Picking the right foundation

Yay Foundation!

I think one of the biggest struggles for most women when it comes to makeup, is foundation. It is, after all, exactly as it's named: The Foundation of your Makeup. 

If your foundation is off, the whole look is off. Whenever I see women with mismatched foundation, that seems to be all I can notice! It distracts from whatever eye makeup or lipstick you're wearing-- And that is NOT good!

I was inspired to write about this because I've been noticing more and more of my clients struggling with finding a foundation that matches perfectly.

I was recently giving a makeup lesson to a beautiful client of mine, when I really noticed this issue. We worked on the eye makeup together and then moved onto the foundation... I could tell by the bottle that it was probably a little light, but let her put it on anyway to see. 

As she started applying, I asked if she thought it was a little too light... She immediately exclaimed, "YES! I asked the sales people if they thought it was too light and they said it was a little light but the next shade is going to be too yellow."

WRONG!!! 

I was so frustrated at the thought of this salesperson having their customer (my client) purchase a foundation that didn't work for them just so they could make the sale! 

If you are looking at a specific brand, and they don't have something that matches perfectly, then try another brand! Some brands have a wider range of colors than others. 

So here are some tips to keep in mind....

1. Go with your gut! 

If you have a salesperson trying to sell you something and you feel like it doesn't work- don't buy it! Try another brand, ask another artist for help, or come back another day. 

2. Match foundation on your jawline.

Don't use your hand! You want to make sure the foundation matches the face and blends seamlessly into the neck. Sometimes I'll also check the foundation on the chest, because you really want to make sure your face and neck blend into the chest. No one wants that two toned look :) 

When testing, you shouldn't be able to see where you put the foundation-- it should be a seamless match. 

3. Undertones.

Think about your undertones. This is tough for a lot of people. I definitely struggled with it when I first started, but now that I've done it so many times, I can spot it immediately. 

Finding your undertones will help to choose the right foundation because you generally want a foundation that will work with your tones, not against them. If you choose a cooler foundation and you're more olive, this could look muddy.

One quick trick is to look at the veins in your forearm. Are they more blue or green? Blue usually indicates that you are cooler toned (pink) and Green indicates warmer (yellow).

Sometimes this trick is tough to see, so think about what looks better on you, gold (warm) or silver (cool) jewelry. Also think about the clothing you wear. Are there colors that look great on you? Maybe it's blues and purples (cool). If it's reds, oranges, corals you may be more warm.

4. Can't find a match? 

I will admit, sometimes it really is difficult to find a perfect match. I urge you to keep searching! Worse comes to worse, if you really can't find something you can always mix shades or tint something that 's slightly too light with a bronzer. Just make sure this shade is the closest possible, and not 3 shades too light! 

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In the end, I actually had a foundation in my kit that worked perfectly for her (without any mixing or tweeking), so I urged her to return the foundation (always remember you can return/exchange just about any beauty product!), and buy a new one. 

Beauty products can be expensive and sometimes tough to find the right shade. Foundation especially is very delicate, but most cosmetic companies allow returns/exchanges. Foundation can be pricey, so don't just settle! Always search for the perfect match! 

Even if you are on a budget and buy a foundation in the drugstore (which you sadly can't try on in store), if you take one home and it doesn't look right, be sure to examine what's missing. Is it too light? Too orange? take it back to the drugstore with your receipt and ask to exchange it.

 Compare that shade to the others and try again. 

This can get a bit tough or exhausting--that's usually why I urge clients to splurge for the real deal. Even though it can be up to 3X's the cost of drugstore brands, it's much easier to find the shade if you can try it on in store! And, it'll last longer :) 

I hope this helps! With Summer coming to an end, I know some of you are on the market for a new foundation :) 

xoxo Jen

Two Current Favorites for on-the-go makeup!

Morning all,

I know that every single one of us has that item we can't leave the house without! You know when you're running late for a lunch meeting or on your way out to meet up with a friend and you don't have time to put on your face? So you go straight for the one or two products that you can quickly apply on-the-go. Well mine happen to be.. Concealer and Mascara (and lipstick-which is always in my purse to apply as blush and my pout!) 

I've always preached to clients that mascara is kind of a funny thing, you can only keep it for 3-5 months (due to bacterial growth, and effectiveness), so why spend a ton of money? I still believe that many drug store brands do an incredible job and are highly effective - AND they are usually only $8!! You can't beat that :) You'd be surprised to know that most makeup artists use drugstore mascara, partially because we go through it so quickly, but also because we can't even use the wand that comes with it! 

Side Note: Most drugstore brands are owned (or own) bigger brands you find in department stores! What does that mean? It means that you can find quality products for a fraction of the cost! They want to be able to reach every person with every budget :) 

Mascara: 

Who doesn't love mascara?! Pretty much every woman I've met never leaves the house without it (Except for you exceptionally lucky ladies with thick, luscious lashes of your own)!

I'm a HUGE fan of Maybelline's Full N' Soft Mascara:

It plumps up my little baby lashes and doesn't clump at all! 

Another fan favorite: L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara

I know a lot of artists that use this one in their kit. I really like it, but it does pack a lot of product on that brush! It's great for an evening look where you can amp up those lashes!

I can pretty much get by with those two types of mascara, I think they are really fantastic formulas! Now I've strayed away from them, only because I was having a major issue with some of my clients... 

SMUDGING!

 Even the waterproof mascaras wouldn't cut it! After a little research I finally learned that apparently, waterproof formulas don't prevent smudging and you need a smudge proof mascara. Recently Maybelline and a couple other drugstore brands have started advertising for smudge proof formulas, but I haven't tried them yet - Let me know what you think of them if you do! 

Another type of mascara that's floating around is Tube Technology mascara (SO Scientific!) This is the mascara I happened to purchase for my smudge problem and it's kind of amazing! 

 This is Tube Technology mascara from Blinc, which you can find in any beauty store. 

How it works: It's a pretty wet formula (so be sure to let it sit and dry a minute before blinking :)) Once it sets, it forms these tubes around each individual lash. So they look longer, fuller AND it does not move!! 

In order to remove the product, you need warm water and you have to carefully and gently pull your lashes with your fingers. It's crazy! It freaked me out at first because it felt like I was pulling out my own lashes, but you are actually pulling off the individual tubes. And, you'll notice that even when rubbing your fingers with water on the tubes, they don't smudge! This is perfect for weddings, and other long events where you really need to make your mascara last! 

Concealer: 

I've always been a HUGE fan of Eve Pearl Concealers! She is an incredible artist based in NY and has her own line of makeup that is beautiful! 

You can order her products online: www.evepearl.com

This is her Salmon concealer which is perfect for under eye circles.

This is her concealer trio (comes in different shades), which is nice for individual use for when your skin tone changes with the seasons, but also perfect for any makeup artist's kit! Her concealers are smooth, creamy and layer able! I will never ditch her concealers... but I have to say I have found another one to love as well....

NARS! Crazy that it has taken me 6 years before trying this stuff! I love it! I keep this one at home for myself, it comes with a salmon-pinky color to conceal under eye circles, and then a more yellow based for redness and evening of the skin! It's smooth, lightweight and wears beautifully throughout the day! 

So there you have it, some oldies and some newbies! All favorites of mine and all amazing! xoxo