The Makeup Box

Hot Weather Face / Foundation Routine: Glowing, Barely-There Makeup

—

I don’t stick to a particular routine for very long but I got quite a few requests to show my daily face or base + blush application so here are the things I do and the products I’ve been using to “lay the foundation” this past month.
 

Foundation: For the base, I have a tendency to go back to lightweight, matte bases with sheer-to-medium coverage when the weather gets hot and sticky, because they even out my skintone and minimize my need for a lot of concealer and powder. Bourjois Healthy Mix is an old favorite.

Step 1: After an antioxidant serum and sunblock, I’ll spritz my flat-top buffing brush (MAC 130 or Sigma F80) with an alcohol-free toner like MAC Fix+ and then use that to buff on foundation in brisk circles. (You can use a stippling brush to stipple/dot foundation on too, but buffing in circles is the better method for “erasing” pores.)

Do note that Fix+ contains glycerin and other emollients so it helps to sheer out your foundation and give a super-natural finish if you dampen your brush with it. But it isn’t really a fixative, strictly speaking, and won’t make your foundation last much longer than it normally would. Setting sprays like Urban Decay All Nighter or professional artist sealants from Ben Nye, Mehron, etc would be better if you need something to make foundation stay.

—

Concealer: I use a whole host of concealers, but when things get hot, products with dryer textures like Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage (I use SC-2) or MAC Studiofinish Concealer SPF 37 tend to be better at staying on the skin.

Step 2: Some high-coverage concealer products (generally waxy ones that come in pots) can feel really dry if you’re in a cooler climate, so the easy way to make them more workable would be to use a synthetic concealer/lip brush to soften and pick up some product, then stroke it on where you need, before you use your finger to blend it in. Rubbing a brush over your product “emulsifies” it a bit for better blendability, and allows you to concentrate product right where you need it most. Using your fingers to blend after that gives a more natural finish and minimizes the chance of caking on too much product.

I use a slightly peach-toned shade around the eyes, and then a yellow-based shade which matches my skin better, around the nostrils and on spots.

—

Setting: This is where it gets a little different. I use Clinique’s Redness Relief Soothing Powder to go over areas where I have concealed because it not only does a bit of color-correction, but also soothes the skin, which is exactly what you need if you’re

1. covering spots
2. trying to fight the heat

Step 3: I use a s/ft natural-hair eye shadow blending brush to very lightly dab and buff powder over areas where I need to set concealer, or mattify the skin. I don’t like a very powdery face, so this allows me to control where I am matte and where I am not. This isn’t as troublesome and slow as you might think, since you can buff over a large area of skin very quickly and the small, soft brush means you won’t be packing on too much powder. 

—

Highlighting: I don’t often go for cream highlighters because I live in a place that’s hot year round. But I do like a sheen JUST in certain areas, so I get around that by using an opalescent, super-fine pearl powder to highlight. (I make my own blend by mixing a lot of pigments but you can try someth)ng like MAC’s Pink Opal.)

One thing to note is that you DON’T have to stick with yellow/gold highlights if you have yellow toned skin like me. That can actually make you look a little sallow. I very much prefer a soft pink to bring out a healthy glow and sculpt the cheeks at the same time.

Step 4: I use a rather dense brush to apply this (try a large shadow brush similar to MAC 227 instead of a powder brush) because I want the highlight to be quite precisely located just along the high points of the cheekbones and the brow bones. Using loose, soft brushes will cause your highlighter to be too spread out and the sheen to be less intense so if you are using a shimmery, sparkly highlighter, this can make your face look like a disco-ball.

—

Blush: I am chronically phobic of overly-heavy blush, so I tend to go for soft glowing shades. Bourjois #15 is a Little Round Pot shadow, not a blush, but it’s a perfect opalescent soft-pink which looks great on lighter skins, and is hard to over-apply. I use many different face brushes but the one I reach more most is the Sonia Kashuk angled blush/contour brush, which is incredibly soft and such great quality for the price.

Step 5: I apply my blush a lot higher than many people. Just like I apply my highlighter right under the outer corners of my eyes, I apply my blush right along the peaks of my cheekbones, and not below. This helps lift the cheeks and will give you a more girly and pretty effect.

—

 Brows: For the brows, I’m trying out the Shu Uemura Hard Formula 9 and I’m loving it. This is a very odd product in that there is almost zero color when you stroke it on the back of your hand, yet when you stroke it over brow hairs, it deposits a very light amount of soft color which mimics the look of the shadow that full brows would cast, and looks gorgeously natural even when built up. 

(The rather dumb thing though, is that if you have no or very little brow hairs, this might not work as well as “normal” pencils like those from Benefit or MAC, which easily deposit a measured dose of color over bare skin.)

