Ok. Well, maybe you won’t exactly look like a million bucks—but trust me, you’ll look great. It has nothing to do with price. It has everything to do with the application.
Well, it may not be a million, but I can save you lots of Benjamin’s by telling you that with the right application, you can wear lower-end foundations even better than luxury brands!
I don’t want to sound “preachy” and don’t want to sound like I know it all—because I don’t know it all. It’s just that from trial and error, I realized something. Perhaps it’s that I’ve become wiser with age or more like I’m trying to work with my lines and wrinkles the best possible way I can. But I’ve realized that you can work with what you have and you can work with those signs of aging!
No foundation is going to give a 60 plus year old face the dewy and wrinkle-free look that we had in our twenties. Let’s face the facts. Real life isn’t filtered. The majority of us haven’t had fillers or a face lift (although I would love to be a guest at NY’s Hospital for Special Surgery to have my face and neck lifted) so we must deal with the effects of the aging process. And that’s fine.
Gurls–life ain’t filtered. Take a good look at this face that’ll be 63 next month. I got lines. I’m not hiding them either but my foundation isn’t creeping into those lines aplenty!
And one of the most important products in my cosmetics militia is foundation. I use it not to disguise anything but I use it to even out my skin tone. I use it enhance! Over the years I’ve acquired some redness and spots that blend in with my freckles. I have lines. I have wrinkles. And the goal is to get that foundation to do its job without gathering in the crevices and lines of my face and to not look cakey. I also don’t want my skin to appear so dry.
I know—you’re probably thinking that I’ve lost my mind. I swear I haven’t but with experimentation and making sure I have the right tools, I’ve learned that I can wear any foundation that I have and it’ll really look great and last all day.
So—without further ado. Let me explain.
Here’s a rotation of the current foundations that I’ve been rotating during the winter.
From left to right, clockwise. Wet ‘n Wild PhotoFocus foundation, The Ordinary Coverage Foundation, Fenty foundation, Wet n’ Wild Cushion Foundation, The Ordinary Serum Foundation and back to Wet n’ Wild PhotoFocus foundation. In the center is the Laura Geller Baked foundation that I use in the warmer weather!
The exception being in the hot weather I’ll wear the Laura Geller Baked foundation.
Now—currently, the priciest foundation I’m using is the Fenty foundation which cost me $34.00 and still manages to be on the more affordable side than many high-end, luxury brands.
My most pricey foundation and boy, this remains one of my faves!
It’s all in the application!
First, I’ll make sure my skin is prepared by being clean and a thin layer of serum is applied under a light moisturizer. Follow that with primer.
My current rotation of primers. Left to right. The Ordinary Silicone Primer. The Ordinary Liquid Primer. Fenty Primer. Hard Candy Shine-Free Primer. I’ve been using the Hard Candy primer a lot due to the very cold and dry weather. It goes on a little more “wet” for this horrible wintry mix!
Blah, blah, blah.
What I’ve learned is that if the application process is done correctly, then even the lower-end drug store brands will look fantastic.
I use different applicators for different foundations.
My foundation artillery! Various brushes and a sponge!
Might I suggest to invest in a beauty blending sponge? My sponge of choice is Real Techniques. It does the job and costs around six bucks. I use this for applying my foundations from “The Ordinary” and also use this to apply my Fenty Foundation.
Real Techniques Blending Sponge. A bargain at around six bucks. I have to hide this because Chippy ate four of them and I will need a new one soon but I’m not giving this to him as a treat!
The Real Techniques sponge is fantastic for applying these foundations. I wet it, wring it out a bit and apply the foundation with the dampened sponge!
I also never forget to add a drop of Argan oil to the foundation before applying.
I also never put foundation on anymore without adding a drop of oil first! It is a game changer!
This brush from iT cosmetics? The handle is loose and I’m ticked off big time about that because I’ve had the brush for under two years. This should not happen to a brush I paid over $45 for. Regardless, it’s still the best brush for applying my Wet n’ Wild Cushion Foundation! It blends the foundation in so well!
If you look closely you can see where the silvery thingy that separates the bristles from the handle looks slightly “off”. It’s loose and I’m so annoyed. That should not happen. Regardless this brush is fantastic!
I stipple the brush into the cushion and then apply to my face. It is so good that I have a hard time seeing where the foundation actually IS!!!
My big spoon brush? Well—that’s the brush I use to apply the Wet n’ Wild PhotoFocus foundation. Hands down, this brush blends this foundation in so that you can’t tell I’m wearing any foundation at all!
I’m going to wash this brush after I write this post! But boy, I love the density of this. All the spoon brushes are great!
If you recall, I added the spoon brushes to my “Best of 2016” remember? Oona got me a set that Christmas and I love these. The density is so great for blending this PhotoFocus foundation! The brushes are from Bestidy and are on my Amazon page!
And the big-ass buffing brush from Tarte? That ended up to be the perfect applicator for the Laura Geller Baked foundation!
I have such a love/hate relationship with Tarte. Their cosmetics dry me out like a ragged old raisin in the Sahara desert but the brushes are terrific. Too bad Chippy ate my favorite one! This brush is GREAT for applying the Laura Geller Baked foundation!
What’s great about this brush is that it is also very dense but picks up just the right amount of foundation. It was worth the money I spent.
And after I’m finished applying the foundation, I lightly buff with a $2.99 brush I purchased at Marshall’s. It’s great for that final light buff. Then I mist with water, wait a minute and continue applying concealer, contour and blush!
This $2.99 brush from Mr. Perfect is pretty-much perfect for that final light buffing. This was a great bargain find and proof that an inexpensive brush is just as good as an overpriced one that becomes loose in less than two years!!
Look. I’m not promising that by the end of the day you won’t have any foundation settling into fine lines, but if you are active, if you are going to sweat a bit or work under harsh lighting, after a few hours any foundation may not look as perfect as the moment you applied it.
However, if you apply your foundation with the right tools, it’ll play for a better shelf life. And if someone says anything to you about any settling, then they are standing too close to you for personal comfort.
Seriously. I put my foundation on at approximately 6:30 in the morning, Monday through Friday. The weekends I sleep a bit later. During the day, I do not touch up at all. When I was home all day I never touched up and when I’m working I never touch up. My makeup stays put. All. Day.
Try this out and tell me what you think. I’m no expert but these various ways of application really do work wonders for me. Take a look –I swear I’ve used different foundations in each of these photos but I can’t even remember which foundations I’ve used.
I do remember I used the Wet n Wild cushion foundation yesterday and it gives a nice look..
Look! No filters! What you see is what you get! I also used the Cushion foundation today!
Four different looks with different foundations (and wigs). Seriously–no caked on foundation and the wrinkles aren’t full of foundation that crept in! I swear it is in the application moreso than the product!
I’m off to make some tea. It’s snowing like a Bastid and I went into the office earlier today. I was the only one there! But it was great because I got so much accomplished!
Thank Wayne Goss and God that I was the only one in the office–had anyone seen me taking selfies, they would have thought I was nuts! It was fun being there toute seule–all alone!
The angels in heaven sure have a lot of dandruff! It’s snowing like crazy!!!!
It’s still winter and as a reminder—here’s Vivaldi’s “Winter” from The Four Seasons. Enjoy the day!!!
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