Natural and soft in the day, more glamorous for those special evening occasions. Highlight either your eyes or your lips. These are the basic makeup rules that we are all beyond familiar with. Yet, makeup perfection is in fact all about an evenly toned, smooth, glowing complexion.
Sure enough, nicely done lashes, prettily highlighted eyes, and a flattering lipstick are all important for your every day appearance. All these, however, will be able to do very little for you, if your skin flaws show, or the foundation you are wearing is mismatched. First and foremost, for makeup to look really good on you throughout the day, you need to begin by prepping the skin right.
Step 1 – skin care
On properly moisturised skin the foundation will spread evenly and easily without “rolling up”, and will last looking its best for long hours to come. This is why you should never forget about providing optimal hydration to your skin with a cream before you start putting on makeup. Once a week, give your face a good peel to get rid of the dead cell buildup to avoid that dull, tired look. If your face gets red in response to temperature shifts, and there are dilated and broken capillaries visibly showing through, any foundation you use to conceal the problem will only be a trick you play, not a genuine solution. In this case, you need to protect your skin properly and commit yourself to strengthening the capillaries, which can be done using beauty products that contain sakura extract (Sakura Sensitive Cream or Sakura Repair Cream) or tranexamic acid combined with vitamin C (Unitone TXA + Vit C Cream).
Step 2 – evening the skin tone
Unfortunately, our face skin is hardly ever perfectly flawless and uniform in tone by nature. Slight imperfections and skin discolouration, however, can be concealed with the right foundation. This is not, by any means, to excuse you from taking proper care of your skin, but will certainly make you feel more confident about your appearance on a daily basis. Remember that your skin is prone to changes subject to external factors. The foods you eat on any given day, fatigue, stress, or current weather can all influence and alter its condition and appearance. Thus, make sure that the makeup you are wearing (the foundation in particular) is on the same page with the circumstances of your daily life, to literally make up for any trouble your skin is currently giving you. Below, you will also find a handful of tips for the most flattering effect.
Picture perfect foundation
● Before applying makeup always use cream first to protect your skin, and help spread the foundation evenly.
● Remember that the foundation shade must be a perfect match for your complexion. When it’s too light or too dark, the result will really be unsightly. A foundation that is mismatched to your skin tone is bound to make you look unnatural.
● When shopping for a foundation, always choose the shade in daylight to avoid the disappointment of realizing that a particular artificial lighting altered its look on your skin.
● Do take care to test the foundation’s shade on your face or neck, as testing it on the back of your hand is a common enough pitfall.
● When applying a foundation, start with your forehead, then move down. Also, work your way from the center of the face outwards.
● Make surer to lightly spread it from the jaw towards the neck.
● Eye corners, the scalp border, lip corners, and the area around the nostrils are those awkward places that get easily and commonly overlooked when applying foundation – apply it carefully and thoroughly there.
● If you want to conceal any skin lesions, the right technique is patting the foundation into the affected skin rather than vigorously spreading or rubbing it in.
● Avoid lavishing a thick layer of foundation on your face, as it will only make you look older and more tired, with enhanced fine lines and that cakey (mask-like) effect you really, really want to avoid.
Finally, you will be pleased to know that Arkana has a range of foundations on offer to choose from that will help you both genuinely care for your skin and guarantee a flawless yet natural look. Check out the following lines and pick out the one that is best matched to your skin’s needs:
MATT UP FLUID – mattifying foundation
LIFT UP FLUID – lifting foundation
COVER UP FLUID – concealing foundation
