like you're wearing foundation. Get it?

Then there's powder foundation. Powder foundation is excellent for oily skin, but can work for all skin types, even dry skin, if applied correctly. Before you use any make-up, apply a good moisturizer. Apply a primer over that to smooth the surface of your skin. With that done, you can use powder foundation. If your skin is dry or sensitive, choose a mineral powder foundation. Most powder foundations are sold with a "kabuki" type brush, or a large powder brush. My advice? Don't use that kind of brush, or your face will look powdery, and the powder will settle into lines and wrinkles and make them look worse than they are. Use a fan brush, pick up a small amount of powder, and apply it lightly to your skin. Blend it well. Look in the mirror, and if you have patches of powder, blend it in with the fan brush, and make sure that your entire face is covered.

Next is cream foundation. You can use your fingers with this one! But first, take a small amount and put it on the back of your hand, just like you did with the liquid. Let it warm up to your skin temperature so it will blend more easily. Again, avoid using too much - that's the biggest mistake in foundation that most women make. Use a light hand, and if you want to blend it in with a foundation brush, go for it. Cream foundations work pretty well for all skin types if you don't over-apply it. Again, oily skins, don't use a brand that contains oil; sensitive skins, check the ingredients for things that your skin reacts badly too. Cream foundations provide the greatest coverage, so if you have, for example, a port wine birth mark, use a cream foundation to cover it.

Cream-to-powder foundations were the rage in the 1980s and 1990s, but they're getting harder to find. They come packaged as a cream, with a sponge applicator, and with this type of foundation, using that sponge to apply it is your best bet. Again, pick up a small amount of color onto the sponge and blend it evenly over your face. As it comes into contact with your skin, it will feel like powder, and if you use too much, your skin will look powdery and those fine lines and deep lines will be exaggerated, so use it with care.

Women who absolutely hate the thought of foundation, and have healthy young skin, can compromise by using a tinted moisturizer. These have the advantage of being a moisturizer with some foundation color in one product, and the better ones also contain a sunscreen. Apply a small amount with your fingers, just the way you'd apply a moisturizer, and make sure that you get it evenly applied and rubbed into your skin (it is a moisturizer, after all).

One tip if you're using liquid or cream foundation: if you have something you want to cover and plan to use a concealer on, apply the concealer before you apply foundation, and use a product that's one shade lighter than your foundation. It will conceal better, and your skin will look more even. If you have a drugstore make-up budget, make sure to try different products in a department store first, then look for similar products and colors in the drugstore. And one more time: DON'T use too much!

(Sources: http://www.wisegeek.com/how-should-i-choose-the-best-foundation-makeup.htm, http://www.runningwithheels.com/index.php/2009/02/choosing-the-right-foundation-for-your-skin-type/, http://www.epinions.com/content_955424900,, http://www.100makeup.com/100makeup/choose%20makeup.htm )