How To Be Foundation Fool-Proof
Makeup is an incredible tool, especially for anyone who fights undesired congestion on their skin, that leads to redness, inflammation, blemishes, rosacea and other skin problems.
For almost a century, women and men have been using various complexion products over the years to perfect their skin’s appearance and balance out any unwanted coloration from the complexion.
The problem is that our understanding of skin color has evolved with time, and it’s reflected in the products and colors we use. That’s why, even in this time of incredible inclusion in shade selection, many still struggle to match their color correctly.
Let’s dive into complexion products together and discover the reasons why some of the difficulties keep popping up.
Pancake & Powders
The first options available were powder options, coming in both loose and pressed formats. These powders could be applied generously for coverage, though their finish was far from natural.
Powder could be wetted or moistened and this allowed more coverage, it created a strong cake-y finish, as the early makeup products were not as finely milled as those we use today.
Josephine Baker, the infamous Folies Bergère star, was notorious for traveling with kilograms of makeup powders to achieve her immaculate complexion for the stage.
Early products in the 20th century were still very thick and heavy, as most were made for stage, and sat slightly above the skin, 2 millimeters above the skin’s surface, creating a mask-like appearance.
Max Factor revolutionized the beauty world when he launched the pancake foundation, a cream to powder formula that was applied with a damp sponge and dried on the complexion, it matched the model’s skin more closely than what had come before and it sat closer to the skin.
The pancake formula was very popular, it was originally conceived as a cinema exclusive product to help with balancing the complexion of the actors on camera, the actors and extras all asked to buy some, and rumor has it that every night, the pancakes would be stolen.
Max Factor realized that he had a business opportunity here and launched the product to the general public, it sold out almost instantly after launch and created a new craze with makeup.
Creams, Liquids & Concealers
Cream foundations came next, these were thicker, sat well on the skin and blended with the skin’s natural texture more fluidly than a powder or pancake ever could.
The liquid foundations came a little later, they were all the rage by the late fifties and during the swinging sixties.
Liquid foundations allowed for the coverage to be more fluid, more pliable, it also allowed for more emollients and moisturizing agents to be included, allowing the product to sit more naturally and be more effective in covering up the skin.
Concealers came last and they finally gave customers the much-needed pigmentation to cancel the appearance of blemishes, discoloration or blemishes on the face.
Most of the early concealers were in bullet lipstick format or came in little cream pots.
These early concealers were very thick, highly pigmented and tended to sit in the creases around the eyes and mouth, giving a heavier appearance to the skin.
The Challenges of Skin Tone
Now early foundations tend to run rosier, redder or somewhat warmer than the actual complexion, and when it came to darker complexions, the shade matching was nowhere near what it has become today.
Most darker foundation colors tended to look ashen on the skin, because manufacturers used a base of titanium dioxide, which created a grayish cast. A glance at vintage photos shows very clearly that the faces and necks of your favorite celebrities never match up.
Golden and olive foundation colors did not arrive until the mid-1980s, at which point everyone adopted them and there was an overwhelm of golden complexions.
It wasn’t until MAC Cosmetics launched its N and C families in the complexion products that true color matching began to happen.
Other companies began to see the value of including more golden and olive complexion and companies began creating foundation shades based on actual skin shades, allowing for better skin matching in general,
Then came a time when every foundation was goldened much to the detriment of rosier complexions.
Even today, you will see entire lines run their complexion shades more golden.
The Challenge Today
Inclusivity and complexion choices are many today – from texture, to finish, to format the options are endless.
When it comes to shade matching, the shade selection is much more diverse, with many companies opting towards more inclusion with rosy, olive, golden and neutral branches to allow more diversification in shade selection.
The problem isn’t a lack of choice — it’s the opposite: an abundance of it.
Even the most sophisticated complexion products run into a current problem – nobody’s skin is uniquely one shade.
Our skin’s color comes from a multitude of different pigment colors that amalgamate into an overall shade. If you look at your own skin, you may notice that your forehead is darker than your cheek and chin zones. Or how the chest and neck are a completely different color than the skin on your face.
These differences in skin shade are normal, everyone has them and they are greatly influenced by your undertone and any skin conditions you may have,
If someone has rosacea or redness or acne and you use a complexion product to cover it up, the skin often appears flat, colorless or too beige.
The reason is simple; there needs to be a redder presence in the complexion if it is to match the rest of the skin.
Even with all our progress, the greatest truth remains — complexion is personal, not categorical.
Why Customization is Key
The reality is that you need to mix complexion products to achieve true color matching. Whether this is mixing a cream blush into your concealer to match the tone of your skin or mixing several shades of complexion products to achieve a truer match.
Color correctors and cream blushes will all mix well with your concealers and foundations to create more complexion enhancing matches to seamlessly match your skin.
Proportion is key, always use much less of the added color into the complexion product, think ¼ added color booster with ¾ foundation or concealer, mix the products together, then swatch test in the desired area.
The best benefit is being able to spot check and selectively apply the complexion product, only where it is needed and making it blend perfectly into the skin.
This allows for less product to be applied, it is usually more comfortable for the client, and it allows the skin to radiate through.
Product Suggestions
There are too many products on the market, however, here are a few selections that I have found work consistently well under different circumstances.
Affordable and easy to find, these little color correctors are life savers and can be mixed into foundations, worn on their own and mixed with concealers as well. If your foundation feels a little too orange, giving you Oompa-Loompa vibes, then add a bit of the Blue Camo Color Corrector and watch your complexion settle more convincingly.
MAKE UP FOR EVER – HD SKIN ALL-IN-ONE-PALETTE
This sleek, heavy, metal compact has been my tried and tested product for most of my contracts and clients in the last couple of years. Each compact comes with 12 cream shades that can be mixed and matched and blended to your liking. Featuring a combination of cream blushes, complexion shades and color correctors, the palettes are wonderful for artists who love to mix things themselves. A must for makeup mixers.
Why Time is Crucial
I have been working with women for well over 3 decades, in that time, I have learned that women spend much of their time before going out, changing clothes, doing their hair and makeup, is often relegated to the last few moments before leaving, so you’re applying it in a rush.
Next time, start with your makeup, take your time to get it done right, it will make all the difference and boost your confidence each time that people look at you in the face.
Your face is your calling card. Confidence begins with your reflection — the dress can follow.
Mentorship and More
For those of you who would like to learn more about your complexion and how to best color match yourselves or how to be more successful at color matching your clients, I offer mentorship services, for both professionals and admirers of makeup, all sessions are completely customized and this allows you an excellent opportunity to learn more about makeup, at a professional level, with an experienced specialist.
Also, you will find my first ever online PDF, the Bridal Survival Makeup Artist Guide, currently available in English and the French translation coming soon.
