Makeup Tips - Complexion Imperfection

Tips for Camiflauging & Enhancing with Foundation, Concealer, Blush, and More

Advice Seeker: Dear April,

I wish I had a perfect, porcelain skin complexion of Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, but I don't. In fact, mine often looks blotchy and uneven. What can I do to improve the appearance of my complexion? Any tips or advice for giving me beautiful skin?

Sincerely,

Perplexed by Complexion Imperfections

April Masini's advice:

Dear Perplexed by Complexion Imperfections,

For those of us with less than perfect complexions, fortune has smiled upon us. The beauty industry has a number of products that will enhance our features and make us look as if we had perfect skin. With the right foundation, perhaps a little concealer, maybe some powder, and a hint of blush, we, too, can have that smooth, radiant look that only a few people actually have.

Foundation must be well matched to your skin tone. Make sure that you always have good light when choosing and applying foundation. Experts recommend trying foundation close to your jaw line before you buy. If you can’t try on the sample makeup in the store before you buy it, hold the bottle up to your jaw line, and get the best color match you can. Try to be near natural light because that is what most people will see you in when you wear the foundation.

Tip: The mirror never lies! There is nothing worse than makeup that is not applied well and results in blotches. If something’s wrong on your face, you want to be the one that catches it. Get a good magnifying make up mirror and have it in good, natural light for the best make up results.

Foundation evens out uneven skin tone and conceals small imperfections. It is also a source of sun protection. You should make sure that your foundation has an SPF rating in it. That way you don’t have to ruin your makeup with sun block over it. You should also make sure that your foundation is for oily, normal or dry skin, depending on what yours is. If you’re not sure, ask a cosmetologist at your beauty salon or a department store makeup counter to help. If you have the correct foundation color, you won’t be able to notice it. It should fade into your skin, and the look you present should be natural, but polished.

If you can’t find a good foundation color match, consider custom blended foundation. Also, check and change foundation color seasonally as the weather changes the light around you, and your skin. Foundation comes in different forms, so choose the type that is best for you. Here is some help:

Liquid is good for all skin types.
Crème foundation is thicker, and better for drier complexions. If it goes on too thick, you can use a damp makeup sponge to smooth and thin it. Crème foundation comes in a compact, as does a combination foundation that is part crème and part powder. This second type of compact foundation goes on wet, but dries to a powder. Watch out for crème foundation that accentuates eye lines when it dries.
Stick foundation is fast to apply and great for covering scars, birthmarks or larger imperfections.
And finally, the lightest foundations of all are tinted moisturizers and sheer face tint.

Lifespan of foundation: 1 year

Concealer should be one shade lighter than your natural skin tone and is used for hiding blemishes or pimples that foundation doesn’t take care of. Use a brush to apply concealer to imperfections, then a little foundation over that. Otherwise, use your fingertip to apply or blend it in with a sponge. Again, concealer is sold in different forms. Pick the type that is best for you.

Concealer sold in tubes gives light coverage.
Liquids in a wand offer the very lightest texture and are good for quick repairs.
Concealer sold in pencil sticks is good for pinpointing mini imperfections.

Trick: For puffy eyes try ice packs, cucumber slices, or moistened tea bags to draw out the toxins, or Preparation H to reduce swelling.

Lifespan of concealer: 1 year

Powder applied with a brush will lightly “set” your foundation, and keep it from smearing when you sweat during the day or night. Loose powder is lighter and more natural looking than pressed powder that comes in compacts. Loose powder also comes in a wider variety of colors and can be custom blended. You can even use powder instead of foundation, but the drawbacks to loose powder are that it can be messy and hard to carry around in your cosmetics bag. You can use loose powder at home and carry a pressed powder in your purse for emergency fix ups. Make sure the two powders are as closely matched in color as possible.

Trick: When compact items crack or break – like powder, eye shadow, or blush – simply crush them completely, put them in a container, and use them as powder.

Lifespan of powder: 1 year

Blush goes on the apples of your cheeks when you smile. Choose your blush shade by considering your skin color.

Fair skin looks best in pinks.
Medium skin looks best in warmer pinks with shades of brown in them
Olive and yellow-toned skin looks best in brown-based reddish plums

Blush usually comes in a crème form that you can apply with your fingers. This is great unless you have oily skin. Then you should use powder blush which is applied with a brush. If you are going to mix blush colors to custom make your own, never mix the colors on your face.

Lifespan: Powder, 1 year; cream, 6-8 months.