Good Foundation

Emily Rose teaches us how to mix our foundation for a perfect complexion

If I could teach just one key aspect of makeup to the world, it would involve mixing foundation for a perfect complexion. Seamlessly perfect and invisible foundation not only creates the most beautiful complexion imaginable, it can reflect a look of absolute health.

A big part of my job involves working with people who suffer from illnesses, sallow skin is just one of the physical changes they have to deal with. When we look into the mirror and we look healthy, we instantly feel healthier, as inner and outer beauty work in harmony. No matter what age we are, if our foundation colour is incorrectly matched we can look instantly washed out, or on the other end of the spectrum, look like we are sporting a big orange tide line around the jaw line, which is the ultimate foundation faux pas!

So how do we mix our perfect foundation colour? When we walk into a makeup store there are an array of shades to choose from, which can be daunting. The lighting used within stores is completely unnatural, so it makes choosing the correct shade a little tricky unless we keep dashing outside with a mirror. We can rely upon the opinion of the sales representative, however this isn’t always accurate. And, our complexion changes daily, depending on how we are feeling and factors such as our health. With this in mind it really is more beneficial to be able to find our own shade…

So, my greatest tip is to buy the lightest shade and the darkest shade of your favorite foundation and mix them together. If you tend to suit warm colours, buy the lightest and darkest of the warm tone, and if you are cooler, buy the lightest and darkest of the cooler tones. Although this may sound costly, it isn’t, because you will only be using half from each pot than you previously would have used with one. So they should last, and most foundation is good for up to two years. Realistically, also many people end up buying an additional shade in the summer months anyway. If this is you, and you have a few different foundations hiding away in your draw, you can have a go at mixing these before you commit to a new purchase.

How to mix:

If you have fair skin: pop a bean-sized amount of light foundation onto the back of your hand, add to it dots of dark and mix until you can see that this colour matches your overall skin tone. Please note: The colour needs to match the entire body and the neck is often lighter, because it doesn’t catch the sun as much, so match the colour to your chest, not your neck. Blend a small amount onto your chest, if it disappears you know you have the correct shade, this way, even if your face is lighter than your body, as often happens because we cleanse daily and this removes a tan because we shed dead skin cells, you will still match head to toe.

If you have olive to dark skin: Use exactly the same technique, but the opposite way round. Pop the dark onto your hand first, the light second. Assess the colour of dark foundation carefully, some are more golden, some more red tinted, and some bluer tinted. Some skin tones are quite yellow and sallow, so it is very important to match the tone of the body exactly without going too light, as the complexion becomes ashy and washed out. My last tip, is to avoid pink-based foundations, they are incredibly unnatural because nearly all skin tones are yellow based. If you do have pink undertones, contrary to the belief, a pink-based foundation will only emphasise this. Choose a soft yellow-based foundation instead.

Now you can enjoy having the perfect complexion every single day!