How to find the perfect foundation for your wedding day.
So how do you know find the perfect foundation for your wedding day?
The prefect foundation will transform your skin on your wedding day. It will even out your skin tone, make you look radiant, hide any imperfections and give you a flawless natural look.
But how do you know which product is right for you and what actually works?
As a makeup artist I’ve tested hundreds and hundreds of products to find what delivers and looks flawless under HD cameras.
(And I’m not sponsored by any cosmetics companies so I’m not biased in any way.)
I know what works. I know which products give you outstanding results, do what they promise and live up to the high demands of your Wedding Day.
So this is my insider’s guide on how to find the perfect foundation for your wedding day.
Because you deserve to look and feel fabulous on your special day!
HOW TO FIND YOUR PERFECT FOUNDATION
Know your skin type
It’s crucial to get to know your skin and to remember that it changes from season to season, as well as over time.
The best way to figure out your skin type is to see how it feels after it’s freshly cleansed, but before you apply your moisturiser.
DRY SKIN
If your skin feels tight and a little uncomfortable then it’s very likely you have dry skin. A hydrating foundation will benefit your skin tremendously.
You want to look dewy and glowing on your wedding day so a hydrating product is essential.
- Chanel Vita Lumiere Foundation £33 – dewy and soft, very light but lovely hydrating foundation
Bourjouis – Healthy Mix Serum Foundation £9.99 – this budget option looks great in daylight, gives radiance to your skin and is packed with vitamins
OILY SKIN
If your skin tends to look shiny and you have some larger, open pores then your skin is most likely oily.
An oil free, long wearing foundation will suit you and can help control and cover breakouts.
It needs ingredients that will work hard throughout your wedding day to prevent your makeup sliding off your face before you say I Do!
- Clinique Pore Refining Foundation £25
- Laura Mercier Silk Creme Oil Free £35 (particularly excellent for acne suffers)
- Laura Geller Balance and Brighten Baked Foundation £26
SENSITIVE SKIN
Sensitive skin can range from dry to oily, but is prone to redness and can also be itchy or blotchy. You may also suffer from conditions such as rosacea and eczema.
A treatment foundation will help soothe your skin and keep redness at bay so you have the perfect foundation on your Wedding Day.
- Dr Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation £45 – a treatment foundation packed with vitamin C, airy light, giving you beautiful skin
- Oxygenetix £38 – created in partnership with dermatologists this foundation is remarkably healing
MATURE SKIN
You may feel your skin has lost its natural radiance and laughter lines seem much more pronounced. Hormonal changes can wreak havoc and you may have discolouration and pigmentation as well as an uneven skin tone.
It’s definitely worth investing in foundations with high performance, active ingredients that restore a youthful glow to the skin and have rejuvenating, added skincare benefits.
- Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation £29.50 – magic in a bottle for softening lines and blurring imperfections
- Joan Collins £25 – skincare and makeup in one giving a light veil of soft coverage which is very buildable
- Dior Skin Star Foundation £32 – active skincare and ultimate radiance in one for a beautiful youthful glow
Test your foundation in natural daylight
It’s vital that you see what the foundation looks like on your skin in natural daylight. Especially f you’re in the middle of a department store at a makeup counter. The lighting will not give a true reflection of how that foundation looks on your skin.
So don’t be afraid to ask for a sample. Most cosmetics counter staff are very experienced and want you to find a perfect match.
So be bold and ask.
At the very least take a swatch of the product on your skin. Then step outside and have a close look with a mirror in daylight.
Match your foundation to your neck
Place some foundation along your jaw line and down your neck. It should blend seamlessly.
There should be NO tell-tale tide mark on your neck
Try a couple of shades alongside each other to compare which truly matches your skin perfectly.
Allow the foundation to settle on your skin for five or ten minutes. Some foundations have a tendency to change colour once on your skin, so give it time and check if it’s still a perfect match.
If this sounds like a lot of effort just remember, it will prevent you from risking looking the colour of an ‘oompa lumpa’ on your special day. And help you avoid making an expensive mistake.
Use a high performance primer
Primers are a godsend.
A great primer acts like a base coat smoothing out any imperfections. They help create a perfect canvass on which to apply your foundation, so you look flawless and help your makeup last all day.
- Cosmetics a la Carte Rose Dew £39
A wonderful cream primer that’s non greasy but leaves skin perfected – allow to settle on skin for five minutes before applying your foundation.
- Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Radiance £29
Created by the legendary makeup artist this primer is one of my personal favourites. It gives the skin an almost ethereal glow and makes your skin feel wonderful.
- Becca Ever Matt Poreless Priming Perfector £28
Instantly absorbs excess sebum on oilier skins, refines open pores making them almost invisible, lightweight on your skin but leaves it feeling velvet soft.
Apply in fine layers
On your wedding morning after you’ve cleansed and moisturized and prepared your skin with a great primer then you’re ready to apply your foundation.
The absolute key to a flawless look is to apply a little in a very fine layer and to blend it seamlessly into your skin.
You can apply your foundation using your fingers. Pour a few drops into the palm of your hand – your natural body heat will help warm the product and this helps enhance a smooth application.
Dot your foundation on your T zone first – the central part of your face -forehead, nose and chin. Apply lightly and sparingly with your finger tips.
And blend to perfection
Then begin to massage with gentle strokes blending to the outer planes of your face, almost as you would your moisturiser.
It should naturally disappear as you meet your jaw line.
Now take a soft synthetic brush and gently buff your foundation moving in soft circular motions, again from the centre of your face outwards, creating a flawless finish.
If you want more coverage, then apply a little more, sparingly to those areas where you feel you need it, blending with finger tips and then buff again with your brush.
Your skin will look soft, radiant and beautifully perfected.
HIRE A PROFESSIONAL ON YOUR WEDDING DAY
Most brides want to relax on their special day and know they simply don’t have to worry about their makeup because they are in the hands of a professional.
If you truly want your makeup to last till the very last dance on your wedding day then you need aa makeup artist to apply it for you. It truly is worth the investment and you will benefit from our expertise and high performance products.
So get in touch today and let us make you look and feel truly fabulous on your wedding day.