Our BellaSugar team loves this pressed mineral foundation from Colorescience because it provides great coverage without being too heavy, stays on with minimal touch-ups, and doesn't cause breakouts. And when you purchase this pressed powder you get a free gift with purchase: Avene Antirougeurs Redness Relief Kit.
Foundations usually fall into one of two categories: those that are lightweight and those that offer good coverage. L'Oréal's Visible Lift Makeup ($15) provides both, along with a handful of other benefits. Its application is silky smooth: it easily blends into the skin while effectively masking pesky blemishes and lines. The foundation comes with its own sponge for quick touch-ups, but you can also use your fingers or a brush to apply it. You'll love the ingredients, too. Hyaluronic acid plumps up the complexion, and vitamin C keeps your face looking bright all day. And with SPF 16 built in, this foundation can easily work its way into your daily beauty routine.
Not only can the wrong shade of foundation give you an unnatural cast, it can age you well beyond your years. But if you happen to have a too-dark foundation in your stash, hold off before tossing it or sending it back — unless you want to go for that more mature look, that is. You may just be able to make a too-dark foundation work to your advantage. Learn what to do if your base is too light, and for tips on correcting base that's too dark, just read more.
In the makeup world, there are few things worse than discovering you've purchased a too-light foundation shade. (Cullen family, anyone?) But before you send it to the junkyard or head back for a refund, make your mismatched makeup work for you. Here's how:
Pressed and loose powder can save makeup from dripping during a sweltering day. But did you ever think to wear powder under and over your makeup look to create a budge-proof base? Double up on the product to stamp out oil before it starts. "Powder your face before makeup to absorb sebum before it can get to your foundation," recommends David Horne, Director of Product Development for Illamasqua. "Then, press a Kleenex against your face before applying another layer of powder to remove any extra oils in the foundation."
Horne also recommends avoiding gel and wax eyeliner formulas during the hottest months. Instead, mix your favorite product with a sealing gel to avoid "candle wax" liner later in the day. And when you're shopping for a crease-resistant eye shadow, test on your wrist where the skin wrinkles naturally. Now you can focus on more important things than melting makeup … like an afternoon outing for frozen yogurt.
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Perhaps you love the concept of airbrush foundation, but you don't want to fork over hundreds of dollars to purchase the tools to achieve the effect. Luckily, you don't have to look any further than what's in your makeup bag to mimic that flawless finish. First, just dot your liquid foundation on the following areas: the forehead, chin, cheeks, and tip of the nose. Next, using circular motions, simply blend in the foundation with a blush-sized brush, preferably one with bristles that are slightly more densely packed. This ensures your makeup will buff on beautifully for soft-focus results. Here are some great options:
When it comes to cosmetics, foundation is, uh, the foundation of your makeup routine. But choosing the formulation for your skin type, coverage preferences, and desired finish can be tricky. We've already explored how to choose the right shade, so let's get right down to the next step: the basics of selecting a foundation formulation. Find out more when you keep reading.
Have you been victim of too-light, vampire-like foundation at one point or another? No longer will that be the case. (That is, unless you want to attract the attention of the Edward Cullens and Bill Comptons of the world.) As you begin to get more warmth from the Summer sun, you might need to switch your base shade to keep up with your complexion. To learn more about selecting the perfect foundation for your skin tone, just keep reading.
If complexion perfection is your obsession, Make Up For Ever's HD Complexion Starter Kit ($79) is calling your name. The Sephora-exclusive set packages the brand's oil-free primer, invisible finishing powder, a kabuki brush, and one Invisible Cover Foundation — in the shade that suits you, of course. (There are 26, so there's something to match every skin tone.) This satin-finish foundation has earned a fervent cult following for its ability to cover imperfections without looking masklike, and it's particularly good at making blemishes seem to disappear. Not everyone can have flawless skin, but with the right tools, just about anyone can fake it.
Benefit has always stuck to powder-based foundation, but no longer. After four years of research and development, the brand is premiering its first liquid foundation, and we got to be among the first to try it out. Our biggest takeaway: this is not your average foundation. To see what it's all about, check out our review below.
