As we age, our skincare needs change. Find out what you need to know about choosing the right foundation
By Katrina Caruso
As our skin matures, our skincare and makeup needs change—more moisture becomes a necessity, and as result, you may find that your tried-and-true products no longer do the trick. What’s more, fine lines can make it difficult to apply foundation if we don’t change our routines or the products we are using. But what to choose? Not all foundations are created equal, and different people have different preferences and needs. Here are a few considerations to get started.
Choosing the Best Foundation
The perfect foundation feels good to the touch (not cakey, dusty, or dry, not flaky or crusty, not oily or heavy), stays nice throughout the day, and matches your skin. (Next week, we’ll explore the highest-rated foundations for mature skin.)
Matching Your Foundation
If you need help matching your skin, bring a friend or ask one of the store’s sales associates. Make sure you’re looking at the sample in good lighting.
The best place to match your foundation is on your neck or jawline—not your hands or arms because your skin isn’t the same colour everywhere.
You may want to opt for a lighter version of your foundation in the winter or get a few foundation drops (a new product that has darker or lighter options to alter the foundation’s colour) to make alterations as you become more or less tanned.
Prime Your Skin First
As with the primer that prepares your walls for painting, a makeup primer preps your skin for makeup. A primer goes on after your moisturizer and helps make the application of foundation smoother. Some of the most popular are by Smashbox, Two Faced, the Ordinary, and Clinique.
Find an Application Tool for You
I like to apply my foundation with a moist beauty blender, but some people don’t like the way that feels. Some prefer to apply foundation using their hands, others swear by brushes. Just be sure to use clean application tools (or hands) and be gentle—you should never drag anything across your skin. Apply in gentle strokes, circles, or dots, depending on the tool.
Set Your Skin Afterwards
There are many setting sprays on the market. I prefer a swipe of Marcelle’s loose powder all over my face, and then a spray of the Body Shop’s Vitamin E spray. Most brand name cosmetics companies make a setting spray, some of the most popular being by Urban Decay, Maybelline, Smashbox, Tarte, and Tatcha.
This may seem like a lot of steps, but your foundation will feel so much better on you and last much longer.
Photo: iStock.
