#foundation tips

Updated Jun 1, 2021 - Originally Posted: Jan 11, 2019

If you’ve ever gone searching for an alternative to foundation, you’ve probably been told to use a tinted moisturiser or BB cream, but more often than not these embody all of the traits that most people hate in foundation, plus more. Whilst tinted moisturisers can be a great alternative to foundation, they’re often thick, greasy, prone to oxidization, take more work to apply and blend than regular foundation, have poor staying power, and an even worse shade range. Whilst there are some great tinted moisturisers (BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Recovery Gel for example) they’re not necessarily the only option when searching for an alternative to foundation.

This is not a generic list of tinted moisturiser recommendations, but rather a list of skin pick me ups. Moisturisers, creams, primers, and other products that nourish, give a naturally gorgeous glow and the illusion of an even skintone.

Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30

If you’re after the perfect product to moisturise skin, correct redness, AND provide sun protection, look no further than Dr Jart Cicapair. Whether you suffer from redness, sensitive skin, or just want a product that will make skin look great without all the woes of foundation, this product is a total must have. Upon application the product is a slightly thick green cream, but it quickly dissolves into a perfect, universal beige tint which counteracts redness, blurs pimples, and dries down to a skin-like matte finish.  Moisturising and lightweight, the formula has an added bonus of SPF 30, making it the ultimate all-in-one foundation replacement.

BeautyBlender’s new Bounce Foundation is a launch that had everyone talking from the moment it was announced. Now available in Australia (exclusive to Sephora) the foundation is easily one of the most ground-breaking formulas on the market and it’s actually one of the few foundations I’m most personally excited about. A few years ago, what stood to be my favourite foundation was discontinued (an old school formula of Rimmel Match Perfection Luminous Light Perfecting Foundation) and I have been on the hunt for a formula that performs just as good ever since, a hop skip and a bounce into the future and I found it.

A lightweight air whipped style texture is the overall formula of the foundation, it’s not thick or greasy in any way shape or form, but instead takes the place of a mousse consistency which feels soft and comfortable on the skin. The unique texture also has a slight blurring effect; it  smooths over imperfections and texture on the skin so if scarring or flakiness are two issues you encounter you can rest assured this is a foundation that will not accentuate these.

The formula can be applied with either a beauty blender or a brush, a beauty blender will allow you to have more control and slowly build up the coverage whilst a brush will allow you to apply and blend product seamlessly without a sponge absorbing the foundation and wasting product. In my person experience I found a combination of both brush and sponge gave the best results.

Max Factor Pan-Stik was first launched in 1947 and has become one of the most famous foundation sticks in history.  An easy product to use, perfect for tossing in your handbag, touching up on the go, traveling, or simply just giving a little more coverage in the areas where needed, stick foundations can be a must-have. Although stick foundations definitely come a long way in the past 70 years, they can still use a little help here and there to perform at their very best. We’ve rounded up a bunch of tips and tricks you can use to improve the application, wear, and finish of even the most difficult formulas.

  Warm Up The Product

Unlike liquid foundations which easily melt and blend into the skin instantly, stick foundations may require a little more work. Due to their solid formulation they can often lean on the waxy side and they may need a helping hand to blend into the skin easily. Swiping the stick across the back of your hand can warm up the product, causing it to soften and apply and blend more easily.

  Use a Brush to Blend

Stick foundations generally need to be worked into the skin to look the most natural and beautifully seamless. Whilst sponges and beauty blenders can be a great beauty tool, they often tend to be incompatible with stick foundations due to their tendency to absorb excess product. Instead, try using a dense kabuki style buffing brush to work the product into the skin and effortlessly blend it, alternatively you can also use your fingers.

You often spend ages in store trying to find the perfect foundation which is not an easy task so it’’s pretty disappointing when you get home only to realize it isn’t the right shade. This sucks. We’ve all been there, so luckily we’ve got a few tips up our sleeve to help you fix up what is often regarded as one of the biggest makeup mishaps.

Apply a Small Amount

The more product you apply, the more colour pay off you’re going to get! If your foundation is not a perfect match, avoid building up and applying a large amount of foundation to your skin which make the mismatch more apparent. Instead, apply a small amount of product and really buff it into the skin so the shade looks more natural.

Mix it!

Moisturiser, primer, serum, these are all viable options for formulas you can effortlessly mix with your foundation. The lighter coverage the product, the lighter the colour will be. This is one of the best options for fixing foundation that’s too dark, but it’s important to note that this may drastically reduce the amount of coverage your foundation provides.

Use Lightening Drops

Lightening and whitening drops are one of the greatest makeup innovations to come out of this decade. (there is also a darkening variation if your foundation is a little too light) Designed to help change the colour of your foundation without changing the formula, these couldn’t be easier to use. Just add a drop or two (depending on how dark the foundation is) blend together, and then apply to the skin as usual.

Use it For Contouring

It’s not the best option, but unfortunately when a product is too dark for your skintone there isn’t an awful lot you can do so you may have to just grin and bear the money you lost. An alternative is to use the product for contouring or as a bronzer. You could also stick to using the foundation in the summer or mix it with a lighter shade to give a subtle hint of warm colour to the skin.

When you hear the word La Mer, a picture of a fancy $600 face cream probably comes into your head, but the brand that is known for its luxurious skincare also have a range of foundations and base products to perfect skin. Although the products may not be very friendly to your budget, what theylack in affordability they make up for in quality.

La Mer Soft Fluid Long Wear Foundation & La Mer Luminous Lifting Cushion Foundation

La Mer The Soft Fluid Long Wear Foundation Long-wearing foundations can be tricky and most tend to be thick, drying, and cakey (which is why it’s often best to pick a foundation you love based on its finish and team it with a fantastic primer) but the La Mer The Soft Fluid Long Wear Foundation is this one is none of the above, it’s long-wearing, re-imagined. Ultra-light and creamy, this foundation blends into the skin easily and has a soft, ultra-natural looking demi-matte finish, it makes skin look like skin, perfect, flawless skin. Easily blendable, the long-wearing function is prompt to kick in. It’s important to blend, build, and apply as quickly as possible as you only have five minutes playtime, after which you may find the foundation starts to become difficult to blend (the product can start to streak, catch, and cake) Apply and blend in just the right amount of time, and let the foundation and dry down, and you will be left with a beautiful demi-matte finish with a subtle glow that looks natural and perfected. Those with ultra oily skin may find the finish of this foundation too shiny on its own in which case a mattifying primer, setting spray and face powder could come in to play. It should be noted that like most long-wearing foundations this foundation does suffer from the dreaded oxidization error, so it’s best to go for a shade lighter than your skintone to avoid a mismatch. Quick-setting and oxidization aside, this foundation gives a flawless, soft, natural-looking coverage that’s hard to dupe.