From the perfect foundation match to a can-do concealer and skin-perfecting powder, we spoke to the pros about how to get our most flawless base yet.
SHADE UPDATE
Itโs not often that a niche brand reshapes a market, but when songstress-turned-beauty-queen Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty a year ago with a groundbreaking 40 shades of foundation, cosmetics brands took note. These days thereโs a shade for just about every skin colour. This month, Fentyโs shade tally has been boosted to 50, while beauty labels are extending their shade ranges into the 40s, 50s and beyond.
Get your perfect match by โtesting a minimum of two shades of foundation and a maximum of three,โ says Nica Marcello, national education manager at Esteฬe Lauder. And test along the jawline and nasolabial fold. โItโs were most of us need to conceal,โ says Marcello.
FLAWLESS FINISH
For a perfect finish, the pros encourage us to enlist a brush or sponge instead of fingers. โWe hold oils in our fingers, so depending on the formulation and your skin type, this can mess with the application of your foundation,โ says Marcello. โBrushes allow more precise application and less product wastage. It will also allow you to create different finishes, from sheer to medium to full coverage.โ
Another tip: โSponges are great to use afterwards, as they work foundation into the skin, making it flawless,โ advises Marcello.
Also, get into the habit of buffing your foundation. โUse a fluffy brush to buff your foundation into the skin,โ says Nicole Thompson, global senior artist at M.A.C. โIt gives a really nice freshness to the skin while youโre building up the coverage.โ
BACK TO SKIN
After seemingly years of full-coverage foundation, weโre starting to see skin shine through again. โWeโve seen so much baking and piling on make-up over Instagram, [itโs refreshing to see] girls with fresh skin,โ says Priscilla Ono, global make-up artist for Fenty Beauty. The way to natural flawlessness? Look to the labelling. Descriptors such โnatural finishโ, โradiantโ or โsatinโ will give you the look and feel of skin. You also want a formulation that doesnโt require too much powder, says Ono. โIt means you donโt get that over-powdery, cakey look,โ she says.
Try: Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation, $23.95.
SHADE TALLY
If once you couldnโt FInd your perfect match, you certainly can now. With brands oFFering up bigger shade selections than ever before, this is your moment to get a re-match.
โItโs weird that it took this long for people to think โoh yeah, there are more people out thereโ,โ says Ono. โFor Rihanna, itโs about making sure every person has their tone, so sheโs going to keep adding shades.โ
Here are six leading the shade polls:
61 shades โ Estรฉe Lauder Double Wear foundation, $58.
50 shades โ M.A.C Studio Fix Fluid foundation, $54.
50 shades โ Fenty Beauty Pro Filtโr Soft Matte Longwear foundation, $50.
40 shades โ Lancรดme Teint Idole Ultra Wear foundation, $60.
40 shades โ LโOrรฉal Paris True Match foundation, $29.95.
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