Makeup artistry does not come easily to everyone but approaching it from a skincare perspective can make things a lot easier to understand or a lot easier to actually do. Creating the perfect base is the pillar of any good makeup look but this alone can be a bit of a task.
As a makeup beginner myself, I have found a few tips and tricks to understanding how to achieve a flawless base.
Skin prep will change your life!
If you are starting right at the beginning, I recommend cleansing your skin thoroughly before continuing the rest of your routine. Once you have finished cleansing every crevice of your skin, it is important to hydrate the skin and keep it plump. I would then choose your skincare with the goal of smooth skin in mind. A light bit of exfoliation can bring an instant glow to the skin, but it is not always best to use a leave-on exfoliant; instead I would recommend wiping over the skin with your exfoliant on a cotton pad. If that all seems a bit complicated, MAC have created the perfect pre-makeup serum to retexturize and plump the skin, as well as helping to control the oil that is produced by the skin. The MAC Serumizer is a staple in my routine, even when I’m not wearing makeup.
Identifying your skin type
Not every single base product will work well for you and that’s okay! Foundations and concealers are traditionally either water or oil based. Understanding the difference between the two can change your whole view on makeup, and provide you with a new range of options that are suitable for your skin type. Approaching this as an aesthetician allowed me to identify that if you have acne prone skin, oily skin or dehydrated skin you will be best suited towards a water-based foundation and concealer. On the other hand if you are someone with dry or normal skin you can use an oil based foundation. With people that have normal skin, the world is really your oyster and you can do whatever you wish.
Ingredient consistency
I used to get so annoyed with makeup, as I could do my whole base routine and ruin it in a matter of seconds by applying the wrong concealer. As I mentioned before, some products are oil based and some are water based. You cannot use a concealer that is water-based with a foundation that is oil based! Making this faux pass creates pilling of product and patchiness throughout your base routine.
Setting throughout your application process
One tip I picked up from the makeup pros is that you must set at every stage if you want your base to last the entire day. I find that spraying my face between steps has really helped to create a face that cannot melt. Setting sprays can also be applied to your makeup tools to infuse the properties of the setting spray throughout your look.
