If you’ve started to notice that foundation or concealer is sinking into some of those little wrinkles on your face, especially the laugh lines, lines under the eyes, or near the crow’s feet, you have to be even more meticulous about how you blend your foundation into place. In this regard, less is best. Blend, blend, and blend again, being sure to remove the excess in those areas with the clean side of the sponge.
Minimize your use of moisturizers over the areas where you have lines, and use a foundation or concealer that’s neither greasy nor too emollient. Anything with lingering movement and slip gives the foundation a free ride into the lines.
As for those concealers and foundations that claim to deflect, reflect, or somehow improve the appearance of wrinkles—they don’t. And those foundation primers sold by various cosmetics lines, which are usually just moisturizers with extra film-forming agents (hairstyling-type ingredients), don’t work all that well either, plus they just add another layer of product to the face, which increases the likelihood of clogging pores, exacerbating breakouts, or creating dull-looking skin.
The truth is that a face without foundation always looks less wrinkled. I’m not sure why this has to be so, but it is. You can test this for yourself. Go to the cosmetics counter, find the most expensive foundation with the most elaborate claims about making the skin look less wrinkled, apply a sample to one side of your face, and leave the other side naked with just a dab of moisturizer over dry areas. Then check out your face in the daylight. You will be amazed how much more noticeable the lines on the foundation side of the face are. Of course, the foundation side will look smoother and will have a more even tone, the redness and blotchiness will be gone, and the pores will have virtually disappeared. But the wrinkles will be more noticeable than on the side without foundation. That’s the agony and ecstasy of foundation!
foundation mistakes to avoid
1. Do not buy a foundation before trying it on and checking it in the daylight.
2. Do not wear foundation unless it matches your skin color.
3. Do not wear pink, peach, rose, orange, or ash-colored foundation.
4. Cream-to-powder foundations work best for normal skin. The cream part can be too greasy for oily skin and the powder can be too dry for dry skin.
5. Do not apply a thick layer of foundation; thin and sheer are the operative words when it comes to applying foundation unless you are wearing a foundation with sunscreen, in which case liberal, even application is essential.
6. Do not use your fingers to blend your foundation over the face unless you’re willing to go over your handiwork with a sponge.