Nowadays we’re all going for the natural look and it all comes down to your foundation to get that look, in order for that to happen you need to think about making your foundation look more natural.
So, How can I make my foundation more natural?
- What is an exfoliator cleanser
- Cleansing the skin daily
- Using A Toner
- Using A Serum
- Daily Moisturizer
- Using Luminous Creams
- Color Matching
- Different Light Weight Foundations
- Applying Foundation In Light Layers
- apply A Setting Powder
- Using A Setting Spray
In order to achieve a natural look with foundation, it all boils down to your skin care, when you apply it to your skin it’s like applying paint to a canvas. If the canvass isn’t smooth the paint will accentuate any texture on the canvass. Therefore, in order to have a flawless foundation, you need to fix any texture that might be on the skin such as dried skin.
Dried and flakey skin can over exaggerate any texture on the skin. The way to remove dead skin off the surface of the skin is by exfoliating the skin. The skin should be exfoliated two to three times a week. When the skin is properly exfoliated it removes any dead skin making the skin appear smoother and allowing any skin care to easily sink into the skin.
An instant glow should start appearing once exfoliating is done giving the skin a more clear look.
There are four ways of exfoliating the skin:
- Exfoliating face cleansers
- Using A Buffer
- Using Clarisonic
- Using Face Masks
What is an exfoliating cleanser
Exfoliating face cleansers are cleansers that have exfoliating beads in them or some sort of garnet stones which help scrub off dead skin cells. Usually, these types of products cleansers cleanse the skin along with exfoliating the skin. When using such products its important to apply the product on the face and gently exfoliate by using small circular motions so that it takes away any dead skin. These types of exfoliators usually either are formulated for all skin types or are custom made for specific skin types.
For example:
Oily skin types would use The Body Shops Seaweed Pore Cleansing Facial Exfoliator. This product usually cleanses oily skin types while exfoliating any dead skin that may be sitting on the surface of the skin.
Normal-Combination skin would use The Body Shops Vitamin C Glow-Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliating Face Scrub. This exfoliator has vitamin C infused in it to give the skin a more radiant glow.
Blemished skin types would normally use The Body Shops Squeaky Clean Exfoliating Face Scrub which has tea tree oil which is a natural antibacterial.
For dry/ sensitive skin types there are various products you can use. Because the skin is already sensitive it would be best to be gentle with the skin and to use a tool to help remove the dead skin cells. The Body Shop has a product with a Gentle Exfoliating Facial Buffer which works well with your normal cleanser.
The other exfoliator by The Body Shop is the Gentle Exfoliating Facial Brush with Lid is another form of an exfoliator that uses soft bristles to exfoliate the skin. This is supposed to be suitable for sensitive skin types. The roundness of this brush helps deep clean the contours of the face. This works with your daily cleanser to exfoliate the skin.
The Clarisonic Mia Smart is also an electrical device that deep cleans the skin while exfoliating the skin. It’s an electrical device that uses circular motions. The fast motion and bristles of the brush deep clean the surface and the pores of the skin. This device requires your daily cleanser to be used with it. It’s known to also cleanse the skin 6 X better than using your hands. I’ve written an article about the Clarisonic Mia Smart which you can find here.
Lastly, another way to exfoliate the face is by using a weekly face mask. These types of face masks usually help exfoliate and deep clean the skin. clay masks usually remove the dirt and oils that may be sitting in the pores. The granular texture also does exfoliate the skin removing the dead skin cells.
Tip 2. Cleansing The Skin Daily
It’s really important to cleanse your skin daily with a daily cleanser. The dirt, oils and makeup build-up can really change the appearance of the skin. It’s wise to wash your face twice a day once in the morning just before your skin care regime and the other time in the evening to remove any makeup, dirt, pollutants that maybe sitting on top of the skin.
If the skin isn’t regularly cleansed it can be accustomed to pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. One major thing to always remember is to know what skin type you are when using a cleanser. Finding the proper cleanser for your skin type will always help balance the skin properly. For example
Dry skin types should look at more moisturizing cleansers that are richer in moisture a good one for dry skin types would be The Body Shops Vitamin E Gentle Facial Wash. This type of formula won’t dry out the skin and will keep it moisturized
For Normal/Combination skin The Body Shops Vitamin C Daily Glow Exfoliating Cleansing Face Polish. This particular cleanser is also an exfoliator that can help remove dead skin cells and help brighten the skin with Vitamin C extracts.
For oily skin types, The Body Shop has a daily cleanser called Seaweed Deep Cleansing Gel Face Wash which helps control the oil secretion of the skin
For sensitive skin types The Body Shop has a cleanser called Aloe Vera Gentle Foaming Wash and for more drier and sensitive skin The Body Shop’s Aloe Ver Calming Cream Cleanser which will help hydrate and soothe the skin at the same time.
Tip 3. Toner
Once the skin is cleansed the next best thing to do is to use a toner. This step makes a huge difference in any skincare routine. This step will make a difference in the sense that it will remove any dirt, oils, and makeup the cleanser was unable to remove at the time.
