Words like flawless are a given when it comes to foundation for ANY age, but once the lines of ‘experience’ appear, our radar seems to pick up on the word ‘wrinkles’.
We home-in on anti-ageing formulas seeking solutions to our own fine lines and wrinkles.
Skincare is of course critical to the equation, and then foundation.
Foundation is the icing on the cake, all the prettier for being there. Not to be mistaken for an anti-ageing treatment, foundation today is formulated for the widest range of coverage and finish.
Makeup artists would say foundation is an essential piece of your skincare arsenal. Enter Nigel Stanislaus, RescuMe Academy in-house Makeup Artist with techniques to help you upskill for your work on the shop floor!
Here we pick Nigel’s brains for expert techniques and experienced advice that he’s sharing in his online Be Your Own Makeup Artist Course.
Nigel, foundations today do everything from blurring imperfections and adding moisture to actually treating the skin with active ingredients. How does a woman begin to work through the available choice to narrow it down to what’s best for her?
Nigel: Different skins have different needs. Work out what is needed to balance your customer’s complexion and go from there. For maturing skins, you might want to find an illuminating formula like YSL Touché Éclat range. Cult Korean foundation – Sulwhasoo cushion foundation is excellent as it has ginseng extracts to nourish the skin. Armani’s Designer Lift Foundation does it all to achieve an effect of ‘ten years younger’. I personally use Chanel Aqua Vitalumiere as it gives me that beautiful feminine velvet finish or Armani Luminous Silk Foundation for a creamy finish.
We can adopt a philosophical attitude to getting older being a fact of life but many …no, MOST, women prefer to use beauty products that turn back the clock on the visible signs of ageing. What are the top three key elements of a foundation formulation that achieves this?
Nigel: Choose colour correcting concealer to balance out blues and purples in more mature skin tones. I personally use pinks and yellows to brighten up areas like the inner eye areas and around the mouth to give a lift up in radiance and luminosity. Skincare incorporated into foundation is a wonderful way of maintaining youthfulness. Cushion foundation like Sulwhasoo is great to give glow to skin. A finishing powder like by By Terry Hyaluronic Powder is great for setting makeup and still have a skincare ingredient to keep skin hydrated.
While we might be pretty good at using foundation to create a more youthful complexion, we see customers bearing a beautiful bevy of chest freckles that honestly say: “look at me, look at me” and betray the flawless face. Can you talk us through the greater role of foundation’s landscape (ie: including the chest)?
Nigel: I think this is a skincare / sunscreen question. Sharing Tip: Don’t ignore taking care of this area. And when you need more coverage, I would swirl on a mineral powder foundation to keep the area appear more flawless especially for those plunging necklines.
We can stand in front of the mirror, side-on and suck in our tummy just to see how we’d look after a month with no sweet treats but we can’t puff out our narrow face, if that’s what we’ve been blessed with as we age. How do you cosmetically plump up a face that’s aged through natural fat-loss, giving your customer the benefit of a decade?
Nigel: This is another skincare question. If it’s not done at the aesthetician with fillers and plumpers, I like hyaluronic acid at night and ascorbic acid for skin clarity.
Just like the common adage that a $20 white tee-shirt works with designer jeans so too can makeup be mixedand-matched across price points. What part does foundation play in this mix – go exey or go budget? Expensive foundation and budget lippie?
Nigel: I like to spend more on foundation to be honest. I think ‘drug store’ brands can still do the job well but I like to use luxury reputable foundation. These days, I like the idea of makeup-into-skincare foundation. However, we have Maybelline Age Rewind that I have used for years that’s a sure winner from the drugstore collection. Spend more on foundation and go drug store with mascara and blush.
What’s the ideal wardrobe of foundation. For example, say we need three coverages: BB Cream, Long Wear and Translucent? What do you reckon sales consultants should recommend and why?
Think about occasions and seasons. The warmer the season the less layers we wear. Like a BB cream in summer and maybe a richer formula for protection in winter.