Perfect foundation: liquid, powder or mousse? Which one shall you choose?

I bet every second one of you continuously changes foundations in the hope of finally finding the right product: the perfect colour, the perfect consistency… most girls simply go for liquid foundations. Is it always a good solution? And what about their properties? Satin, mattifying, highlighting, or maybe lifting? There is also a foundation combining the action of a primer and a concealer, a kind of 3in1 cosmetic… how to make heads or tails of this? How to match the best foundation with your skin type? Indeed, I used to have this problem as well. I remember moments in my life when on my dressing table there were a few various foundations at the same time, but I was still searching for something better. Today I follow the practical consideration.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT FOUNDATION: Secret No. 1 – Skin Needs

First and foremost, remember that in order to choose the perfect foundation you must be aware of your skin type and its needs. After all, what’s the point in buying a light foundation that isn’t comedogenic but, on the other hand, it’s highlighting so it doesn’t play in tune with oily skin type? All of you whose face skin features various types of imperfections can go for full-coverage foundation because subtle BB cream won’t pass the exam here. To conclude, the knowledge of your skin type is the key to purchasing the right foundation.

My favourite type of foundations are all the mattifying-and-nourishing ones, which don’t only balance sebum production but also nourish delicately and make skin smooth. This is one of the most important aspects to take into consideration while searching for the perfect foundation. It must be realized that a foundation you pick must integrate with your skin. It’s the primal and, at the same time, very practical advice that should determine your shopping decision.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT FOUNDATION: Secret No. 2 – Shade

The shade of foundation – how to choose it right? Undoubtedly, this is the most frequently asked question when it comes to the foundation issues. I’m sure that the following scenario happened to you at least once: you were sure that the shade of foundation you chose was perfect but after returning home it turned out that when exposed to sunlight the shade seemed to be completely different (I mean ‘horrible’). Such situation occurs due to the artificial light in drugstores that fools us when it comes to colours in particular. In short, artificial light make us see the colours a little bit differently than when we expose them to the sunlight. Hence, if it’s possible, ask a shop assistant to give you free samples of a few shades and try them out at home. Expose your face to bright daylight to be sure that a particular colour blends seamlessly into the skin. In other words: place a mirror near the window 😉

It isn’t the best practice to check out the shade of foundation on your wrist. In fact, this is yet another unsuccessful practice some of us tend to follow. It isn’t true that your wrist skin shade is alike your complexion’s. Besides, you don’t want to wear a foundation on your wrist, do you? Therefore, choose 3 shades which in your opinion are the closest to your face skin shade and apply them to your cheek. Run 3 horizontal lines heading jowl – 3 lines made of foundations, one next to another. This will help you make a decision which shade matches your complexion best.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT FOUNDATION: Secret No. 3 – Consistency & Formula

Now a few words about the issue that, I guess, most of us starts from while buying a foundation – consistency. We have this strange tendency to favour liquid foundations being for some reason convinced that only this form of foundation will be easy to distribute on face evenly. The sad truth is that not every face likes this type of a foundation. To clarify, oily complexion will cooperate with mattifying foundation of mousse consistency better, whereas sensitive skin, which is irritation-prone, will work with mineral and loose foundation. Indeed, the range of foundations is really wide:

• pressed foundation – can be find useful throughout a day or for a trip. It might happen to be a little bit troublesome when it comes to application and in ‘unpractised’ hands it might deliver rather unnatural effect;
• stick foundation – in most cases it delivers full-coverage. It requires a little bit of training in terms of application;
• mousse foundation – soft and foamy, perfect for oily skin with the tendency to shine. It keeps skin in check and slows down sebum production for really long;
• foam foundation – a Korean hit, soft and satin, frequently rich in nourishing substances, perfect for mature skin type, small enough to fit a purse, can be applied a few times throughout a day;
• powder foundation – often it’s mineral. To me, it’s the best type of foundation. It doesn’t only blend with skin surprisingly well but also leaves really natural-looking, satin shade. It remains on skin untouched for a really long time;
• gel foundation – a solution for oily skin type. Although it doesn’t deliver full-coverage, it leaves skin satin-like and matte. Moreover, it doesn’t overburden skin so you can consider it as a perfect foundation for the summer;
• liquid foundation – light and efficient. Perfect for dry, sensitive and normal skin type. Frequently it features many active, nourishing and skin conditioning properties;
• cream foundation – it’s a fairly thick and dense foundation of really incredible camouflaging properties. In most cases it’s designed for problematic skin type with visible skin imperfections. It can be too heavy to wear it during summer, yet it often features sunscreens so it’s able to protect skin from photo-ageing.

As it’s easy to foresee, each of the above-mentioned foundations behaves differently on skin and serves various purposes. In most cases liquid foundations don’t work on oily skin type, nor on problematic skin because their coverage and mattifying action isn’t powerful enough. One of the best foundations in general are the loose (mineral) foundations because they feature natural, nourishing and revitalizing substances. Also, they display camouflaging properties without overburdening face skin. They leave skin subtly matte.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT FOUNDATION: Secret No. 4 – Composition

I bet you don’t consider this point as some revelation because everybody knows that the composition a particular product is made from is of tremendous importance. The more active and conditioning substances a cosmetic has, the better. Not without a reason mineral foundations have taken cosmetic market by storm. In fact, the similar case is with marvellous Korean BB creams. These are products that don’t only provide the perfect make-up but also boost skin condition and protect it against the adverse action of external aggressors.

I do hope that my guide turned out to be truly helpful and none of you will ever face problems connected with getting the right foundation. I’ll be glad if you share your methods of finding the perfect foundation, too. Have a good day!