Foundation and Powder

Q: How do I know which foundation and powder to buy? I've bought many different types and don't know which one is the best.

A: Well, let’s look for a moment at what these products are meant to do, and we can go from there. The purpose of foundation make-up is to even-out the skin tone. The type of foundation you need is determined by the amount of coverage and opacity you need in the foundation.

Those women who have multi-tonal skin or splotchy skin tones may need a heavier foundation, probably an oil-based mixture that offers opaque coverage. For those who have only minor variations in their skin tone, a normal, water-based foundation would be suitable. Some women have very even skin tones and only need to add a little “color” to their skin. For these women, the newer “tinted moisturizers” are ideal, since these simply add a hint of color to otherwise even, but pale skin.

As for powdered cosmetics, these are generally used by women who have very oily skin types and need to be able to control the oily appearance of the skin. You can even find foundations that apply as creams but dry to a powdery consistency. Most women won’t need a powdered make-up in combination with liquid foundation, if you have proper coverage from your foundation, you can simply choose a translucent powder to help “set” the make-up and control shine.

In all honesty, the difference in the various types of make-up from brand to brand is usually a matter of personal preference. The only way to know which is right for you is to give the various brands a try and see which you personally prefer. Most of these will be formulated so similarly that there’s no real difference in them apart from minor superficial ones, such as fragrance.

© Greatestlook.com
Photo: Jayannpo/Shutterstock

See also: Foundation basics