FIRM FOUNDATIONS
If you're not a make-up artist by training or profession, you may never have understood or considered the difference between setting powder and finishing powder. Some women even use the names interchangeably - but there's a unique difference. Setting powder is generally applied after your foundation and before your makeup, in order to absorb any excess oil produced by your skin. On the other hand, finishing powder is meant to be applied directly after your makeup to lock your foundation into its place - say for a demanding day in the office or a night out when you'll be under the spotlight - so that it provides a subtle blur of anything undesirable (think: pores, wrinkles, fine lines, and uneven skin texture). The good news for those watching their budget? An excellent quality mineral powder foundation can be used for both purposes - providing undetectable coverage, a matte finish, and seamless perfection no matter the occasion.
A secret or three from TheBeautyGypsy.com, especially if you're running low on concealer, is to mix a little translucent powder with your liquid foundation to make the texture denser - and therefore, cleverly, more concealing of any blemishes. The owner of this blog, freelance beauty writer Anubha Charan, has other, similar tricks to share, including:
- misting chilled rosewater spray on your face before you begin to apply any makeup, to provide a fresh glow and eliminate any irritation;
- warming your concealer in the palm of your hand to soften the texture and, even, mixing it with moisturizer in a 1:3 ratio so that it blends more easily;
- applying highlighter before your foundation for a really natural-looking luminosity (the same can be done with a cream blush for a lit-from-within glow);
- remembering to dab, not stroke, on your foundation to keep any highlighter/blush in place;
- applying powder in a downward motion to smooth down any soft facial hair; and
- buffing away any shiny spots during the day (or night) with an oil-blotting wipe.
Combined with the tricks and tips above, the combo of powder used with foundation has reviewers on BareMinerals.com enthusing: "You can't improve on something that is perfect." "It is magic" and "It really gives my face that air-brushed look."
Aesthetic game changer
Make-up artist Debbie Jean, whose blog is called RealWomenMakeup.com, explains in greater detail why, if it is used correctly, the powder can be such a beauty game-changer. She writes that powder is ideally used to set foundation and concealer for a revitalized, lasting appearance. "Foundation and concealer are both moist and have no holding power," she advises, "without a bit of powder to set them in place. Not only can powder set your makeup, but it can also serve to reduce excess shine on the skin." How this works, she continues, is that light is attracted to shine, thereby illuminating facial flaws like large pores, uneven skin, wrinkles, and creases.
While Debbie advises that most of her mature clients are nervous about using powder because old-school compact powders from way back when used to create a "heavy powdery look on the skin, thereby enhancing lines [and other] flaws." These days loose powders should be used instead so that any excess can be dusted off with a large brush. In fact, her expert opinion is that mature skin probably needs powder more than any other skin type because "the moment you reduce any excess shine, the light no longer illuminates fine lines on the skin."
Other potions to get your wand into
So now that we all know what should, ideally, lie beneath the outer layers of makeup that we wear, perhaps it's worth taking a fun look at the season's prettiest eye, cheek, and lip trends, care of the beauty experts at Cosmopolitan.com.
Red-hot kissables
We know you have a mask on while you're out and about these days, but it comes off when you're on that Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meets call; and when you swing your legs up onto a barstool to take in the first sip of that minty mojito. What you need to highlight, then, in the most striking deep burgundy, is your lips. This is good news for everyone who's been mourning the appeal of their perfect pout. Cosmoplitan.com suggests that burgundy is "edgy, moody, and unexpected," yet it can suit almost any skin tone.
And, further to the topic of powder, above: SouthernLiving.com writer Kaitlyn Yarborough suggests that you gently swipe a very thin dusting of powder over red lips, using your go-to mineral powder, to ensure it stays put no matter what the day - or night - may bring.
Cat-eyed peepers
Celebrity make-up artists Elle Leary and Emily Oliver write on Makeup.com that while the technique of creating classic cat eyes remains the same, no matter your face shape, the thickness of the line and the length of the wing can be changed to suit your individual taste - be it "hooded, upturned, downturned, monolid," and so on. So grab your darkest, blackest liquid liner - keeping Cleopatra in mind at all times for best effect - and proceed to pair your eye side-wings with the likes of "bold brows, long lashes, and neutral lips" in order to out glam even your mother-in-law.
How to keep your liner in place? Apply powder first, advises top make-up artist Kathy Jeung on the Byrdie.com blog. "Before applying eyeliner, you want to make sure the eye area ... is free of excess oil," is her expert take on the matter. To achieve this, you should lightly dust along the lash line with a small volume of translucent powder and then apply your long-wear eyeliner and powder. This approach will serve to absorb excess moisture and oil, resulting in "maximum eyeliner longevity," she enthuses.
Sneakiest of cheeks
And how about if you're intent on creating a glorious no-makeup look - say for a training session with your hottest trainer? You may wish to try out a skin-perfecting tint to bring out the glossiest "you" possible. This look involves a savvy combo of five key features, according to Cosmopolitan.com: "Clean and dewy skin, lightly flushed cheeks, neutral-colored lips, brushed up brows and the flutteriest of lashes."
How to create this look? You've guessed it. That unique blend of powder and foundation keeps you glowing - in the most appealing of ways - until the finisher sets. How's that for clever!