Recently, a young lady from my church asked me if I could help her pick out make-up and teach her how to apply it. I was so excited, and honored! The young lady's parents agreed that at sixteen she could wear make-up, now at almost eighteen she has yet to wear it. Her mother is a nice woman with long beautiful hair (she knows I'm trying CO, hehe), yet doesn't wear make-up. So, her mom is in-trusting her to me!
My daily make-up routine consists of concealer, matte finish eyeshadow (to match my skin tone), mascara, a little blush, and sometimes eyeliner. My friend desires to use foundation and powder. Her face is acne prone, so I can understand why.
Here's where you come in, I know nothing about foundation and power. Okay, that's not fully true. I did try it when I first started wearing make-up at 16, but that was years ago ;) I need some advice.
-What's the best way to choose foundation?
-Any tricks on apply foundation seamlessly? (New question)
-What's best for acne prone skin?
-How do I apply foundation so it looks as natural as possible?
-Which powder is best? Loose, or compressed? Which shade?
THANKS for any advice. My friend and I will certainly appreciate it!
23 comments:
Do you live near a Merle Norman?
You can take her there for a free make-up session. They can tell you what is best for her skin typ, etc. They are VERY sweet at every shop I have been to. Also, I don't break out wearing their products.
I love love love Bare Minerals foundation! The initial cost is expensive but after that it's not and it last forever!
There are also some other mineral foundations that have come out so maybe give some of those a try.
About 16 years ago I used to work for Clinique cosmetics and I think they still do free make overs so that might be a good place to start.
Whatever she uses needs to be non-comodogenic. (I KNOW I spelled that wrong!)
I don't mind paying extra money for foundation because I think that's very important but I don't pay extra for department store mascara and such.
Hope this helps. (o:
Blessings,
~Mrs.B
To get the correct color of foundation: dab a bit on the inside of your arm, and rub it in. It should blend in without being able to see it. If it doesn't, try another color!
When I was younger I ALWAYS wore Clinique. They give free makeovers here and will ask you tons of questions, too.
I have also heard great things about Bare Minerals. If you have a Bare Escentuals store near you, they will also give you a free makeover. They did it for me, but I just didn't like the way the makeup felt on my skin. I might have just been having a bad day... who knows.
I currently only use a little concealer, tinted face powder, blush, eyeliner, mascara and lipstick. I don't use foundation anymore because I have more lines and I can't seem to find one I like that will keep my oilyness at bay. It is REALLY hot here in Atlanta.
I'm with Mrs. B on this one. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Bare Minerals (Bare Escentuals)!!!!! I will never use anything else. The foundation lasts me forever- a little truly does go a long way.
That said, however, because it does cost a bit more, this girl might not be able to afford it. I would be very willing to try some of the other mineral makeups that are out there before I would use liquid foundation again.
Oh, be sure and share with this girl the importance of drinking water to keep skin clear AND the importance of keeping her face clean! I think she needs to get in the routine of cleansing her face every morning and every night. :)
His,
Mrs. U
Thanks Ladies for all your help! Here's more of the situation:
She and I were thinking Wal-Mart because its the cheapest, and they do have good products. She doesn't work and her family can't really afford to pay for expensive make-up (neither can I).
It is really important that a cleansing routine be establised first, and that's what we are working on now (hopefully anyways).
One of my biggest concerns is how to apply to make-up to keep it natural looking.
Tracy: Good idea to visit a "pro" who can help introduce her to make-up, sounds like a fun trip too!
Mrs. B: Thanks for the tip about the ingredient, comedogenic. That is something I never would have thought to look for, because I didn't know what it was! Thanks!
Tammy: That is a great idea to test the foundation! I knew there was a way to test foundation colors, but just didn't remember where!
Gena: Now I do believe a make-up counter is the place to start! That way we both can ask lots of questions. I'm always afraid they'll want to put on too much make-up!?! We'll have emphasize "natural"! Thanks!
Mrs. U: Thanks for reminding me that good skin begins from the inside! She needs to join my challenge!
If she's going to Walmart, I recommend Cover Girl TruBlend. It's a foundation that feels like a powder (sounds strange, but it's really good, and it doesn't feel like you're wearing a lot of heavy goop on your face).
To have foundation look as natural as possible, make sure you don't just stop at the face, you need to blend a little beneath the face (upper upper neck) as to avoid "mask face".
Erica
www.luckiestmama.blogspot.com
I have very oily, acne-prone skin and I have been using CoverGirl's makeup called "Clean Oil-Control". I have really liked it. I dab it on with my finger and then blend, blend, blend--especially into my hairline and around my jaw line. Then I use CoverGirl's Professional Loose Powder over the top. I never feel like I have lots of goopy makeup on, so that is good. :-)
Even at my age, my skin still gives me trouble. I really like CG TruBlend also. It's very light and easy to blend. Plus, it adjusts to your skin tone so picking a color without being able to try on first is easy.
If she has acne, she may want to be careful with the powder. I find it breaks me out even more so I don't use it.
Hope this helps!
I have sensitive skin and I love Bare Minerals it's VERY natural and not heavy at all. Hope that helps.
God Bless,
Amber
Sorry, I just read the comments, and as someone else said, I would suggest the Cover Girl TruBlend.
0:) Amber
Wow! It looks like TruBlend and Bare Minerals are good choices!
Erica: The dreaded face mask! Oh no! Here's what I wanna know, is it better to apply foundation with a sponge or hands, or how?
