The key to makeup lasting throughout the day and looking the same as if you'd just applied it is getting a makeup base that works for you! Using the right products and tools can affect your makeup application and longevity completely and it can take a lot of trial and error to find the holy grail products that work for you. Today's post is a list of products and tools that work for me and I completely recommend you try to be able to get a flawless base to your makeup.
Primer (Face & Eyes)
I swear by primer, both for my face and eye lids. Just like how you'd prime a wall for painting, you should prime your skin before any product application to create a barrier between the skin and product so that it can adhere to it. I've always found primers make my base go on a lot smoother and allow it to last much longer than without. My personal recommendations are the L'Oreal Infallible Mattifying Base for the face and then the Urban Decay Primer Potion for the lids. Of course it all depends on your skin type to which primer you should invest in so always have a look into the benefits of the product. I personally have oily skin so tend to reach for primers that claim to control oils and reduce shine. Although I swear by the importance of primers, I don't necessarily think you need to splash out on them, my face primer is drugstore (Around £9.99) and I think it's better than ones I've tried from Benefit and Smashbox. However, I've not yet found a good drugstore eye primer so invested in the Urban Decay one but I've had this well over a year now and I've got loads left!
Brushes
Brushes can really affect how your base looks and how well it applies. I used to just buy really cheap brushes and always blamed the product when it looked cakey and streaky but never thought it was probably down to the horribly made brushes I was buying for cheap! I recently invested in this Sigma Curved Kabuki F83 brush (£21.50) and it's the most expensive foundation/concealer brush I've purchased but I've noticed such a difference with my overall foundation application. I don't get any streaks, my base looks blended and the bristles don't soak up my foundation so I end up using less product! Since using more expensive brushes, I know that I will need to eventually trade in all of my cheaper brushes for higher end versions and would recommend everyone else to do the same if they can. It's surprising just how different a foundation can look just with a different brush and it can also make your life a whole lot easier and cost effective in the long run due to not using as much product!
Powder
Powder for me is a huge must due to being oily but even if you have normal or dry skin, I would still suggest buying a powder! Powders are perfect for setting your base to keep it lasting throughout the day without creasing or fading. The Laura Mercier powder is pretty pricey (£29.. yes, I'm even gobsmacked at this price after googling it again!!) but is the best powder I've tried so far for setting and keeping me less shiny. The RCMA powder is a cheaper alternative (£12) if you're on a budget and you're needing a heavy duty powder to set and combat shine. However, if you've got pretty dry skin then I feel you can definitely get away with a drugstore setting powder that works just to simply set and you don't need to worry about oils. Once again, this type of product is something you need to look into based on your skin type and definitely results in a lot of trial and error!
Setting Spray
Another product just like primer that I never used to use years ago but now swear by! I've not found a drugstore setting spray that I absolutely love yet so once again I'm swearing by high end for now when it comes to setting my base. The Urban Decay All Nighter is a favourite for many and I would very much recommend it. I use 3 - 5 sprays right at the end of applying my makeup to help seal all the products into place, stop cake face and fading. I've definitely found that my makeup lasts a lot longer with the aid of this spray and will continue to buy this! The big bottle is £23.50 which once again is quite pricey for a spray but you get a lot of product inside and it makes a huge difference to my makeup.
As you've probably noticed, getting products that set your base is a running theme throughout this post and I strongly feel that is the best way to achieve a flawless base. Avoiding products that cake, fade or run is essential to get the best base possible and finding products that will work with your skin type too and benefit the overall look of your base is essential. However, you can achieve flawless skin naturally without needing to cover up and this article from SpaSeekers is a fabulous read on how you can improve your skin's appearance.
Do you have any recommendations on achieving a flawless base?
- Emily x
Do you have any recommendations on achieving a flawless base?
- Emily x
