Beauty Fix: Finding the right foundation, formulas that work with freckles and your best bet for coverage if you have dry skin
A great base can often make or break your entire look, but when it comes to finding the right foundation, there are almost as many different formulas as there are shades! While a colour match is key, foundation can serve double (or triple!) duty and tackle other skin concerns beyond uneven tone. This week, we’re sharing tips on finding the right foundation, from preventing the shine of oily skin to a formula that will give coverage without hiding freckles.
In need of a beauty fix? Email us at [email protected].
My skin is really oily and my makeup starts to look shiny and streaky by lunchtime. Is there any hope for a foundation that will last all day long?
There’s always hope! To all the slick-skinned friends out there, know that there are options galore for makeup that stays put past lunch. You’re on the right track in regards to wanting to find a base that is matte, as it will be more effective in balancing your skin’s oiliness and act as an anchor for additional products applied on top, such as bronzer or blush. Two options to consider in your search for finding the right foundation: Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+ Matifying Foundation ($40, sephora.com) has an oil free and water resistant formula and Clinique Stay Matte Oil-free Makeup ($29, at department stores) is designed to stay in place even on your sweatiest days. Matte foundations tend to have fairly powdery finishes, so opt out of a finishing or setting powder when you use them. If mid-day shine is a concern, avoid reaching for powder to touch up, as it could just lead to a cakey finish on your face. Try blotting papers instead!
I have dry skin and need a concealer that won’t highlight my dry patches, any suggestions?
Applying any kind of foundation or concealer to dry skin can be a hell of sorts. Products can cling to dry patches if the skin isn’t adequately moisturized, resulting in a heavy-handed look. To avoid this scenario, be sure to give your skin enough time to absorb moisturizer prior to applying makeup—5-10 minutes should do—and gravitate towards using a moisturizing liquid concealer that will blend easily into the skin, such as M.A.C Select Moisturecover concealer ($22, maccosmetics.com). Work the product into the skin with your fingertips (the same way you apply lotion!) to ensure the end result is a natural finish with no visible edges.
I have bone-straight hair and I’d like to amp up the texture. Will those salt-spray “beach wave” products weigh down my already thin hair or is there a trick to making them work?
Most fine-haired people are apprehensive about adding too many products to their hair out of fear that anything extra will just weigh it down. While this is a totally fair concern, the joy of “beach wave” sprays is that they give hair a bit of grit (thanks, sea salt!), which actually prevents your hair from lying straight and flat against your head. The other bonus is that they’re extremely simple to use: just spray the product onto damp hair and scrunch through. If you’re still worried about too much product build-up, skip your usual products and try a spray that does more than make waves. Alterna Summer Hair Ocean Waves Texturizing Spray ($24, sephora.com), for example, is loaded with antioxidants to protect your hair from environmental damage and boasts colour-protecting technology to keep your colour from fading.
I have freckles but still like some coverage when I’m wearing makeup. What can I use to even out my skin without it looking like I’m wearing a mask?
It’s always refreshing to see people embrace their freckles instead of trying to hide them with makeup. Freckles are kind of charming, no? It used to be difficult to find a medium level of coverage that would still allow some dimension of your skin to show through, but there’s been a huge shift in the market towards invisible coverage foundations that are actually difficult to perceive on the skin while still providing coverage where desired. These new foundations are allowing us to really focus on getting coverage where we need it, with interesting gel- and water-based formulae to choose from. A great gel-based option: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation ($27, at Shoppers Drug Mart), which contains anti-oxidant goji berry and pomegranate.
Help! My university roommates love getting dressed and doing makeup together—but I feel like my makeup collection is totally lackluster. Is there a must-have product I should get? (Keep in mind I’m on a budget.)
Getting ready with roommates for a night out is practically a rite of passage in your university years, so investing a bit of money in a really versatile makeup palette is just good sense! Keep an eye out for a palette with a variety of matte and shimmery textures for eyes and a couple of blush options so that you can transition from a day to night look effortlessly. Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette ($57, sephora.com) features powder products with skin balancing effects—thanks to the added Amazonian clay and vitamin E the colours will last on your skin, even without primer. This palette is a solid value, housing six eyeshadows that will work as both lid colours and eyeliners and two blushes that are actually the brand’s best-selling and universally flattering shades.
 duty and tackle other skin concerns beyond uneven tone. This week, we're sharing tips on finding the right foundation, from preventing the shine of oily skin to a formula that will give coverage without hiding freckles.