I personally found out by using the right toner my skin pH level balanced. A toner is usually used with a cotton pad and gently swiped all over the face giving the skin a beautiful refreshing feeling. This also keeps the surface of the skin smooth, balanced and toned. Again, it’s really important to remember to stick within your skin type in order to keep your skin balanced.
For Dry skin types, The Body Shop has a toner that is hydrating which is The Vitamin E Hydrating Toner.
Normal to Combination skin types The Body Shops British Rose Petal- Soft Gel Toner. Which is a gel-like formulation that has real rose petal! I personally found this formula to smell great and also found it hydrated and toned my skin keeping it hydrated and balanced.
Oily Skin types The Body Shops Seaweed Oil Balancing Toner which helps tone oily skin types while helping control the secretion of excess oils.
Sensitive skin types The Body Shops Aloe Vera Calming Toner which helps tone sensitive skin types while soothing the skin.
Tip 4. Serums
Face serums are usually used after you apply a toner. The purpose of face serums is to help your moisturizer sink into the skin. By applying a serum to the skin it helps the moisturizer absorb into the skin rather than sitting on top of it. This helps the texture of the skin improve over time. Face serums help reduce wrinkles, create smoother and hydrated texture and reduce the look of pores.
A moisturizer should always be applied on top of a serum. A face serum should be applied twice a day once during the day and again at night so it can help your skin repair and rejuvenate during a good nights rest. There are different face serums that work well with different skin types. For example;
Dry skin types would use a face serum such as The Body Shop’s Root of Strength Firming Shaping Serum. This serum will help with hydrating the skin and with any signs of aging which dry skin types are prone to having.
Oily skin types its good to look at pore minimizing face serums because they help control the oil secretion within the pores. A good example of this type of a face serum is Pore Control Serum
Normal to combination skin types the serum that works well with my normal/combo skin is Estee Lauders Night Repair face serum. This helps my moisturizer lock into my skin and it has hyaluronic acid repair any damaged skin.
Tip 5. Daily Moisturizer
Your daily face moisturizer is one of the most important steps to incorporate during your face routine. Moisturizers help reduce drylines, flakey skin and helps balance the moisture levels of the skin. Most moisturizers have an SPF which helps prevent skin damage as well. This is the one product that has to suit your skin type to see efficient results.
For Dry Skin, types look at moisturizers that are more rich and hydrating which will provide the most kind of hydration to the skin. A great example of this would be The Body Shops Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream.
For Oily Skin Types, you should always look for oil-free moisturizers because you don’t want the moisturizer to be too heavy so that it doesn’t your pores. The Body Shops Seaweed Oil-control Gel Cream which helps with the secretion of oils along with keeping the skin supple, matte and shine-free.
oily skin types are by Estee Lauder which is their Day Wear for oily skin types which helps keep the skin hydrated while controlling the secretion of oils.
Normal to combination skin types The Body Shops Vitamin C Glow-Boosting Moisturiser which helps hydrate and boosts the skin’s complexion.
Sensitive skin types The Body Shops Aloe Soothing Day Cream which is formulated to target sensitive skin types.
Tip 6. Luminous creams
Using a luminous cream it usually helps give the skin a beautiful glow. If your skin is looking for a natural pick me up using a few drops of a luminous cream can help give your skin that boost in a natural type of glow. Most luminous creams work well with your moisturizer or can be used under your foundation.
If the look your going for is a natural glow then its worth adding a bit of a luminous cream to your regime. Luminous products usually work by having light reflective particles in them which help brighten and illuminate the skin. Once applied before your foundation it can also work and as a base to make your foundation appear more luminous giving the illusion that the skin is more natural glow.
An example of a luminous cream would be MAC’s Strobe Cream and Loreal Paris Cosmetics True Match Lumi Liquid Glow Illuminator.
Tip 7. Color Matching
The one thing to always remember when buying a foundation is to make sure you know your right shade. If the shade of foundation is too light or too dark the foundation won’t look natural. When purchasing foundation always tries to look at foundations that are the correct undertone. If the wrong undertone is purchased it can make the skin appear to ashy or too yellow.
There are three undertones to remember cool, warm and neutral. Cool undertones are usually skin tones that are pinker and have more blue undertones to them. A way to determine this is by looking at your wrist and the veins. If the veins are bluer then your more likely to have a cool undertone. When the veins are greener this means your undertone is warmer.
Warm undertones are usually more yellow and peach. If your more of a neutral undertone this usually means your undertone is very similar to your natural skin color.
Once your undertone is determined, you would match your foundation to your jawline, not your hand as that can be a common mistake. Once the foundation matches your jawline and blends in looking exactly like your own skin then it means you have determined the correct shade.
Tip 8. Light Weight Foundations
Once the skin is well hydrated and balanced with the correct skin care regime its time to look at natural looking foundations that can help you make your foundation the most natural.
Liquid foundations usually give the skin a more natural finish.
I am going to first start off with tinted moisturizers which I find I personally get the most natural look with. These types of foundation are lightweight and help even out the skin complexion.
Typically tinted moisturizer isn’t full coverage but sheerer to medium coverage depending on the brand you’re looking at.
