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You know we’ve all at one time or another applied too much foundation or concealer and ended up with what I like to call “Cakey Face”.  This is a common dilemma when it comes to makeup, so here’s my easy steps in how to get more natural looking skin!

1.   Apply a face primer

This step helps prime your skin just as paint primer preps your walls before applying paint:  it smooths out the surface filling in pores and making the surface smoother for the foundation.  Primers have just recently become standard in makeup products- one of the first ones was the Smashbox Photofinish.  This works well if you have dry skin, but I find it too oily looking on combination to oily skin.  (check out my article from awhile back on “Choosing your Best Face Primer“)  Here are my current favorites:

Benefit the POREfessional

MAC Matte Cream

Clinique Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector

2.  Don’t apply too much foundation

Now I realize that if you want full coverage or have many blemishes you’d like to cover, the first thing you think is to apply a fair amount of foundation.  This will cover the blemishes BUT will also risk the chance of piling up and looking very mask like.  The better option is to apply a thin layer just to even out your overall skin, then go over with concealer on just the blemished areas.   On my clients I really like using the Beauty Blender (see my video on how to use it here:  Beauty Blender Review) because it applies a thin layer and makes it easier to melt the foundation into the skin.  It is best used damp as the wet sponge thins the foundation slightly.

Favorite tool:   Beauty Blender

Favorite dewy looking foundation:  Neutrogena Healthy Skin

3.   Apply powder only to oily areas

This is the key step!  ONLY apply powder to the areas on your face that tend to get oily- usually the “T zone”.   If you have dry skin, you may even be able to skip powder altogether.  The trick is to also apply powder in a thin layer- I find the best way to do this is to use a thin, flat sponge.

My favorite sponge:   NYX Medium Powder Puff

4.   Mist setting spray

This step is optional- I just do this step if my skin looks a bit dry after applying powder.  My absolutely favorite product of all time is MAC’s Fix Plus spray- simply mist it all over your face after your makeup is done.  It will give a subtle glow to the skin and help “melt” the powder into your foundation.   If your skin is oily, I would skip this step as it can make it look more oily at the end of the day…

MAC Fix +

 

ALWAYS remember to apply makeup in thin layers at a time- you can always add more, but it’s very difficult to take away.   I really hope this helps you all in your quest of getting flawless looking skin!

Stay happy and healthy!

much love,
Marlena