Read on for the full fix! »
In need of a beauty fix? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.
My skin is really oily and my makeup starts to look shiny and streaky by lunchtime. Is there any hope for a foundation that will last all day long?
There’s always hope! To all the slick-skinned friends out there, know that there are options galore for makeup that stays put past lunch. You’re on the right track in regards to wanting to find a base that is matte, as it will be more effective in balancing your skin’s oiliness and act as an anchor for additional products applied on top, such as bronzer or blush. Two options to consider in your search for finding the right foundation: Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+ Matifying Foundation ($40, sephora.com) has an oil free and water resistant formula and Clinique Stay Matte Oil-free Makeup ($29, at department stores) is designed to stay in place even on your sweatiest days. Matte foundations tend to have fairly powdery finishes, so opt out of a finishing or setting powder when you use them. If mid-day shine is a concern, avoid reaching for powder to touch up, as it could just lead to a cakey finish on your face. Try blotting papers instead!
I have dry skin and need a concealer that won’t highlight my dry patches, any suggestions?
Applying any kind of foundation or concealer to dry skin can be a hell of sorts. Products can cling to dry patches if the skin isn’t adequately moisturized, resulting in a heavy-handed look. To avoid this scenario, be sure to give your skin enough time to absorb moisturizer prior to applying makeup—5-10 minutes should do—and gravitate towards using a moisturizing liquid concealer that will blend easily into the skin, such as M.A.C Select Moisturecover concealer ($22, maccosmetics.com). Work the product into the skin with your fingertips (the same way you apply lotion!) to ensure the end result is a natural finish with no visible edges.
I have bone-straight hair and I'd like to amp up the texture. Will those salt-spray “beach wave” products weigh down my already thin hair or is there a trick to making them work?
Most fine-haired people are apprehensive about adding too many products to their hair out of fear that anything extra will just weigh it down. While this is a totally fair concern, the joy of “beach wave” sprays is that they give hair a bit of grit (thanks, sea salt!), which actually prevents your hair from lying straight and flat against your head. The other bonus is that they're extremely simple to use: just spray the product onto damp hair and scrunch through. If you're still worried about too much product build-up, skip your usual products and try a spray that does more than make waves. Alterna Summer Hair Ocean Waves Texturizing Spray ($24, sephora.com), for example, is loaded with antioxidants to protect your hair from environmental damage and boasts colour-protecting technology to keep your colour from fading.
I have freckles but still like some coverage when I'm wearing makeup. What can I use to even out my skin without it looking like I’m wearing a mask?
It’s always refreshing to see people embrace their freckles instead of trying to hide them with makeup. Freckles are kind of charming, no? It used to be difficult to find a medium level of coverage that would still allow some dimension of your skin to show through, but there’s been a huge shift in the market towards invisible coverage foundations that are actually difficult to perceive on the skin while still providing coverage where desired. These new foundations are allowing us to really focus on getting coverage where we need it, with interesting gel- and water-based formulae to choose from. A great gel-based option: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation ($27, at Shoppers Drug Mart), which contains anti-oxidant goji berry and pomegranate.
Help! My university roommates love getting dressed and doing makeup together—but I feel like my makeup collection is totally lackluster. Is there a must-have product I should get? (Keep in mind I'm on a budget.)
Getting ready with roommates for a night out is practically a rite of passage in your university years, so investing a bit of money in a really versatile makeup palette is just good sense! Keep an eye out for a palette with a variety of matte and shimmery textures for eyes and a couple of blush options so that you can transition from a day to night look effortlessly. Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette ($57, sephora.com) features powder products with skin balancing effects—thanks to the added Amazonian clay and vitamin E the colours will last on your skin, even without primer. This palette is a solid value, housing six eyeshadows that will work as both lid colours and eyeliners and two blushes that are actually the brand’s best-selling and universally flattering shades.
){kind=link}