There are a few makeup products that can be applied imperfectly and can still look great. A smudgy eyeliner can appear rock ’n’ roll and a dab of lipstick may be all you need to brighten your complexion. But foundation isn’t one of those products that you can apply without technique.
Even when something minor is “off” about your foundation, like when the shade is too warm or cool for your skin tone or you’ve applied just a little too much makeup to one area of your face, it’s difficult not to notice. This is because your skin is the canvas upon which all other makeup sits. Anything less than perfectly blended foundation can stick out like a sore thumb, and the most expertly applied eyeshadow can’t save this mishap.
Beauty Expert Rose Siard has a tip that can make a major difference: avoiding one major mistake that many of us make. “Don’t do this,” Siard warns. “This is one of the main reasons your foundation is patchy, streaky, and not wearing properly.” Here is the mistake — and Siard’s solution.
Mistake: Applying Foundation To Your Brush
We understand: getting foundation on your hands is a messy ordeal and it doesn’t always wash off with ease. But applying foundation directly to your makeup brush has an obvious downside, according to Siard: you run the risk of the makeup not being applied to your brush evenly, which means not applying it to your face evenly. “Uneven product on the brush or sponge equals uneven product on your face,” Siard says.
Another Mistake: Over-Apply Foundation
The answer to applying foundation to your brush is not to take the tube or bottle and apply makeup directly to your skin — this can also result in some areas of your face getting flooded with more product, while others receive less. “You’re just not going to get the most out of your foundation or the tool you’re using with this technique,” Siard says.
A Better Solution: Use a Spatula
Instead of relying on the aforementioned methods, Siard is a fan of applying foundation to the back of her hand (mixing makeup with your body warmth is never a bad thing for any product) and then applying it with a makeup spatula that allows you to smooth makeup on. You can then use a large foundation brush and press makeup into your skin to spread it out — which will take it far. If you find that you need more coverage in certain areas, simply add foundation to those places as you go.
Easy, breezy, and with no streaking and caking.
