Friday 2 May 2014

How to avoid cake face foundation!

Hello loves! I hope you're all well.

This post is going to be about foundation and how to get the best looking skin whilst wearing foundation.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love makeup but I just hate how foundation sits on my face. We're human. We have lines, pores, bumps, scars, blackheads, dry spots, dark spots etc and the sooner we accept that, the more happier we'll be. Trust me. But, there's always going to be the obvious tell tale signs that scream "look, I'm wearing foundation!!!" and sometimes, we just wanna say "I woke up like this" right?? Which is why I prefer how my skin looks and feels without foundation BUT I need the coverage. So, what to do?

LO AND BEHOLD, there are ways to ensure that you foundation can cover your "imperfections" without it looking like you dipped your face in cake batter which you let to dry. I will try and make this post as short as possible, but if you know me, I like to talk. And when I'm passionate about a subject, I can't stop. That is all.

Cake Face

Lets begin!

1) What is your skin type??

Knowing your skin type is quite frankly one of the most important things you can do for your skin. For example, if you have sensitive skin, you'll know to avoid products that have harsh chemicals and fragrances. I'm normal/combination skin. Which essentially means that I have normal cheeks and an oily T zone (center forehead above brows, down my nose and chin). By knowing your skin type, you can use the correct skin care and makeup on it. However sometimes it's okay to not use skin care/makeup for your skin type, for example, someone with oily skin might choose to use sensitive skin products if they're acne prone or someone with combo skin (like me) might use foundations made for dry skin types (like me) as they prefer the glowy/dewy look.

2) EXFOLIATE.

No one has an excuse not to exfoliate their skin. Well, unless they have extremely sensitive skin. Exfoliants can be homemade with natural ingredients, chemical grade done in skin clinics or just the stuff you buy in tubes at the drugstore. I like to exfoliate once a week using my Vitamin C Microdermabrasion exfoliator by The Body Shop (currently on offer!!!) (ERMAGERD Holy Grail alert) This stuff is the BOMB. Honestly, if you haven't tried it, you should. It has these small micro-particles and these crushed stones which once rubbed (gently!) on the face removes dead skin cells to reveal new, brighter looking skin. The Vitamin C also contributes to making my skin look glowy and bright and it makes my skin feel SOOO smooth. Sensitive skinned people cannot use this product as the particles are quite abrasive and it is recommended to only use once (or twice if you must) a week. OK enough rambling. So, exfoliate once or twice a week but make sure that before you apply foundation your skin is CLEAN (used a cleanser clean). By exfoliating your skin, you are removing dead skin cells from the surface of your skin to reveal the new skin underneath which is dying to show itself obviously. This means that your foundation will not cling onto dry patches as the surface is smooooth. Also, try and use a mask once every week or every two weeks just to remove any build up in your pores.

3) Moisturise!

Everybody needs to moisturise. Yes, even oily skinned people. By putting moisture on the skin, the skin will not have to release oils onto the surface. Some people can get away with using oils to moisturise, but others can only use creams. I would suggest to only use oils when you're not using foundation or before bed as the oils may interfere with the oils in the foundation (if there are any) and make you look like a greasy grease ball. I tend to use moisturisers that are for normal skin or for dry skin depending on what skin look I'm going for. My current favourite is the Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream by The Body Shop (also on offer now) (totally not sponsored by The Body Shop lol, although I wouldn't mind if I was!! hehe). This cream is thick and as the name suggests, it is intensely moisturising. It almost feels like a thick moisturising primer. It does sink into my skin but still leaves a dewy sheen on my skin (which I love) and as Wayne Goss said "If you feel like you haven't moisturised enough, moisturise some more!" Honestly, moisturising makes all the difference.

4) (primer) Foundation.

At this point, you can use primer if you want to. I don't like primer but I did love the one in The Body Shop Vitamin C range, though I don't know if that should be considered a primer. Essentially, what a primer does is fill in pores and fine lines and also creates a barrier between your makeup and your skincare. It also allows your foundation to apply smoother and helps the makeup last all day or longer. Nifty.

So, this is when you start to think about the kind of foundation you're using. Is it sheer? Buildable? Opaque? To give a few popular examples, M.A.C cosmetics Studio Sculpt foundation is a medium to full coverage foundation. But this doesn't mean you have to pile the stuff on. LESS IS MORE. Seriously, if you don't mind wasting a few pumps, try applying this foundation really heavily, then try applying it sparingly. This foundation is really misunderstood as people tend to apply it really heavily and it looks absolutely horrible on the skin. Try only using foundation where you need it, or dot your face with about 4 dots and blend really well. Remember, you can still use concealer where you need to. Another popular foundation is M.A.C cosmetics Face and Body foundation (Holy Grail!!) which applies sheer, but the magic is that if you use your fingers to rub it in your skin, it starts to become a medium coverage. It is also buildable, so you can apply 1 layer, let it set and apply another (or just where you need it). This foundation also lasts all day, can be used on the body, but it looks glowier throughout the day (which I quite like). You can also opt for a tinted moisturise or a BB cream.

So, top tip for foundation: LESS IS MORE!

5) Concealer!

Some people like to apply concealer before foundation, but I prefer to apply it after as I will only apply it on the places where I actually need it and I think if I apply it before foundation, it will end up rubbing away. Which eventually means more product on the face. And more product means: cake, cake, CAKE, CAKE!

If I'm bothered, I'll use 2 kinds of concealers on my face. One for under eyes and the other for those pesky blemishes. The under eye one is usually made for the under eyes, so it sets to avoid creasing and the blemish one is usually thicker, full coverage and creamier. Some times I might use an illuminator under my eyes but that's only when I want to look like Kim K. Illuminators are usually sheer and have a thin consistency so if you don't have bad dark circles under your eyes, I would opt for that instead of a concealer to avoid the cake. Only apply the thicker concealer where you need it, apply a thin layer on blemishes and TAP rather than WIPE.

6) POWDER!

We're nearly at the end kids, hold on.

If you're after glowy skin, I'd opt for a powder that has tiny shimmery particles in (Sleek does one). In fact, I'd use a more skin finish powder if I wanted skin looking foundation anyway. However, like me, I have an oily T zone so I will definitely powder my nose, forehead and chin. But, I will opt for a translucent powder because at this point I really do not need any more coverage or colour pigments covering my face. If I'm going to apply blusher or bronzer, I will also lightly dust my cheeks too as I wouldn't want the blusher/bronzer to cling onto my foundation.

7) Setting spray

This step is totally optional and it depends on what you feel about your face at this stage. If I feel that I still want my skin to look a tad bit more glowy, I'll spritz my face with a setting spray such as the Avene water one or my current favourite which is the Vitamin C Energizing Face Spritz by The Body Shop (sorry guys, I just really love The Body Shop skin care). This spray smells so yummy and just makes me look awake and healthy (which 95% of the time I'm not). It also gives me a lovely glow which mimics natural skin. Hooraay!

8) DONEEE!

Finito! Pat yourself on the back if you have reached this far and I haven't bored you to death. Obviously you can now add whatever else you want such as blusher, bronzer and highlighter to your face. Which reminds me, I am lovingggg the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector as a highlighter recently. But that is for another day and another post. As with anything, you do not have to do everything I tell you here, and you can swap it around when and how you feel. But this is just something that works for me. In fact, most times I completely take out the foundation step and still get similar results.

Like I warned you, I can talk/type quite a lot but I really do help that you found this post useful. Feel free to contact me with any enquiries (my contact details are in the "contact me" tab up there ^) and I will try my best to help you.

Love you always,

Fatima xxx

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