How to Make Foundation Work for You

Having a good foundation that makes you look and feel like a million bucks is essential to any makeup routine in my opinion. But it is soooo difficult to find the perfect foundation that matches your skin tone, skin type, your preferred finish and texture. It's almost impossible; especially when you can't test out the foundation in most drugstores. Not to mention changing and adjusting to the seasons! It's a lot to wade through trying to find the foundation that works best for you and your needs.  Everyone is different; so why should we be limited to just using foundation as is, and that maybe matches like 7 people perfectly? Here are a few tips and tricks I've learned to make the most out of your foundation!

1. Mix & Match!

Don't be afraid to make your own foundation cocktail to achieve what you want. I usually mix two, sometimes three different foundations all the time to customize my base. Have a foundation left over from the summer that's now too dark? Or have a foundation that is just a little light? Mix them to come up with your perfect shade! This is especially important in the transitional seasons like fall and spring where I'm either becoming more tan or more pale.

This also works to find your perfect finish. Have a foundation that makes you look a little too dewy or too flat? Mix them to get a more satin finish! I love True Match, but it just does not last all day on my skin and I look super greasy after a few hours. But combined with my L'Oreal Pro Matte, it prolongs the wear time and holds the shine at bay longer while still maintaining a more natural finish.

Need to adjust for the under tone of your skin? Yup, mix foundations! Have a foundation that is a little too yellow or pink? Mix them to get a more neutral undertone.

2. Switch Up Your Tools

Sometimes all you need to make your foundation look a million times better is using a different tool. My Beauty Blender (or Real Techniques Sponge) is now my go-to for applying foundation, but sometimes a brush is what works best depending on the type of foundation. Have a foundation that is a little thicker and heavier than what you like? A sponge helps sheer it out a bit better than a brush. Don't forget you can use your (clean) fingers too! I'm not a fan of mousse foundations, but I've found that blending it with my fingers works the best and the heat helps it work into my skin better.

You can also use a brush and sponge together! Use the brush to buff the foundation onto the skin and a sponge to further blend together.

3. Try Different a Different Primer or Moisturizer-- or Just More of It

Sometimes a foundation does not jive with a certain primer or moisturizer, so experiment with using different ones. Sometimes all you need is actually more moisturizer on your face than you think. I'm pretty oily, so I was always scared of using too much moisturizer and would use like the tiniest bit. But my foundation just would not blend well! I started using more and the application was so much smoother and looked better too.

4. Sheer Out or Bulk Up Your Foundation 

Want a little lighter coverage? Mix your fave foundation with a moisturizer or primer to make your own "BB" cream! I've also heard great things about the Cover FX Customize Drops to add more coverage to your foundation.

5. Still Hate a Foundation? Return It.

Sometimes you can only do so much to make a foundation work. So save those receipts people and return them to find something better! Especially if it's a spendy foundation. I don't know why, but I don't like returning makeup and feel weird about it. But I'm getting better about it and not letting makeup I don't use pile up. Or you can give it to someone who it will work for! A foundation that I love may be a foundation that someone else can't stand.

There really are no "rules" to make up, so just experiment and have fun with it! Make it do what you want it to do! It's just make up, and comes right off if something isn't working out.

Have any other foundation tips and tricks?

xoxo

Jessica