Cream foundation combines the best aspects of powder and liquid formulations, and can look both flawless and natural when used correctly. We grilled make-up artist to the stars Allan A. Apone on his top tips for creating the perfect base, and finding your perfect foundation match.
Our current cream foundation obsession is Gerda Spillmann’s Bio-Fond Cream Foundation – you’ll find it in your Feb box! We asked Allan (he’s worked on movies including Bridesmaids and Django Unchained) for his step-by-step guide to creating the perfect base:
- PREPARE: This ensures that the make- up lasts all day. Start by applying a little toner, then add a primer or moisturiser. I like to use Gerda Spillmann’s Hydro Pearls because it’s water based — good for just about any skin type. It really helps the finished look to appear flawless, even under the scrutiny of High Definition.
- APPLY: I prefer applying foundation with a brush. For me, the product moves so smoothly on the skin this way and it helps me control coverage to a specific area. I will sometimes use a sponge for blending, (the Beautyblender gives a flawless finish) but I do not apply make-up with fingers. Not only is it unsanitary, but my manly hands are too big for that!
- SET: To ensure that the application will sustain filming, I use an old Hollywood trick; I load powder on a puff and pat it into the foundation, then use a wide flat powder brush to burnish the powder into the foundation. This gives a satin finish to the skin and sets the make-up all day with very little touchup. Top Tip: If you don’t like a matte finish, you can set with Vichy’s Thermal Spa Water for a more dewy look.
FINDING YOUR PERFECT MATCH:
Your skin naturally changes colour between winter and summer, due to the amount of sun exposure. So how do you make your one favourite foundation adapt? There are a few tips and tricks you can try if your foundation isn’t the perfect match for you right now:
- Love the formula but it’s too dark? The beauty of liquid and cream foundations is that you can easily mix them, unlike a powder. Senior editor Beth has such pale skin that she always mixes MAC Strobe Liquid in with her foundation in the winter – you can mix in a lighter formulation or just a moisturiser on the back of your hand, like a makeshift palette. MAC Face & Body Foundation in C1 is a blendable light shade that can be mixed in and adapted to match your exact colour.
- Love the formula but it’s too light? When you’ve been on holiday and have a killer tan, the same can be done with darker shades of foundation, or a liquid bronzer like this one from NARS.
- Contour! If you have a few different shades of base that you’ve collected at different times of the year, you can use them to try a little contouring, celebrity-style!
Are you a fan of cream foundations? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
- Grace