The new foundation rules

November 3, 2022

There are two areas of makeup - foundation/ base and eyeshadow - where we can’t be totally prescriptive, and where you’ll need to experiment to see which of our various proposed options work for you.

How to apply the base

The better your skin the lighter your foundation - that means every woman over forty has to wear a foundation. Skin doesn’t look neat - or even clean, in some cases because the skin tone is no longer uniform. That doesn’t mean just applying more of the foundation you’ve always worn. Layers of heavy foundation make all lines look worse. You need uniformity and not mask-like effect. Use concealer/ corrector to hide the flaws. Try to layer products for best effects.

Start your layers with primer. Applied after moisturiser and/ or serum, primer adds softness and luminosity, can go some way towards evening skin-tone, and helps turbo charge the staying power of make-up
Not too matt, not too heavy. Start with some anti-aging foundations. The finish shouldn’t be too ‘matt’; a light dewiness or ‘light’ is flattering, but not so much to make it shiny. Go for ‘oil-free’ for oily skin, one with the label ‘moisturising’ for dry skin. There are new one in collection called ‘mineral powder foundation’, specially good for acne and rosacea.
Always taste foundation shade on your neck. Your base should match your neck and not face or jawline. Check in bright daylight.
Use a foundation brush. Apply a little foundation to the back of your hand, and pick the foundation up from there with a brush, a little at a time. You can always add, but its harder to take out excess. Then use the warmth of your finger to “press” the foundation into the skin to give natural look. Alternately, use your fingers to smooth in your foundation. Your base is not a corrector or concealer. So check for the flaws after applying the base if there are any those needs to be corrected like dark circles, scars, etc.

Covering redness, age spots and other flaws

Every woman of certain age should own a corrector, concealer, and luminiser, they are essential for camouflaging hyperpigmentation, redness and other blemishes. After a primer, take a corrector and dot it on with a little brush, then press it in. Then apply cream/ liquid foundation, or brush on mineral powder base if needed.

Difference between corrector and concealer - Correctors are lighter and aim to correct colour and tone on very red cheeks or rosacea, rather than a concealer sits on a blemish such as under-eye dark circle, or a scar to conceal it.
For frown line, try patting on a sillicone-based filler, which will soften the edges.
Brighten up with luminiser. These magic wands add luminosity to high planes: cheekbones, upper brow, forehead. They draw attention away from the negative flaws.
Set up your makeup with face powder. This will help to stay in place longer. It has to be feather-light, barely-there and must be used judiciously on the most needed areas and not everywhere on face. Apply it with fat eyebrow brush. Apply on the areas that tend to shine: nose, chin, centre of forehead.