I think I forgot for a long time how much of a difference having a flawless base can change the whole appearance of your makeup, making it look so much more perfected, yet natural at the same time. I've been really working hard to get my skin back into tip-top condition - things slid a bit recently - and I'm slowly getting there (more about that another day) but until I have the natural flawless base that I have always lusted after, there are a couple of products that I am using to get me there a little less naturally.
To start off with, I apply a generous layer of moisturiser to my skin - currently, I'm using the b:liv Soothe and Splash Daytime Moisuriser - to add a burst of hydration to my skin and help minimise the dry patches which lead to the caking of other products on top - never a good look. Having combination skin, I find that this is a really important step for me, and although I used to stay away from anything remotely moisturising as I thought it would lead to more greasiness I can't stress enough how this is just a myth. By using a light moisturiser, you give your skin the hydration it needs and anything you put on top looks a whole lot more natural - although I would still recommend to stay away from anything too heavy if you have oily skin. After that comes primer - another step that I used to completely ignore, and what a fool I was for doing that. It's not a strictly necessary step, Lillian describes it 'like flossing before brushing', but a good one. The ARK Anti-Ageing Primer not only contains helpful properties like an SPF of 30 which is really important in protecting your skin from sun damage, and is silicone free which means no clogging or breakouts, but smooths over your skin, filling in pores, wrinkles and controlling oil as well as injecting a bit of radiance to help provide the perfect canvas for your foundation.
It could be left there, and most days it is, with the addition of a little concealer if I feel I need a little more coverage, but for times where I want to look a little more flawless, I will then go in with a foundation. My one of choice - and actually the only one I own now after it showed me how awful the rest are - is the Revlon Nearly Naked foundation in Shell. It provides the perfect amount of light coverage for everyday wear, whilst evening out any red patches that I may have, and once buffed in well with a buffing brush such as the Real Technique's ones, it blends seamlessly with the skin, becoming practically invisible to the naked eye - see what I did there? If I still need more coverage on top of that, I will pinpoint conceal with my Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, so as to use as little as possible, but this is a gorgeously creamy concealer that I doubt could cake if I seriously tried. Finally, to set it all down, and make sure it lasts the day, I will use the Bourjois Rice Powder with a big fluffy brush, which I love as it doesn't completely mattify the glow of the skin.
Et Voilà! An unnaturally natural and flawless look. What are your favorite base products?
