All About Foundation Part 2: Finding Your Perfect Shade of Foundation!

Okay, so you have picked a foundation formulation that you want to try, now to find your perfect shade match. This seems easier than it actually is! The lighting in many stores is often poor, making it difficult to see if the foundation is a true match or not, and even once you have found your perfect match the foundation could oxidize over time, turning your face orange! Here are my tips on finding your perfect shade match:

As far as shade matching goes, I would recommend to anyone who is just starting out to seek help from a professional at a makeup store or counter. They can tell you about their products and help you pick out what you are looking for as well as properly color match so you know you are getting the proper shade and tone. I caution you though, don't buy the foundation right away. Ask the makeup artist to apply the foundation to your foundation-free face and leave the store for a little while so you can assess how the makeup wears on your skin as well as if you are happy with the shade and finish. This also allows you to make sure the foundation does not oxidize (turn orange) on your skin over time.

If you want to purchase foundation at a drugstore where there aren't necessarily staff to assist you, I recommend going with a friend and testing three shades of a foundation that are close to your skintone by applying stripes of each to your jawline. Allow the stripes to settle on your skin (again in case of oxidation) and after a few minutes get your friend to look at the stripes and squint her eyes. The stripe that disappears into your skin when your friend squints is your shade match! It should be noted that the fluorescent type lights often found in drugstores make it difficult to assess your proper shade match. Also, I recommend reading some online reviews of good drugstore foundations to give you an idea of some specific products to look for (once again, because there is no one at the drugstore to help you with specific product selection). The drugstore foundation I recommend the most is Revlon Colorstay! It has a great color selection, comes in two formulations (dry/normal and oily), has great pigmentation, a beautiful and natural looking finish, and is blendable and easy to work with!

I hope you found both of these "All About Foundation" posts helpful! Good luck finding your perfect foundation and thanks for stopping by my blog!

xoxo, Caitlin

All About Foundation Part 1: Finding the Perfect Type of Foundation for You!

Let's face it ladies, trying to find the perfect foundation can be an overwhelming task! With so many different types and shades of foundation out there, it can be difficult to find one that complements your skin type, skin tone and budget! I hope to eliminate some of the confusion that goes along with finding the perfect foundation in this post and the next where I will share with you some tips on finding both your perfect foundation type and the perfect shade of foundation for your skin! This is gonna be a long one so here goes!

Things to consider when shopping for foundation:

1. Your Skin Type: Your skin dictates the actual type of foundation you should choose. Generally speaking, dry skin types should choose foundations with some moisturizing ingredients while oily and acne-prone skin types should choose foundations that are oil-free. I personally feel that there is a liquid foundation for all skin types and I use liquid foundation almost exclusively on my clients. There are, however, many other foundation formulas to chose from. Moisturizing cream foundation can work well for dry skin while oil-free cream or powder foundation can be used for oilier skin types. If you are looking for a more sheer coverage, mineral powder can provide a light-medium coverage for normal to oily skin while drier skin types may prefer tinted moisturizer. If you have combination skin you may want to look for a foundation specifically formulated for this, as they tend to have moisturizing ingredients along with particles to soak up excess oil. Remember, this is only a general overview. If you find that you prefer foundation that isn't necessarily formulated for your specific skin type then use what works the best for you!

2. Your Skin Tone: Wearing foundation with the proper undertone ensures that your foundation looks natural and does the best job at making you look radiant and flawless. Wearing the wrong tone of foundation; however, can make your skin look dull and can bring out the dark circles under your eyes. There are three basic skin tones: warm, neutral, and cool. Warm-toned skins have yellow undertones while cool-toned skins have pink undertones. Neutral skin tones have neither distinct yellow or pink undertones but have a more neutral undertone. An easy way of accessing your skin tone involves looking at the veins on the inside of your wrist. If the veins appear blue then your skin is cool-toned and if the veins appear green then your skin is warm-toned. If you cannot decide whether the veins look distinctly green or blue then chances are you have a neutral skin tone.

3. The Coverage and Finish you want: If you are unsure of the coverage that you want I recommend purchasing a medium coverage foundation that is buildable. That way, if you want a lighter coverage one day you can mix the foundation with your daily moisturizer and if you want a heavier coverage you can apply a second layer of the foundation. Remember: your skin is probably not as bad as you think and the little imperfections that you see are probably not noticeable to anyone else. It is better to look more natural then to have cakey looking makeup that looks like a mask! The foundation finish you want is entirely personal preference. I find that drier skin types tend to prefer a satiny or dewy foundation finish to brighten their skin while oilier skin types tend to prefer a matte finish to combat looking greasy (we always want what we don't have!). I prefer a natural finish foundation, that is, one that is neither too shiny nor completely matte. It looks the most natural because it looks like your skin! How perfect is that!

4. How much money you want to spend: While there are many amazing high end foundations out there (MAC Studio Fix Fluid, Makeup Forever HD foundation, and NARS Sheer Glow, to name a few), it is also possible to find your perfect foundation at the drugstore at a fraction of the cost. Two of my favorite drug store foundations are Revlon Colorstay Foundation and Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation. In my kit I have a variety of high-end and drugstore foundations but for myself I find myself reaching for drugstore foundations (and why not? With the money I save I can buy another more exciting product too!)

5. Any allergies or sensitivities you may have: For all of you who have acne-prone skin, I feel for you. Products in a foundation that cause breakouts or other reactions can turn an otherwise great foundation into a nightmare! Look out for ingredients such as mineral oil, silica, and corn starch which can clog pores or encourage the growth of bacteria on your face (gross!). Instead, look for the terms oil-free and non-comedogenic (does not clog pores) if you have acne-prone skin or the terms hypoallergenic or allergy-free if you have sensitive skin.

Consider these five tips when shopping for a foundation and hopefully the task will be a little less daunting! Stay tuned for part 2 all about how to find the perfect shade of foundation for your skin!

xoxo, Caitlin

My New Love: Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat!

 I love beautiful nail polish as much as the next makeup lover but I must admit that I used to rarely take the time to paint my fingernails. Now don't get me wrong, my toe nails are ALWAYS painted (I think toes look weird without polish LOL!) and I keep my nails neatly filed and my cuticles groomed but nail polish rarely graced the surface of my fingernails...until now! I recently purchased the much raved about Seche Vite nail top coat and I absolutely love it! In the past I used to spend forever painting my nails only to have the slowly drying polish smudge or chip and get scratched right away. I am extremely picky about how my finger nail polish looks and the second it would get messed up I would remove all the polish and avoid painting my nails for weeks! Seche Vite solves all of my nail polish woes because it is fast drying, extremely shiny, and more resistant to chipping and scratching than any top coat I have ever tried! I have started painting my fingernails on a regular basis and Seche Vite allows it to last for up to a week!

One thing to note though, Seche Vite contains some pretty harsh chemicals (you can smell the fumes when you use it) and I have read some things online saying that some bottles are printed with warnings stating that the product is known to the state of California to cause birth defects or something like that. While my bottle does not have such a warning on the back of it, I ALWAYS make sure to use this product in a very well ventilated area (preferrably outside or in a room that I won`t be spending much time in after I have painted my nails).

Overall, this is hands down the best nail top coat I have ever tried and I will continue to use it as long as I am in a well ventilated area! I hope everyone reading this is having a great day and thanks for stopping by my blog!

xoxo, Caitlin