I hope nobody gets offended- I'm just trying to help!

Hi Guys!


Since working in beauty therapy and now cosmetics I have been surprised at how many people seek advice on the two most basic makeup areas- eye makeup and choosing a foundation.

I even had one client who was gorgeous, beautiful features and nice skin who you would assume was very savvy with those things but being an emergency room doctor she never had time to learn about basic makeup and hardly ever wore any because she didn't know what to do. After a quick one on one session she was so happy, even came back the next week to thank me and actually said how it changed her life now that she felt confident enough to make an effort. I was so surprised and touched by her saying that and it just goes to show how these small things can make such a difference.

 I was lucky enough to do my beauty course quite young so I picked up some good skills before I made too many disasters (although I do have a vivid memory of bright yellow eyeshadow up to my brows which I thought must have looked funky and fresh but was probably more over the hill drag queen)

I thought I'd share a couple of quick little tips for choosing a foundation that a lot of makeup artist use on their models and clients.

Its so important to choose the right foundation- its the base of your whole look! 

Often people are in a rush, grab the first bottle, go for a bargain or do a test in the wrong place and when they realise that it doesn't match their skin tone or type they figure they can get away with it until the bottle runs out and nobody will really notice. Umm... Hello? We DO notice...Your face is two shades darker than your neck! Orange lines were never in fashion- even in high school.  It's such a bad look and nobody actually gets away with it! 

The best way to pick a foundation is to know what you want, the 3 main questions are- 

How much coverage are you looking for? 

Do you want a matte or dewy finish? 

When you are going to wear it? (this is more important than people think- if it's for daytime you might want something lighter with an SPF, if it's for special occasions then it needs to be long lasting and not wash you out in photos) 

The next thing is to actually TRY the foundation to make sure you like it, any good makeup counter will have consultants who are happy to take a few minutes to help. Ask the questions you need and weigh up which ones you like better. Test your favourites on your hand first and FEEL the texture. Is it smooth or dry? If you have a dry skin you don't want anything too powdery as it will sit on your skin and be obvious, if your skin can get a little oily you don't need a hydrating foundation as you will end up too shiny after a few hours. 

Once you have found a type that you like then you can pick a shade, make sure you try at least 2 shades and do the test patch on your jawline or cheek! A lot of people will put it on their hands but your hand is a completely different colour to your face, usually a lot darker which is why there are so many bad foundation lines wandering around.

Once you have your perfect foundation remember the best way to apply is a brush and also to always start at your nose and blend out to the edges of your face. Your jawline, forehead and near your ears never usually need much coverage so you should have hardly any product on these areas, if your colour match is right then you can blend it out easily. 

Depending on what your needs are there are some great foundations out there. Through chatting to some professionals in the industry and my own experience I thought I'd recommend a couple of brands.

For photography- MAC 

Long lasting- Napoleon Stick Foundation

For Problem Skin- Clinique

Everyday wear- Chanel 

I don't want to come across as too 'advice columny' but I hope someone gets some benefit from it at least! It's seems such a basic thing but for something we use almost everyday people seem to put very little thought into it. 

If I've prevented just one orange makeup line wandering around Melbourne then it was worth writing about! Don't even get me started on bad spray tans!!! Haha ;)

Xxx