FOUNDATION

My foundation routine has been one which has constantly changed over the years due to products which have either not suited what I've been looking for or have just been a general let down. I was born with a port wine stain birthmark over the right side of my forehead and right eye and after living with it for 18 years, I have found a routine which works for me at concealing it. Personally, I like to keep my foundation as light as possible with a really dewy finish which has always been hard to accomplish when concealing a birthmark, so I have adapted my foundation routine to meet both needs of coverage in some areas and dewiness in others. I hope this is useful to those who also have trouble concealing when trying not to look like a full on cake face. (be prepared for dodgy photo skills)

So here is my very happy looking bare face. My birthmark isn't too clear due to harsh lighting (sorry!). And if you were wondering why my eyes don't match, it's scarring in my right eye, which means I am now left with David Bowie eyes (kinda cool, I guess). I have fairly normal skin, however can get a bit oily in the center of my forehead and down the nose.

Firstly, I like to start by using La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo which is good for reducing the excess oil which tends to make my foundation slip during the day, especially through the center of my face. It is also a gel like formula which works into the skin so quickly that it makes a fabulous foundation base :-)

Next I will apply foundation, I'm a big fan of NARS Sheer Glow at the moment, with its light illuminating texture, but build-able formula, I think it's perfect for an everyday foundation. I will either use my fingers to apply this, or for a bit more coverage, I will use the Real Techniques Buffing Brush.

For concealing my birthmark, MAC Studio Finish Concealer has come out on top (as you can see, I've nearly finished my 4th), I use NC15, as the NC with cooler tones will help counteract the red in my birthmark. I just use a hard synthetic brush to stipple over my birthmark area.

It is important to set the area where the skin has been concealed as well as where any additional shine may occur to improve longevity. For this I used Rimmel's Stay Matte powder in 001 Transparent. I did not powder anywhere else as I wanted the skin to have a dewy finish. This powder does a great job at helping my foundation last all day and smells so good!!

 To highlight my face, I wanted to use a liquid light reflecting pen as it looks a lot more natural than a powder highlighter. I used YSL's Touche Éclat to highlight the high point of my face such as across the tops of my cheek bones, cupid's bow and a small amount to conceal any bluey tones under the eyes, as the peach tone of the illuminating pen will correct this.

I am using the bronze colour in my Sleek Contouring Kit to contour areas of my face. I applied this in the hollows of me cheeks, through the temple and hair line, and then just round my jaw line. This is going to add more dimension to the face as sometimes just wearing foundation can make it appear quite flat. I used the Real Techniques contouring brush to apply this as it gives a lot of control and precision due to the small size.

Finally, I added a touch of my Clinique Chubby Stick in 06 Woppin' Watermelon just to the apples and near the tops of my cheeks and blended it with my foundation brush to add a small hint of blush.

And voilá! That's pretty much it for my everyday foundation base, I'll often switch some of the products up but it more or less sticks to the same steps. Thank you if you took the time to read this, it's greatly appreciated! And I hope it helped anyone stuck finding some good base products for your skin and feel free to ask any questions :-) have a good day!