Step 6: Gently stroke on brow pencil in the direction of hair growth. No matter what type of pencil you use, learn to use the side rather than the tip of the pencil nib as it will give you a softer and more natural looking finish. 

—

Step 7 / Primer: For the lids I usually apply a shadow primer so my shadow lasts longer. One I’ve been using quite regularly on a daily basis is Lime Crime’s Candy Eyed Shadow Helper. You should apply only minimal amount of product because applying too much will actually cause your shadow to crease.

(This is a tiny little sample pot I got with a shadow palette and it’s been going for 2 months, because you need so little!)

—

Extras:

Shadow: When I want to keep things simple, I’ll just add a barely-there wash of beige shimmer to the lids, like MAC Naked pigment. It just evens out the skin tone and masks any discoloration on the lids. This type of eye looks polished but not “done”, and allows me to pop on any lip color under the sun.

Lashes: If I’m bothering to do makeup, chances are I will NOT skip mascara. My current favorite is Maybelline Great Lash Big. And I am not even sure if I should recommend it because so many people hate it. I just find it easy to work with because it never clumps, and I can just build it and build it. I’ll probably go back to L’oreal Voluminous when I’m done but so far I love this.

Recommended if you have length but not a lot of volume.

—

On the lips: Revlon Strawberry Suede Matte Lipstick

Quick Flawless Base Routine (using Make Up For Ever HD Foundation and Estee Lauder Maximum Coverage Foundation)

—-

Ok, I’m not saying I have a lot to cover. Neither do I have flawless skin, obviously. I have dry spots, some areas with obvious pores, some unevenness, old acne marks, and dark circles.

This is not a tutorial for covering serious acne (I always recommend you get that treated rather than covered) or scarring. It’s just a quick way to look as flawless as possible, without caking up your face with lots of unnatural-looking makeup.

You want products that can give maximum pigmentation with minimal texture, so it still looks and feels like skin up close.

—-

The products:

Unfortunately, in my experience, good “fake” real skin does not come cheap. But if you are doing this for your wedding or a special occasion, I think it’s ok to consider a once-in-a-blue-moon splurge to feel really confident.

Make Up For Ever HD Foundation: The best balance between lightweight texture and high pigmentation. It sets into a real skin texture, so you get coverage but not that powdery, mask-like texture of matte foundations. A tiny bit goes a long way so this is an investment if you’re willing to shell out. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a perfect match. I don’t have one, so I have to mix 123 and 117 for a perfect match. Ouch.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup: I don’t use this as a foundation. I use it as a concealer because it’s SO high coverage. I prefer it over some other products because it lasts a lot better but doesn’t feel TOO dry on the under-eye area for my combi/dry skin. If you’re on the market for a good liquid/cream concealer, I highly suggest checking this out because it comes in a huge 30ml tube and lasts FOREVER.

Sigma F05 brush: You can use any duo-fiber stippling brush, but I find this works a lot faster and blends the foundation out a lot more flawlessly for that really airbrushed finish.

MAC Fix+: Or any alcohol-free toner or setting spray

—-

Step 1: I pump out a small amount of foundation on the back of my hand and then lightly dip just the tips of the brush hairs into it. You want the tips of the hairs to have a small bit of product, so that the fibers are still pretty much separated from each other. Avoid wetting chunks of fiber so they clump together.

—-

Step 2: Stipple the brush onto your face lightly to distribute the foundation and then very lightly buff the tips of the brush into your face in circular motions. Some people like to just dab-dab-dab, but I find the swirling helps to “airbrush” away your pores. Just don’t be too rough if you have dry, flaky skin as this can make it worse.

—-

Step 3: Apply dabs of concealer on dark marks. In general, I like to use my finger to pat and blend undereye concealer. For spots, I like to dot onto the spot directly, and then use the F05 brush to stipple lightly. This once again “air-brushes” the area without looking like you have a patch of heavy product.

Areas to look out for include:

• Inner corners of eyes
• Outer corners of eyes
• Uneven areas
• Spots
• Veins around the nostrils
• Corners of the mouth

—-

Step 4: Set the T-zone. I don’t powder all over at this point. I just use a transparent setting powder like Silica, Make Up For Ever HD, MAC Prep + Prime, etc on a sponge wedge and lightly press (not rub!) onto the T-zone, chin and sides of the nose where the pores are more obvious.

P.S. I also like to do my brows at this point. It’s not important; just a personal preference.

 —-

Step 5: Adding some glow back into the skin so you look fresh and dewy. I apply some highlighter onto cheekbones and brow bones.

 —-

Step 6: Finish with a hint of pink blush along the temples. The softer and looser your brush, the more natural your blush will look.

And that’s it! You can move on to the rest of your makeup!