The tinted moisturizer I currently use for a more sheer coverage is the Estee Lauders Day Wear Multi- Protection Sheer Tint Release Moisturizer. The great feature with this tinted moisturizer is that you don’t need to get color matched instead the formulation is it goes on white and once it’s rubbed into your skin to your skin tone and blends in.
Another type of tinted moisturizer would be BB Creams also known and Beauty Balms. These types of creams usually help heal the skin and are infused with skincare ingredients. Most BB Creams have a higher SPF and have a light to medium coverage. There is usually a shade rage which would typically go according to skin intensity. The coverage with BB Creams is usually light to medium coverage. It even out the skin complexion giving the skin a nice natural sheen.
The BB creams I currently use are Estee Lauder’s DayWear BB Cream and Missa M Perfect Cover BB Cream.
CC creams are known as Color Correcting creams. Usually are lightweight foundations which have color correctors infused in them to help cancel out redness, dark spots and any other pigmentation. CC creams also have skin-loving ingredients in them which help with anti-aging and typically have a higher SPF. This type of foundation usually is color-matched according to skin intensity. The coverage on them is usually medium to full coverage. This type of foundation also gives the skin a more natural finish.
The CC Cream I always go with is It Cosmetics Its Your Skin But Better CC+ Color Correcting Full Coverage Cream (original formula) and It Cosmetics Color Correcting Illumination CC cream.
Another natural looking foundation would be cushion foundations. Which usually have a light coverage during application. The cushion is usually a liquid foundation that is soaked through a sponge and placed a compact. This type of foundation is usually applied with a buffing brush for a more natural finish.
A very popular Cushion Foundation is Loreal Paris Cosmetics True Match Lui Cushion Foundation
Tip 9. Apply Foundation In Light Layers
When applying foundation its always good to apply the foundation in thin layers. This will allow you to control how much coverage your desire. The best way to apply your foundation is with a Beauty Blender. As a side note, I wrote an article about beauty blender reviews and which ones would work well with your beauty products which you can find here. The beauty blender will give you one of the most natural finishes with your foundation and allow you to apply in layers.
When applying your foundation with a Beauty Blender it requires the sponge to be soaked under water before use. The damp sponge will help thin out thicker formulations. Usually applying a thin layer at a time will allow you to build the coverage.
One or two layers will give the foundation a more natural look with by using a beauty blender. Another benefit with using a beauty blender is that there will be no streaking of the brush instead the foundation is pressed into the skin preventing any streaking.
Tip 10. Apply A Setting Powder
This step is completely optional but it’s a way to make your foundation stay on. Using a light powder to set the foundation will make it last longer. Sometimes depending on the type of setting powder, it can give the skin a nice natural finish. The powder I use to set my foundation is MAC Mineralize Natural Skin Finish.
This particular foundation usually gives my foundation a nice natural finish. It’s a light mineralized foundation that doesn’t give my skin a cakey look. Therefore, if your going to set your foundation with any type of powder make sure it’s a light powder that won’t cake up the skin but rather just a way to set the foundation for a longer lasting finish.
Mac’s Mineralize Natural Skin Finish is a foundation that is a really lightweight that doesn’t cake up your foundation it gives it that finishing touch in order for your foundation to set in and stay in place.
If your not comfortable putting on a light foundation powder a translucent powder such as IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores is another way to set the foundation. This will help set the foundation and help blur out any pores. It will set the foundation in a natural way because it goes on translucent smoothing over the texture of the skin without making it look cakey.
Tip 11. Setting Spray
Once your full face makeup has been completed from foundation eyeshadow, blush, highlighter, and bronzer is wise to set the foundation with a setting spray. A setting spray is known to make your makeup stay in place without it smudging or budging. If you find your makeup is looking too cakey then spray some setting spray on your face this will help mold the look together giving it a more natural finish.
There are two types of finishes when it comes to setting sprays which would be matte and dewy finishes. A matte finish is ideal for a person who doesn’t want their skin to look oily. A dewy finish will give the skin a luminous glow.
Mac’s fix plus is a setting spray that is commonly used to help the set foundation. It refreshes the face and sets your foundation in place by binding together all the products.
For a matte finish, NYX Professional Makeup Setting Spray Matte Finish will give your overall look a matte look if that’s the type of look you’re looking to go for. It will help keep the shine away.
For a more dewy look, NYX Professional Make up Setting Spray Dewy Finish is a setting spray will set the makeup giving it a hydrated dewy look which will have more of a glow to it.
In conclusion, in order to make your foundation look natural, it boils down into various important factors. Having a set skincare regime controls the overall look and appearance of the skin which is important when applying foundation. A set skincare regime keeps the skin looking healthy and can control any textures on the skin.
Once the skin care regime is set in place the next thing to consider for the natural looking foundation is to color match the foundation to your natural skin complexion and making sure the undertone and the intensity of the foundation match exactly. Liquid foundations will give the most natural look because you be able to apply it in thin layers with a sponge application.
Applying the foundation in layers can help determine the overall look and gives you control on what the finished look should look like. By implementing such simple steps to your everyday foundation routine can make your skin appear evened out and giving the skin a healthy natural complexion.