I put about 1/2 a pump of each shade (I mix two) onto the back of my hand with one pump of AURIC Glow Lust, then dab a foundation brush into the mixture and apply to my face. I’m using my MJB face brushes still (I don’t have a preference between the ones) to apply.
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Dot the foundation onto my face, then use either a MAC 170 or Sigma Kabuki brush so blend it into my skin.
Beauty blender. I have about 45 seconds to do my makeup in the morning and this blends it the fastest.
I put a few drops of foundation on back of hand. Apply with kabuki style foundation brush. Just apply to areas that need coverage. Blend
Pump foundation on the back of my hand then dot with fingers to areas of face and slightly spread. Then take my IT cosmetics airbrush serum foundation brush and blend and smooth it out. This is for thin foundations…for any cream or thicker foundations I use a damp beauty blender…
P.S. Glad to know someone else blends two foundations! Can’t understand why most brands consider “pink” undertones orange and neutral undertones “yellow”….even with 40+ shades I never seem to find the perfect match!!!! Sorry I just had to vent (Ha!)
YES, PENNY — this is the story of my life with undertones!! I’ve learned that a cool undertone is: peach, dark salmon or orange at Laura Mercier and yellow at Bobbi Brown, L’Oreal and YSL & Lancome (both reformulated). All Too Faced Born This Way foundation & concealer shades are varying depths of the same shade of yellow, although many are labeled “Rosy”. It’s hard enough finding a foundation or concealer with a shade light enough for me but then I always have to contend with the undertone nonsense. Laura Mercier always comes to mind because I have the lightest shade of her concealer; not only is it too dark, but it’s straight up orange! This is why I’m so faithful to MAC lol!
Sorry for my venting but I had to show my support for your troubles!!
I like a very sheer foundation, so I premix my foundation with a facial moisturizer to “thin it”. I apply with my fingers. I’ve use a beauty blender in the past and just find that using my fingers gives me the most sheer, natural look.
Yeah, it’s that time of year when I need to mix two shades of MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation in NW30 (my tube of NW35 has gone MISSING 😱) with NC41 with a little bit of Strobe Cream. Put the mixture on the back of my hand, swirl together, and apply with my damp Real Techniques Beauty Sponge.
Thing is, as much as I once loved this formula, my skin has oddly become more oily and breakout prone since last year’s hysterectomy? Making NO sense! So, I am going to try to get shade matched to the Haus Labs foundation or GA Power Silk. If anyone oily/combination has tried either one, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!
Hey Nancy…..I used to wear the Power Silk and loved it…..just gravitated on to other brands for some unknown reason…I tried Haus Labs and wasn’t crazy about it…it didn’t last on me. Haus is more skin like than GA but liked the coverage of GA better and it seemed to hold up longer during the day……………
Thank you for the insight into both formulas, Penny! I’ve been on the hunt for something that lasts all day, especially for the days that last 12-14 hours or so, yet still doesn’t look too heavy, either. Then there’s the whole matching of my skin’s undertone with the overtone issue. I sure don’t want “floating head syndrome”, if you know what I mean! Going to have to go to a freestanding Sephora to find a GA PS match, methinks.
Hi Nancy,
I got a few samples of the Haus foundation and it looked nice until I noticed in natural light that I was sparkly. Some other reviews, not all, have mentioned the same thing so it may be a shade specific ingredient issue (I’m very fair with cool undertone).
Also, it contains quite a few different oils, I counted 5 but the list is confusing, so even if it wasn’t sparkly, I couldn’t wear it now, in the gross swampy summer here in Manhattan as it would slide off my face. I would get samples if possible but if not, Sephora’s great return policy is always appreciated!
Three petite peas size dots or even smaller (each cheek, forehead) blended in with fingers. I’ve been using solely my fingers for foundation application in the past 3-4 years and I am not going back to using tools probably ever.
