Base 101

Hi all! How are you guys doing today? I’ll be flying out to Indonesia soon and I’d like to apologize first if there won’t be any tutorial for the next couple days. I will still continue with my blog, and I will try my best to update it as regularly as possible. I’ll let you guys know how it is once I’ve settled down in Jakarta.

Today’s tutorial is just a quick base how-to. Whenever I’m doing foundation/primer, I called this as a “base”. Just like a painter who needs to prepare his canvas before painting, I prepared my base to make it as flawless as possible before any makeup application. This is just a quick how-to to show you how easy it is to achieve a good base. Your fingers are your best tools if you are applying this to yourself. If you want your base to look like your skin, then I do suggest strongly to apply your base using your fingers or a damped sponge, esp. if you’re a beginner. A brush might picked up too much product if you are not careful.

I do tend to apply my base using my fingers on myself. On my clients, I used different brushes (foundation, kabuki, angled etc) or sponges. This is quick and easy if you need to get ready in a few minutes.

How-to:

1. Prime your face (if needed) – if you have an oily/combination skin, I suggest priming your face after moisturizer. Primer will keep your foundation from breaking (or melting). A little primer goes a long way! I like using Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator. My faves also include: NARS Pro-Prime, Smashbox Foundation Primer and L’oreal Magic Lumi.

2. Foundation – I prefer liquid/cream foundation since it blends to the skin seamlessly if you choose the right product. In this tutorial, I chose the new L’oreal Lumi Magique foundation in W4. I applied it to the center of my face and blend it outwards using my fingers. You can use foundation brush or a damped sponge. Layer the foundation thinly to achieve that dewy look and avoid a cake-on look. Again, a little goes a long way! My faves include L’oreal Tru Match, NARS Sheer Glow, Chanel Teint Innocence, Lancome Teint Miracle and Chanel Aqua Vitalumiere.

3. Concealer THIN layer is the key for concealing. To cancel out under eye circles, I tend to look for a warm undertone concealer (yellow/orange/salmon).  A trick I learnt in my Film & TV class is to use a warm concealer instead of those that are lighter. I also prefer a warmer concealer under the eyes. I’ve seen girls using concealer that are too light under their eyes and they ended up looking like a racoon in pictures (with flash on). I think this is a trick that is also used by Scott Barnes in his book. For blemishes, look for a yellow-based concealer to cancel any redness. I, personally, match the concealer for blemishes to the foundation and skin so that the texture/bumps can look a little bit more flattened. Remember that lighter concealer will highlight the bumps even more. I’m using L’oreal Touche Magique concealer pen.

4. Blush, Eyes and Lips – Applying blush in different location on your cheeks can affect the way you look. If you apply it on the apples, it might look a bit droopy for most people. I tend to apply in a bit higher, on the cheekbones itself. I love cream blushes! They blend seamlessly to the skin. I am using Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Pink Plum for the tutorial.

Once my base is completed, I applied my eye makeup and lips. However, there are times that I applied my eye makeup first and then my base. Nevertheless, I still use the same steps as above when doing my base 🙂

Yes, I do apply highlighter and bronzer/contour if I go to parties or do tutorials, but if it is just daily makeup, I tend to skip it. Less is more! Let your skin shine through.