The Key to a Lovely Look and Perfect Make Up is Foundation

When applying make up, the first thing any girl reaches for is her foundation compact. Foundation is also the setting agent, acting as a barrier between the colour and your skins natural oils, which would otherwise dissolve the make up.

Before purchasing new foundation, you want to confirm what your skin type is, as this can define the type and color of foundation you'll purchase. Before applying eye shadow or lipstick, you want to create the base on which you can outline your look.

If you have a ordinary skin type, you may use pretty much any formulation, but choosing a liquid foundation will give sufficient coverage without looking caked onto your face. Many of these available on the market also contain additional powder particles, to take in any oil the skin produces. Foundation color falls into 2 classes - those with yellow pigments and those with pink tones. The perfect time to pick a colour is when your skin is at its most natural shade, so try to avoid buying foundation after you have been on vacation or have used self-tan. The best way to do this is to utilise clean fingers to apply tiny dots to the areas most wanting coverage, mixing into each area at a time till the face is complete.

Fair skin generally has pink tones, whereas the most typical yellow-toned skin variations are Asian, sallow and black skin. Liquid foundation has a tendency to appear far more natural when applied with a foundation brush.

For standard skin, application will rely on whether you have chosen a cream-to-powder liquid or a straightforward powder foundation.

Powder should be applied with a huge powder brush, but be aware that you won't get the same level of coverage as you would with liquid.

Working the brush outwards gives a rather more even finish, but try avoiding using too much around the eye area or it may end up looking caked.

With dry skin, cream foundation should be used sparingly, as a little tends to go a long way. Nevertheless it is great stand by if you're pushed for time and need a quick make up fix. This is why getting the right colour match is so important right off the bat.