A good base is crucial to your final look and there are hundreds of products out there to achieve a lovely even skin-tone suitable for a variety of jobs. Here I'll be looking at some of the more popular choices but before we begin...
Skin Preparation is key!
- Make sure any existing make up is properly removed - even the tiniest speck of remnant mascara can ruin an otherwise perfect makeup look.
- Assess your models skin type and use suitable products.
- Cleanse the skin using a suitable cleanser
- Tone using a calming toner
- Moisturise the skin and apply a lip balm where needed
- Pluck any stray eyebrow hairs if needed (with your models permission)
- A primer or BB cream is often a good idea before you begin applying the foundation
Mac Face & Body: Something almost everyone has in their kits and for good reason! This gives a lovely fresh dewy look to the skin. I was first introduced to this on a bridal makeup course and on first use didn't really see why it was so popular. It's fairly watery and doesn't give particularly great coverage but I have now found out why that is thanks to my current tutor Branka! This product must be used correctly and it is essential to work the product round with a brush for about a minute before applying it. The reaction to Oxygen changes the consistency and it becomes much more creamy.
You can mix it with concealer if you need a slightly better coverage.You must work quickly with this product but you can as the name suggests use it on face or body - it's great for adding colour to the legs if they need it. A firm favourite with me now, I have started using it on myself day to day as I find it sits on my skin better than Mac Studio Fix which I was using before. Face & Body goes off within a year so make sure you keep an eye on when you bought it. Keep your empty bottles and return to Mac for discounts on new products!
Mac Studio Fix: Another very popular product by Mac, this foundation gives more coverage than Face & Body and you can create a really flawless finish. But, there are drawbacks and this certainly isn't a product to be using daily as I was for months... The consistency is dense as is needed for full coverage and I was so pleased with the result when it was used on me for a wedding that I went out and bought some the next day. But alas, this product can make problem skin even worse when overused and so it it one to keep for special occasions only. I actually don't think I would use it again as it is very powdery and has a tendency to sit in any creases - potentially ageing you by a few years if you're not very careful (!) Say no more.
Illamasqua Skin Base: I have yet to try this but I will as soon as I get a chance - I plan on stocking up very soon. Everyone that has some really rates this product saying it is great for photo-shoots. It is not however recommended for weddings because it doesn't last as well as some other products. I will update this section once I have tried it out!
Macquillage Palettes: I have only recently been introduced to this brand. The consistency is heavy so you only need very little product and it is possible to mix up any colour you may need with these. It can be used alone as a concealer or you can mix it with Make Up Mixer to make the final product lighter.
I use this product a lot in class, I like to see how good a match I can get to my models skin colour by mixing the colours and you can alter the consistency to suit your coverage needs, it also saves time as you can keep a little back for concealer. Branka tells us this is used a lot for film and TV.
Kryolan HD Foundation: Again, I have not yet tried this foundation but I am told it works amazingly under camera and gives a lovely sheer coverage. Will update as soon as I try it!
Kryolan Ultra Foundation: This is a really great product, it gives a full coverage and lasts all day making it a great choice for bridal!
A Natural Look Step by Step:
A Light Base:
Match and mix up a concealer using Derma Color. Warm up on the back of your hand.
Apply using a synthetic brush under and on top of the eye. Pat into place using your ring finger.
Use a neutral shade to balance darkness under the eye such as D32. Blend out using a clean fundation brush.
Match Mac Face & Body to your models skin tone and mix on your hand so that the product oxidises. Aplly using a synthetic foundation brush. Blend out using a fibre brush such as Mac's 130.
Using a big powder brush to pick up a translucent powder such as Mac's Prep & Prime, dust over face to set the look. Use a smaller fluffy brush under the eye area.
A Heavier Base:
Blend together a concealer from the Macquillage palette and use neat on top of any blemishes and around eyes.
Add in some mixer and use on the rest of the face, blending as before.
Finishing Touches:
Brush Eyebrows through with eyebrow brush.
Apply a light coating of mascara with a mini fan brush.
Apply some cream blush to cheeks using a medium round brush.
Apply lip balm or a nude gloss to complete this very natural look.
My Attempt:
I enjoyed this lesson as I felt it clarified a few things for me that I had been pondering in the past when applying my bases. I used Face & Body for my base as my model has generally very good, even skin, with the Morag Macquillage palette to conceal. My model has quite dark circles under her eyes and whilst I do feel they were reduced I think the final look should have been better. I was advised to use a salmon pink/peach under her eyes to colour correct the darkness and it worked really well when looking in the mirror however in this shot I feel as though the lines are still too prominent and I should have blended more under the eye or even applied a bit more product. I was happy with the rest of the face and it was a nice, clean, even look.
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