Erin: You mentioned using your fingers. I've heard two things. Using finger may add to oily skin. But I've also heard that using fingers warms up the foundation and helps it blend better. So using fingers is okay for oily skin?
New Mom: That's very interesting about the powder. I'll have to warn her about the chance that it might not work for her. That really stinks because make-up can really cost!
Also, TruBlend just literally, BLENDS!?! So, I just chose what's closest to her skin tone? Amazing!
Amber: Thanks for stopping by. It looks like Trublend might work for her!
Thanks Ladies!
I use a damp sponge (a small sea sponge) to apply a liquid foundation. It just glides on without pulling on the skin. An extra benefit is that you can go sheer where you want to, and little heavier where you might need it more. I have always used a damp sea sponge to apply my foundation (I'm 46 now), and I always get compliments on how my skin looks. (I use Estee Lauder's "Equalizer" foundation - but the damp sponge will work with any liquid foundation).
Kathy,
That's interesting...I'm going to look into that! A damp sea sponge! It's great to have tried-and-true advice from readers so I know that it really works!
Melissa :D
Another Wal*Mart option would be the Physician's Choice foundation - it really covers nicely - I used the solid foundation and damp spong to apply and it was effective to mask the bruising when our 6 year old son accidently broke my nose and it worked wonders!
Melissa,
I just read your response to me and I wanted to let you know that 'comodogenic' isn't an ingredient. When a cosmetic is 'non-comodogenic' it means that it won't clog your pores. (o:
haha! Thanks, Mrs. B! See how truly clueless I am!?!
Heather,
Thanks for bringing up Physician's Formula. I use to wear some of their products and I was well pleased. I was wondering if they even made foundation. I've used concealer and powder, but never their foundation.
Hey Melissa - I just found my way to you from Deputy Domain by way of Mrs. U. (I'm Jodi's sister from the Deputy Domain.) As a person who has life long breakouts, I just had to add my insights. I finally went to the dermatologist about 10 years ago about another problem, and she helped me so much. For sensitive, acne prone skin - ALWAYS use ALL oil free products to cleanse the skin, and in makeup. (I had washed my face with dove soap for years, contributing to the acne because of that 1/4 cleansing cream which is basically mineral oil.) I have found the BEST face cleansing routine to be "Acne Free" 3 step routine. This can be found at Target (for sure) and Walmart (I think). It is similar to "Proactiv" but works better (at least for me and my son - also acne prone) and is cheaper and can be bought locally instead of ordered. (We tried Proactiv first but liked ACNE FREE better). For foundation, I actually apply Olay Sensitive skin moisture therapy lotion to my face with a sponge and then apply Loreal Feel Naturale with the same sponge. This foundation is kind of a liquid in a compact. It dries quickly to a powder which is why I use the moisturizer to apply - it helps it to stay light and spread easily, but then you get that powder benefit without having to put powder on too. One other tip from the dermatologist - encourage the yound lady to always use sensitive skin products, oil free, and FRAGRANCE free. She can apply perfume of course in the usual pulse points, but lotions with perfume actually contain a lot of alcohol which dries the skin, adding to the whole oily/dry skin balancing problem. I'm so sorry this is so long! I'm in my 40's now, and would have loved to have somebody help me with some of this in my teens!! (Both my mother and sister have always had perfect skin and couldn't figure out why mine wouldn't clear up!! LOL)
Good Luck! Pam
Enjoying your posts very much. I also use physicians Formula and it's great for acne prone skin because it's oil free. I do use the physicians mineral foundation and I have to say that a little dab will do you and evens out skin tones. It is not pore clogging at all and it's almost as though you don't have any on...I love it. On top of that apply a dusting of the powder and voila!
I think it's a whole lot less expensive that Bare Minerals because I did look into that but was too spendy for me. I've been using the full line of Physicans for 3 years and wouldn't switch to anything else. Hope this helps.
Hi Melissa
I posted a link to your new blog on my blog and included my one and only beauty tip for soft hands for you to read!
I am enjoying your new blog! Have you gone shopping yet and which line of products did you chose for your young friend?
Beth: Thank you so much for contributing! I'm glad that you brought it to our attention that acne-prone skin is sensitive, I would have thought to scrub harder!
Growing up it seems like compact powder was what all the women were wearing, looks like turned back to loose powder now.
Pam: Thank you for such a wonderful contribution! In fact, I'm thinking that an entire post needs to be devoted to skin care for different types of skin. Using moisturizer with your foundation is a wonderful idea. I always do that when I apply a self-tanning lotion, mix with moisturizer (I love Jergens Natural Glow for this reason).
I'm so glad that you have professional advice for us. The bad thing about professional advice, it usually comes at a hefty price, hehe!
Thanks again, I love your advice (I'm taking notes)!
Welcome: Physicians Formula intrigues me. I do get the impression from several ladies that it's a lot like Bare Minerals, which seems to be a good thing (unless you're allergic to it). It's going to be a tough choice between that and TruColor by Covergirl.
Heather: Thanks for contributing on your blog. I think I'm going to try your recipe and blog about it for our readers! I'll be so fun! I can't wait!
As for shopping, I've been too swamped to take her! This past two weeks I've had to work extra due to a co-worker being on vacation. Ah, I can't wait be home more.
Thanks for your encouragement!
I finally remembered to talk to my mom, who had acne as well. She used witch hazel for cleaning. She used a powder (now they have pressed powder, etc.) called "Corn Silk". It was recommended by her doctor years and years ago. It is inexpensive, works well and is widely available.
Kimberly
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