Which Foundation Type is Best for You?
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An
attractive makeup application must begin with a
foundation that blends smoothly and evenly, merging with
your skin. Even if you feel that you need a foundation
that provides good coverage, obvious coverage is a
mistake and can negatively affect your entire makeup
application. The primary goal when shopping for
foundation is to be sure it matches your skin exactly.
Avoid ever buying a foundation to alter skin color
because in daylight or office lighting, it will appear
completely unnatural.
For many people of a variety of ethnicities, skin is
almost always some shade of neutral ivory, beige, tan,
dark brown, bronze brown or ebony, with a very slight
yellow undertone (but without any orange or pink). Some
Native North American or South American women, a small
percentage of African-American women, and some
Polynesian women have a red cast to their skin and some
East Indian women may have an ashy undertone. Foundation
should follow these tones exactly, avoiding any
unnatural looking skin colors.
The following is a rundown of the major types of
foundations you will find at the drugstore and at
department stores. Which one to use depends on your skin
type (oily vs. dry) and personal preferences including
how much coverage you desire, what type of finish you
prefer, and other factors.
Oil-free and
matte liquid foundations
A well-formulated oil-free or matte finish liquid
foundation should have a smooth finish with no shine or
dewy appearance. Ideally, this appearance should last
for at least a few hours, but in the long run, this
depends almost entirely on how oily your skin is. Most
oil-free and matte liquid foundations provide sheer to
medium coverage.
Pros: These foundations are the best choice for
women who want balanced coverage with minimal to no
shine, and who like a smooth, matte look. They last much
longer on oily skin or over oily areas than most other
foundation types.
Cons: All in all, there aren't many disadvantages
to using this kind of foundation but some of them can
make the skin look or feel dry.
Ultra-matte
foundations
These are an amazing group of medium to full coverage
products that truly stay put. Most have a very liquid
consistency but dry quickly on the skin. The good news
is that today's ultra-matte foundations are noticeably
easier to blend and more forgiving of mistakes.
Pros: These foundations are a superior option if
you have seriously oily skin, have trouble with makeup
slipping or disappearing as the day goes by, live in a
humid climate, exercise but still like having your
makeup stay put, or like a completely matte finish.
Ultra-matte foundations will outlast any other
foundation, with no slippage or movement. If you have
very oily skin, these are an absolute must to try.
Cons: The disadvantages to using ultra-matte
foundations are that many of them go on rather heavily
and look masklike, leaving the skin feeling very dry and
taut. In order to get this makeup on evenly, you must
blend quickly or it will dry in place before you know it,
and then it can be difficult to blend further. Ultra-matte
foundations have less movement than more emollient
foundations, which means eyeshadow and blush have a
tendency to stick to them; that can make blending and
correcting mistakes a bit irksome. Women of color should
be careful when choosing ultra-matte foundation. Even if
it is the right color, these foundations can tend to
look gray and ashen after being applied to darker skin
tones.
Ultra-matte foundations are also the most difficult type
to remove. The number of ultra-matte foundations is
dwindling, as women have undoubtedly had problems with
them. This is unfortunate, as these ingenious
formulations can work so well for truly oily skins.
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