I am almost exclusively using an air puff as I am only using a couple of different cushion foundations. Still looking for my perfect replacement for my Chosungah 22 foundation that was discontinued a few years ago. I am currently trying out the Pony Cushion, Dior cushion and a Flee cushion which is suppose to be hydrating. My skin has continued to be very dry and I am adjusting my skincare to really pack the hydration while not having such a heavy layer on my skin. It is a delicate balancing act! Too much hydration and my makeup starts to look cakey. During the pandemic and until about six months ago, I stopped using makeup completely and didn’t use any skincare either. What a huge mistake that was. My hyperpigmentation erupted with a vengeance and it brought many new friends along with it. I am trying a lot of new products to hopefully start fading it a bit. At 70, I doubt I will get rid of it completely but even some fading would be helpful. I have also been using the Hourglass Veil Tint on days that I don’t want to do a full face of makeup.
Hi Deborah,
I have a few dark hyperpigmentation spots and they get worse in the summer months. I started using Kiehls Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Correcting Serum in the Spring. It did not take the spots totally away but it kept them light enough that any cover up that I use totally covers the spots which has never happened to me before. Good luck!
Thank you so much for the suggestion, Brenda. I am willing to try anything that I can afford. I had been looking at devices but they are all quite expensive and I am not sure I would commit to the time and usage so would be a waste if I didn’t use them. I have been being very faithful to my skincare and am always looking for new suggestions. I will give Kiehls a try.
Hi Deborah,
Even though I’ve always hated the sun, when I hit 40 a few yrs ago, I developed some hyperpigmentation and a few small dark spots for the first time, all of which are very noticeable because of my vampire pale skintone. Forgive me if you’ve already tried them but the Good Molecules Niacinamide Brightening Toner and Discoloration Correcting Serum have worked wonders for me. I saw results within about 4 weeks and after 9 months of regular use, the hyperpigmentation has faded considerably and the spots are barely visible. This is a recent skin issue for me so I can’t speak to long-term, stubborn marks but I wanted to share just in case.
Also, if you may like the Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream. It’s not a cushion but it’s great for dry skin types, has SPF 42 and costs less than $15 on Amazon, where authentic Missha US products are sold. The shade range isn’t the best and some have a grayish undertone (which i love) but if you’re used to cushion foundation, you won’t be surprised lol! I wear shade 13, which is a great match for my MAC NW10 skintone.
Sorry for the novel length comment!
Thank you for the suggestions, Cara. I am willing to try anything. I have super pale skin also and I really can use most of the lighter cushions. I wear 13, 17 and sometimes I can get away with 21 if the undertone is correct. I am mostly neutral but cool undertones work also. I am sure that my pale skin is why my hyperpigmentation stands out so much, although my daughter says that she doesn’t think it is that bad. When I look in the mirror, the spots are all I see. I grew up on the beach in southern California and we sun worshipped all summer long. When I started working, I was an RN on night shift, I never saw the light of day for about 30 years. I slept all day but didn’t put sunscreen on. Back in those days, science hadn’t caught up with the fact that rays are penetrating our houses and windows whether we are in direct sunlight or not. I was doing pretty well with them until I stopped using any skincare. I literally washed my face with a bar of soap and called it a day. I think the Missha Perfect Cover BB cream sounds like something I would enjoy. I like to mix out my foundations every few days and rotate through my cushions, BB creams and regular foundations. The more I wear BB creams and cushions the better I like them. They are so light that they don’t usually settle into my fine lines and wrinkles, of which I have many!
I really love the Missha Modern Shadow Glitter Prism eye shadows. I should stop wearing glitter/shimmer on my eyes as I know it ages them and once you have texture and wrinkles they don’t look as nice but I am enjoying them and that is what makeup is all about for me. I just ordered four more shades so can’t wait to get those. I will order the BB cream and give it a try and report back! Thanks for the suggestion.
You are most welcome!
I feel the same way about my hyperpigmentation; it’s all I see when I look in the mirror, even though I’m told it’s not noticeable and I know it’s faded significantly.
I’m sure the sparkly shadows look beautiful on you and you absolutely should continue wearing them!
I look forward to hearing how you get on with the Missha BB cream if you try it!
