Ok people, so you’ve spent some time researching mineral foundation, trying out a few different ones, and now you’ve picked a favorite. For me that’s Bella Terra’s Mineral Foundation. So now that you’ve spent some money on a fabulous, healthy, natural product, you want it to last, right? I’ll give you some tips and methods to make your foundation last all day, and hopefully into the evening, because I know sometimes there’s no time to reapply before happy hour.
The first, and maybe the most important, step in any beauty routine is to exfoliate and cleanse your skin. Dead skin cells accumulate on your face, even in short amounts of time. To quote my grandmother, if you are “putting your face on” in the morning before work as many of us are, then dead skin cells and sweat from the pillow you just abandoned are a huge culprit for clogging pores and making your makeup flake and slough off during the day. Using an exfoliator to scrub off any dirt and harmful particles is an essential first step to making your foundation last for long periods of time.
Once your face is clean and refreshed, you must moisturize. I don’t care if you live in the Sahara Desert or near the ocean where the air is so thick with humidity that you can see it, you are going to need a daily moisturizer. It’s important to find a moisturizer that works with your skin type, so experiment with those and find one that works best for you. It also doesn’t matter what skin type you have, you will still need to moisturize. I have naturally oily skin, and I use a daily moisturizer because it is so good for my skin, evens out skin tone and texture, and creates an essential base layer for foundation.
Next, I like to use Makeup Primer. Primer is a clear, gel-like product that fills in fine lines and other imperfections, creating a smooth canvas on your skin. It forms a bond with your cosmetics, helping them adhere more strongly to your face and last until you choose to take them off. The primer also allows you to use less product, which makes the time in between shopping trips longer. Not to mention the Bella Terra Makeup Primer I use is incredibly soft and silky, and works excellently with ourfoundation. I also use Eye Primer to conceal dark circles under my eyes. I feel like this helps my powder foundation stay in place longer, giving me a uniformly luminous and smooth final look.
A friend of mine came up with her own technique. She uses BB Cream instead of makeup primer, applying it by tapping it in deeply into her skin. BB Cream is a 3-in-1 product that serves as a moisturizer, anti-aging cream, and concealer. BB Cream provides good coverage by itself and adding powered foundation on top helps create a truly flawless, long lasting look.
Now that your face is clean, moisturized, and primed, it’s time to apply your foundation powder. At this step, it’s extremely essential to have a good brush, because how else is the mineral powder supposed to get from the container to your face? There are a myriad of different brushes out there, but I love Bella Terra Brushes because they’re not made of bunnies, but have super-soft synthetic fibers that make application amazing and easy. As for style of brushes, that’s up to you. There are brushes made strictly for foundation, and those work wonderfully. I have friends who swear by their bronzer brush and use that for everything, and that’s great too. Personally I like Kabouki brushes, mostly because there’s no long handle to wield and I feel like I have more control. Once you’ve got your brush picked out you are ready to go. One of the reasons I like Bella Terra’s Mineral Foundation so much is due to the small openings in the powder guard, which allow you to tap out only as much product as you need. This way you don’t end up with a whole clump of wasted product on your brush that will either dust off, cause streaks on your face, or create a big cloud when you accidently exhale near the brush. I’ve found that a blotting motion and small circles with the brush work best to ensure overall coverage, as well as massage the product deep into your skin so your color won’t wear off throughout the day.
And you’re finished! Well, finished with foundation anyway. Now you can go on to do all those other things that make your face a work of art, but at least you have created a fabulous, luminous, long lasting canvas. But seriously, don’t forget to exfoliate, cleanse, and moisturize. That part is non-negotiable.