Ace the base! The makeup masters at Cosmoprof Academy answer the most common questions about applying foundation and gives tricks you can’t miss!

What’s the best tool for applying foundation?

It depends on the coverage you want. Makeup sponges will give you more coverage; apply just where you need it and then blend into the skin. Brushes give you buildable coverage and can give you more control over where you place it.  For the best coverage, you can even combine both. Start off by using a foundation brush, thereafter blend it well into your skin by placing the sponge firmly onto your skin and applying a downward motion.

If you’re in a rush and just want a light application to quickly even out your skin tone, you can use a triangle latex wedge type of sponge. This type of sponge is great as you can use different sides of the same sponge. For a quick light fresh look, tinted moisturisers work pretty well.

Do I really need to use a primer?

Primers are popular because they work hard to make your skin look better. Makeup artists love primers because they provide your skin with radiance by making it look less dull. Primers coat the skin and they work to trick the eye to reduce “pore size” by reflecting light. Primers help to enhance your makeup and make it stay longer.

Kryolan Professional Makeup has an HD Micro Primer product that is simply magical as this primer is formulated to work with high-definition photography to visibly reduce facial lines. Many makeup artists use the Kryolan Perfect Matt as a makeup base. The Perfect Matt acts as a “grip” to hold your makeup in place and blurs away the creases and lines.

 

Should I put concealer before or after foundation?

It is recommended that you apply concealer first and foundation thereafter. To hide dark circles under your eyes, you can try out this beauty trick. Use a tapered brush to apply a little concealer in an upside down triangle shape below your eye area. (The base under your lash line, and the tip pointing to the cheek). This hides all dark circles and draws attention upwards to your eyes. Follow up by applying foundation all over the face.

 

 

How do I prevent foundation from creasing, especially in lines?

Powder accentuates crease lines. To avoid the heavy look, use less powder on those areas. You may also want to switch formulas. If you have dry skin, best to use fluid foundation as they will blend well. If you have oily skin, avoid dewy formulas and try a matte finish instead.

To help your makeup stay longer without much powder, you can consider applying Kryolan’s Perfect Matt.

Perfect Matt is a velvet soft gel that acts to smooth out irregularities on the skin surface. It is the perfect base for all makeup applications and especially for a natural look in professional photography.

To avoid using much powder to hold your makeup in place, you can apply Perfect Matt and then foundation. You will not need much powder as Perfect Matt will mattify your look and help the makeup last longer.

 

How do I get the right foundation colour?

Testing foundation on your jawline is a popular way to match your skin tone. The perfect shade should disappear into your jawline and blend well into your skin. You should not see a difference in colour between your natural skin tones against the jawline area where you have applied the foundation.

You should try to do this in natural light as then you will see the true colour. To get the perfect match you would have to try out different shades and see which one matches your natural skin tone best.

Kryolan Professional Makeup has more than a hundred different foundation shades in various formulas from cream, powder, fluid, sheer to high definition ranges. As the store is staffed by professional makeup artist they will help you pick the perfect match.

 

What kind of foundation formula should I get?

 

There are countless types available from cream, to powder, to the fluid to sheer in a wide array of packaging from bottles to compact. A lot of the decision making is down to your personal preference and the occasion.

In general, oil-free formulas are popular for oily skin types and fluid formulas enriched with anti-ageing ingredients work well on matured skin.

If you are prone to breakouts look out for “non-comedogenic” on labels as the ingredients will not clog pores.

For daily use and light coverage, you can consider lightweight, sheer formulas like tinted moisturisers, or two-way cake type of compact. These are easy to use.

For special occasions, you can consider cream foundation or fluid foundation as they provide more coverage.

For a polished look for a special occasion, makeup artists usually use several types to build on the perfect finish. If you wish to conceal hyperpigmentation a sheer formula will not work.

If you have skin problems like vitiligo (a skin condition whereby the skin loose its pigment) or birthmarks that you wish to conceal – do not despair. There are products that can camouflage and conceal.

We see more and more customers with tattoos coming to us. These clients wish to conceal their tattoos for a special occasion like a job interview, or wedding. Kryolan’s Dermacolor foundation will be able to conceal your tattoo. After applying Dermacolor foundation, we follow up with the Dermacolor Waterproof Powder and the makeup will conceal your tattoo until you wash it off.

If you have any questions or comments on our post and we’ll ask the makeup pros at Cosmoprof Academy, Singapore’s most established training provider for Makeup and Beauty Therapy Courses. Learn about makeup from the best! Visit our website for more information.

Enjoyed the article? Don’t forget to like Beauty Insider on Facebook and Instagram!