How to Apply Liquid Foundation

Foundation is an essential start to beautiful makeup application. When applied properly, it evens out your skin tone and hides imperfections, achieving a flawless finish. Foundation also acts as a primer, giving makeup something to adhere to. Foundation will allow makeup to appear truer and last longer.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Good quality liquid foundation that matches your skin tone
• Cosmetic wedge
• Good quality transluscent, loose powder
• Good quality powder brush
• Proper lighting, preferably natural light
• A little water

1. 
   Shade 3 disappears into my skin, so this is the foundation I will use.

   Select the correct foundation shade. It is a common misconception to color match the foundation with your wrist. The proper way to match your foundation is to apply a thin strip over your jawline and onto your neck, since you will be blending the foundation into your neck. Place several different colors next to each other on your skin, the shade that literally disappears into your skin at the jaw and neck is the shade you should use.

2. 
   Author with a freshly cleaned and moisturized face.

   Start with a clean and moisturized face. Here is a picture of me before applying foundation. As you can see, there are areas where my skin tone is uneven, there are light circles under my eyes, and there are a few red spots and imperfections. These can all be hidden without the use of concealer if I apply my foundation properly.

3. 

   Wet a cosmetic sponge and wring it out so that it is damp. Apply a little foundation to your forehead. Always start with only a little foundation. Most formulas are "buildable," which means that they can be applied in layers in order to increase their coverage. It is easier to start with a little and add to it, than it is to remove foundation if you added too much!

4. 
   Blend well.

   Using the wet cosmetic sponge, blend the foundation using downward and outward strokes. Blend it into your nose.

5. 

   Apply a little foundation to your cheeks.

6. 

   Blend foundation using downward and outward strokes. Blend it well into your hairline.

7. 

   Adding more foundation as necessary, blend it well into your jawline and neck.

8. 

   After you are finished, dip a powder brush into a little translucent pressed powder. Tap off the excess and apply to face, using downward strokes. The loose powder will set the foundation, giving you a flawless appearance. It will also absorb any excess oil throughout the day.

9. 

   With the proper tools and techniques, a little foundation goes a long way! Here is the "after" photo, showing that the foundation has evened out my skintone, covered the circles under my eyes, and has hidden minor imperfections, all without the use of concealer! Plus, the foundation is blended so well, that it is not even visible on my face. I appear to not be wearing any makeup at all.

Tips & Warnings

• The beauty consultant at your favorite makeup brand's counter can assist you in selecting the correct foundation shade.
• A wet cosmetic sponge is the secret to successful foundation application. It will allow the foundation to go on smoothly and to blend seamlessly. Also, less foundation will be needed.
• Practice! It might take a few times to get the technique down, but once you do, you will be able to apply your foundation flawlessly in no time at all.
• It is not a good idea to use foundation to darken your skin tone. This is not foundation's purpose and it will not look natural. If you want to darken your skin (i.e appear tanned), then use a good quality bronzer after the foundation is applied