Thank you Cara. I am placing an order for it today. I am using the Florasis Foundation today for the first time and have to say that I really love it. I had tested it on the back of my hand and it seemed to be really dry. I was worried how it would look but I added the Glow Serum from Tru Alchemy and it went on like a dream. I have had it on for about 9 hours now and still no settling in my fine lines and wrinkles. They have a cushion also which I may give a try. I mentioned that I am trying so many as I am hoping to find one that has the right shade and performs like my old holy grail foundation which was the Chosungah 22 foundation. They discontinued it even before I gave up makeup. It was the perfect shade and wear for me. I am getting close, I think!!
If using liquid – put a pump of foundation to the back of my hand and use a very slightly damp Flower Beauty sponge to apply it to my face. If powder foundation, I use the Rephr 22 brush to tap and blend light layers until the desired coverage, usually light to medium, is achieved. I use powder foundation more often than liquid and lately have been loving the new Sephora Collection Best Skin
I have been eyeing that powder foundation from Sephora, glad to see someone from here mention it.
Hi! I’ve been wearing powder foundation for years so I’ve tried many but since buying this, it’s the only one I’ve used. Lancome’s Dual Finish powder foundation has been my go-to for a while but Sephora’s wears better throughout the day, and I’ve really put it to the test recently since summer here in Manhattan is like Hell’s swamp. It doesn’t crack or cling to dry patches, it just evens out my skintone while reducing redness.
One thing to note, if you’re looking for full coverage, like MAC Studio Fix Powder or even Bare Minerals, this may not provide enough but I get light to a solid medium coverage easily; it just doesn’t build to full. Lastly, 85% of the reviews on Sephora’s site are incentivized but I bought mine the day it launched and reviewed it soon afterwards (Cara80 is my username and I have shade 04)
Since I only use powders on my face, foundation, bronzer and blush I use velour puffs to press them in. Then off to the washing machine they go. As much as I love makeup anything cream formula scares me only because I have oily skin combined with humidity it would all melt.
This summer has been so hot and humid that the very thought of makeup feels heavy and suffocating. I’ve only been using Mac F & B (C2 or N2 depending on how golden I want to look) which means it’s hands only. Fast, simple, foolproof and lasts.
I apply my foundation with my fingertips – I quite dislike using brushes as I think I would waste a lot of product in them. I dot the foundation over my face and work it in.
I don’t always use foundation because I wear sunscreen every day but when I do I pump some onto the back of my hand, dot it on my face with a finger, and use a (sometimes wet if I’m not feeling lazy) Beautyblender to blend it in. I’ve never gotten brushes to work for me — they always seem to push the makeup visibly into my pores. Not the look I’m going for!
I’ve never been able to apply liquid foundation with a brush either! I’ve tried many different types but the foundation never looks as seamless as it does with a damp sponge; it’s streaky, clings to dry patches, micro-exfoliates so it the foundation doesn’t melt in, and/or accentuates every pore I never knew I had. I always have to wash my face completely and redo it with a sponge.
I have huge pores and the only thing I use with liquid foundations is a Beauty blender, fingers or brushes seems to push the foundation into my pores, making for that lovely polka dot look.
I like MAC Studio Fix Powder foundation, I use it with the spongy like thing that comes with, or a denser foundation brush.
I pump a little bit of foundation at a time to my finger, place it on the skin and blend with fingers before moving on to the next “section” of my face: forehead, cheeks, and a little extra on my nose and jaw each at a time, and finally the tiniest amount under my eyes. I have good control over the pump of the Chanel foundation I am currently using (seems to be a discontinued version of the Ultra Le Teint) so I’m always getting just the right amount. During autumn and spring, when I’m in between shades, I blend two shades on the back of my hand before applying with fingers but scrubbing the foundation off the back of my hand is something I am more than happy to avoid, when using only one shade. I am not good at washing brushes or sponges that often, so fingers are for me the easiest way of applying foundation.
However I feel plus the state of my skin and the weather all impact how I put on my foundation. Right now, I’m doing summer in a dry environment where the water is very hard (limestone wise) so my skin (and face) feel itchy and dry. So, I’m using more layers (serums, primer or moisturizer) before my foundation. This makes my application change to using my fingers (patting on) or beauty sponge, as to not move the products around. And I have to wait between layers, which I usually don’t have to in other conditions.