by Carlee Tibbs

Created on: October 10, 2010   Last Updated: July 17, 2011

Foundation is the base of your makeup and will help make or break your look. Before you even start trying to apply foundation, you first need to make sure that you have the right one for you; keeping in consideration your colouring and skin type and what type of coverage you require.

Oily skin types shouldn't use cream foundations as they will make the oiliness of the skin more obvious. Dry skin types shouldn't use powder foundations as they will make the problematic dry areas more prominent.

Foundations have three main types, which I will be covering; powders, creams and liquids. The best way to find a foundation that suits your skin type and colouring, is to just try them out and ask shop assistants for help. If you don't wish to ask for help, you can also go into the store with a "fresh face" (i.e. - no make-up) and use the samples available to put a small amount of each foundation you think matches your skin tone, before going out into natural lighting and seeing how well each foundation matches your skin.

Where foundation is concerned, your best bet is to go with one of the high-end brands, such as Benefit, Bare Escentuals or MAC, but these come with a high price tag. This is because these companies generally have higher quality items that aren't quite as damaging to your skin and they have a much wider selection of shades to choose from, which means that you are better able to get a foundation that will match your skin tone.
If you can't afford any of the high-end brands, then you should go with a high-end drug store brand, such as Urban Decay, Too Faced or L'Oreal.
Try to stay away from the "cheap and cheerful" drug store brands, as they usually contain many chemicals which can damage your skin or "disappear" within a short amount of time.

Before you start applying your make-up, you should first moisturise your face and wait for it to soak into your skin. If you have oily skin or an uneven skin tone, you should also try to get into the habit of applying a primer before you start putting your foundation on; this will help even out the skin tone, stop the oiliness of your skin from oxidising the foundation too much and to help keep the foundation stay put for longer.

LIQUID FOUNDATION:
There are four main ways to apply liquid foundation; with your fingers, with a make-up sponge, with a foundation brush or with an airbrush.

The airbrush gives the best and smoothest looking result but can be a costly tool to purchase and you also need to make

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