When it comes to blending foundation over your face, keep one mantra in your head: Blend, blend, and blend again, and then, just to be sure, blend one more time. All the other details are, well, just details, and not anywhere near as important as buffing off the excess foundation and smoothing out the edges […]

Cosmetics counters carry a mind-boggling assortment of foundations these days, includ­ing oil-free and matte foundations, water-based foundations, pressed-powder foundations, cream-to-powder foundations, liquid-to-powder foundations, stick foundations, so-called self-adjusting foundations, and foundations that have shine. Given this range of options, narrowing down your choices can be tricky. Note: Many of the following foundation types have effective sunscreen […]

Although there are many wonderful foundation options available at the drugstore, the almost universal lack of testers is incredibly frustrating. For budget-conscious consumers looking for a reasonably priced foundation this can be quite a challenge, as you’re often left standing in the aisle (under horrendous lighting and with no mirrors in sight) to guess which […]

Once you have selected a foundation color, there is only one way to be absolutely sure it is right for you: Apply the color all over your face and check it outside in the daylight. Check it from all angles and decide if it matches your skin exactly. If you applied it carefully but there […]

Although you are attempting to exactly match the skin color of your face when you choose a foundation, in some cases it is more important to match the foundation to the color of your neck. If your face is darker than your neck and your foundation matches the face, it will look like a mask […]

I cannot stress this point enough: Your skin and foundation should match exactly. If you are pale, that’s OK—accept the fact that you are pale and buy a light foundation that matches exactly. Whether you have red hair and fair skin or black hair and dark ebony skin, the foundation must match your underlying skin […]

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 […]

Regardless of the type of concealer you use, the application remains basically the same. Dab the color on with your fingertips, the wand applicator, or the tube concealer itself in a half-inch crescent from the inside corner of the eye out to approximately one-third of the way under the eye. Apply the concealer only where […]

Concealers come in six different forms: stick concealers, creamy liquid concealers, cream concealers, matte-finish liquid, matte-finish cream-to-powder, and finally the ultra-matte liquid concealers, which blend on smoothly and creamily and dry quickly into an unmov­able layer. Stick concealers: Stick concealers come in swivel-up tubes similar to lipstick. Examples: L’Oreal Infallible 16-Hour Concealer, Cle de Peau […]