On The Sixth Day Of Christmas...

Hailie gave to me...

Six steps to Perfect foundation!

1. Cleanse and tone your skin then moisturise
   
   Always apply foundation to a cleansed and toned skin. Use a mild cleanser appropriate for your skin and cleanse your face thoroughly to remove all the impurities and oils that have accumulated during the night. Tone your skin with a toner that suits your skin. Use it lavishly – apply with cotton pad and wipe until clean.
   
   Always moisturise your skin before applying even if your skin is oily. The first step when applying make up is the application of appropriate moisturiser according to your skin type. It will improve your skin quality and act as a protective layer to help trap the moisture in the skin and stop it from evaporation. Apply the moisturiser and let it soak in at least 5 minutes before applying.
   Moisturisers protect your skin from the sun, wind, cold, from the environmental pollutants and nourish your skin. Moisturisers plump and comfort your skin and make easier to blend smoothly. If your foundation disappear within few hours of application, or drags when you blend it that means that probably your skin needs more moisturiser.
   
   
2. Use Primer
   
    Pump or pour a small amount of the primer into your hand. Dip a damp foundation wedge sponge into the primer and dab it gently onto your face, beginning under your eyes and around your nose. (Note that some primers are packaged in such a way that you spritz them directly onto your face from the bottle.), add the primer to your forehead, chin, nose, and cheeks. Using the same sponge, blend the primer into your skin.
   
   Be sure you cover all areas s evenly as possible, but it’s okay to use a little extra in places where your make up tends to wear off quickly, such as in the T-zone or over large pores.
   Wait a few minutes for your primer to dry before applying foundation and concealer.
   
   
3. Use Concealer
   
   Apply concealer to problem areas. Dot the concealer only in places you need to. Start with a slightly darker tone and blend into with a sponge to match the lighter foundation in order to avoid creating light spots. Don’t use too lighter concealer to hide dark circles under the eyes, it should be just slightly lighter than the base color. To hide pimples or spots, use thick concealer that matches your skin tone. Apply it using a small make up brush directly on the spot and blend slightly till it disappears.
   
4. Foundation Application
   
   Warm up the foundation in your palms – this way it will penetrate deep into your skin and will last longer. The best way to apply it is using your fingertips or a makeup sponge. Using your fingertips will give the heaviest application, but a sponge gives a thinner application. Put a little on a makeup sponge, brush or on your fingertips. A sponge provides more control and a smoother application. If you are going to use a brush it should be small, like that for the lipstick. The brush works best if you have to cover marks or pimples.
   
   Start applying in the centr of your face and make sure the colour matches your skin tone. Dot foundation on your cheekbones, chin, forehead, nose eyelids and lips. With the help of the sponge or your fingertips blend well – the foundation must never show. Gently press the sponge over your face to set the foundation.
   Start blending at your forehead and slowly spread all over your face, moving in circular motions. Blend out to the jawline and your hair line until the foundation vanishes. Don’t forget to apply to the neck, especially if you are using darker shade of foundation otherwise your face will look like a mask and unnatural. Make sure everything blends together and looks the same. Ensure that there are no patches.
   
5.  Set the foundation
   
   To set the foundation, apply loose powder immediately after the application. The powder will hold the foundation in place for a longer period of time. Dab the powder brush into the powder and shake off the excess powder. The brush will help you to apply the powder evenly to facial contours for a well blended powder finish. Apply it firstly to the center of your face, forehead and chin. Stroke the face gently to cover all areas evenly. Don’t forget to apply a small amount of powder to the neck.
   
6. Contour your cheeks.
   
   Using a medium-sized blush brush dipped in a blusher of your choice, lightly brush your cheeks in an upward motion. To make your face appear slimmer, suck your cheeks in and apply your blush to the hollow in your cheeks
   
   
   
   
   I hope that helps! Let me know how you get on?
   
   

Hailie

xo