Whether you're a make-up newbie or need to brush up on your skills, knowing how to apply foundation is always a good place to start. Sure, you've got to get the formula and shade match right, because you don't want your face to be a different colour from your neck – but having the right tools and mastering your application technique is just as important.
Do you use a brush, or a sponge, or keep it simple and use fingers? Do you rub, swipe or pat the product in? It's obviously each to their own, but if you want flawless-looking skin, here's our go-to guide for applying like a pro.
1) Prep Your Skin
Every great make-up look starts with great skincare. Although your daily routine may change from season to season, as a general rule, you need to cleanse, exfoliate and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate – remembering to moisturise. You want to prep your skin so that it gives you the smoothest canvas to work with, allowing make-up to sit better on your skin.
Top tip: For kissable lips, use a sugar scrub and a nourishing lip balm. This will give your lipstick a better base too.
2) Pick Your Shade & Coverage
For perfect foundation all year round, first, you need to pick the right shade for your skin tone. Maybe you're fair, light, medium, deep or very deep, but as our complexions aren't always even, use your jawline as an indicator.
Once you've figured that out, you need to know whether you've got cool, neutral or warm undertones, which is done by looking at our veins. If they're blue-green, you're neutral, whilst those with purple or blue are cool. And if you've got green veins, your undertones are probably warm. Luckily, brands these days offer shade-matching services in-store or online – plus, there are even websites now where you can compare shades from different brands, so if one day, you decide to try a different formula, you can find a shade that's similar to your usual go-to. Clever, right?
You also need to pick a formula that works best for your skin. If you suffer from breakouts or just prefer a full-glam look, you may prefer a full-coverage, matte foundation. Those who prefer their skin to shine through, with a glowy, sheer finish, should opt for something lightweight with a dewy finish. There are even balm and powder foundations.
3) Choose Your Tools
There's often a debate over whether brushes, sponges or fingers are better for applying foundation, but the truth is, they all have their benefits. Firstly, make-up brushes of any kind are essential for all make-up lovers as they transfer product onto the skin effectively, without soaking up the majority of it and they're easy to work with. Applying your foundation with a brush will give you a clean, solid base to work from. Top tip: For an extra flawless finish, use your brush to apply, then take a damp beauty sponge, and blend in the product afterwards, patting gently across the skin.
Otherwise, ditch the brush and switch to a sponge. Unlike some brushes, they don't drag the product down, which can create bristle marks on the skin – instead, they give an ultra-smooth base. You can even buy smaller ones for applying concealer under your eyes. For best results, remember to wet and squeeze before use, and when they get dirty, simply pop them in a sock and secure them with a hair tie before putting them on a gentle cycle in the washing machine.
4) Ace Your Technique
With a brush: Whilst some apply foundation directly on their brush, we prefer to dab it onto the face first. This way, you'll lose less product between the bristles. Then, taking your brush, blend the product out, making sure you cover your entire face. When it comes to picking a brush, if you prefer lightweight coverage, opt for a stippling brush and something large and dense for full coverage, while oblique-shaped brushes help with those hard-to-reach areas.
With a sponge: The first step when applying foundation with a sponge is to always wet the sponge first. You do not want to apply foundation with a dry sponge, as this won't give you your desired results. Under running warm water, squeeze the sponge a few times until it's fully saturated, then squeeze the water out so that it's not soaking wet, only damp. Once you've applied the foundation to your face, pat the damp sponge onto your skin, pressing and rolling. If you're using a BeautyBlender, you can use the pointy edge to apply concealer to your under-eye. It's super handy!
With your fingers: If you've decided to apply with your fingers instead, that's fine too. Just apply the foundation in small dots around your face and tap in gently, as you would with a sponge.
5) Make it last
Wondering how to make your foundation last all day? Try using a primer beforehand – and when you've finished applying all of your make-up, a quick spritz of setting spray should do the job. Failing that, you could always keep some concealer in your handbag to touch up any pesky spots. Blotting paper also works a treat if you sweat a lot.
So, there you have it. Follow these tips and you'll be applying make-up like a pro in no time. Who knows, maybe you'll even master the art of contour next? The possibilities are endless.