I totally understand when women complain about feeling “made up” when they wear a foundation. So why do I recommend using foundation at all? Because of the flawless, even base a foundation can provide. If the skin has a uniform color, texture, and appearance, the blush and eyeshadow colors you apply will look smooth instead of choppy. However—and here’s the tricky part—to the extent possible, the face should never look like it has a layer of foundation on it.
If you are already blessed with a totally even, perfect complexion, you will nevertheless want to consider wearing a foundation because of the way it helps eyeshadows and blushes go on more evenly. If you try to blend blushes and eyeshadows without foundation, they will most likely go on choppily or wear unevenly during the day. Foundation keeps those powdered colors in place. Skin itself has no real adhesive properties (think about what would adhere to it if it did!). Foundation, therefore, gives the rest of the makeup something to hold on to evenly. By themselves, blushes and eyeshadows have some ability to cling, but not all that much. Besides, today’s foundations offer some incredible options for creating the illusion of even, flawless skin without looking like makeup, and many of the best ones contain effective sunscreen.