#foundation101

This is something I, myself, have wondered for a while when I first started applying make up and was overwhelmed at first with the differences in foundations. There’s coverage, finishes, bases, then you had all these different foundations that looked oddly coloured.. What’s all those and what do they do?

(Scroll down if tl;dr)

BASES: First, you need to know that there’s 3 different bases of foundations: Oil-based, water-based and silicone-based. 

The basics of it is goes like this: your skin type is going to react different to different types of foundation bases, sometimes water-based foundation works wonders with oily skin, and sometimes it doesn’t, sometimes silicon-based foundation is amazing for dry or mixed skin types, but sometimes it just doesn’t work. Since every skin type is different, there isn’t much to comment about, you need to try them out to find out which one works out best for you, and try and work your way around that. 

To find out more on how to exactly tell the difference (chemically) between those 3 bases, you can click here - this will help give you a better understanding, help you know what you’re buying, and help you know how it works. 

FINISHES: Generally speaking, there’s two finishes to a foundation: dewy, or matte. Now, they might further branch out to different types, but it generally is either matte, or not. 

Matte finishes are more suitable for oily skin, or for combination skin. Of course, you can always make a dewy foundation look matte through mattifying powders and what-not, but how it feels on your skin also matters, and so does the dryness/oiliness of your skin. For example, if you have dry skin but also have a preference for a matte finish, then it’d be a better option to invest in a dewy foundation of your choice and try and mattify it with translucent powder or mattifying setting spray. There’s no doubt that there’s plenty of foundations that could suit your skin and your preference, but like always: you have to try them out. 

Dewy-finish foundations usually have less coverage than matte-finish foundations (but not always!) and are usually appropriate for all skin types, regardless if you’re oily, dry or both. Which is why CC and BB creams come in dewy-finishes. 

The different types of finishes further branch out. For example, there’s a satin finish, where it’s matte, but has a sheen to it, or an illuminated finish, where the foundation is not so “wet” but actually shimmery. These are not so common, and usually can be placed as “sub-categories”.

COVERAGE: Coverage, in short, means how opaque/translucent the foundation is. 

Some foundations have light-medium coverage, meaning it’ll only just add a slight tint to your face (these usually include tinted moisturisers, BB creams and CC creams)

Then you have the medium-high coverage, which means it’ll more effectively cover your skin tone and only let a little bit of it shine through, it’s definitely more opaque, and will definitely cover up your imperfections (in terms of colour, of course, and not texture) These are also much thicker and heavier on the skin and wouldn’t be everyone’s choice of “every day make up”

Then you have the high coverage foundation, which is also usually labelled “HD” - meaning this is some serious professional stuff, you can zoom in on my face for days wearing this foundation and won’t be able to tell what colour my skin is underneath. This is usually no one’s preference, but more appropriate for people with serious discolouration or blotching, or for TV/Camera/etc. 

OXIDISATION: One thing a lot of people don’t take into account is that their makeup is going to oxidise on their face. After you apply your foundation, it’ll react with the air around, with the heat of your skin, and oxidise. Basically, you literally bake your makeup. This will make some foundations go from a more yellow tone, to a more natural tone, or from a perfectly natural tone, to a more grey/dirty tone. 

This is why, time and time again you hear people say: “Get samples!” because there’s just so much at risk if you blindly go and buy a foundation.