Complexion 101: Everything You Need to Know to Achieve a Flawless Face!

 COMPLEXION 101

Everything you need to know to flaunt a flawless face!

I know a lot of Bombshell Beauties out there get mixed messages when it comes to complexion make-up. I am here to set the record straight and give you easy how-to steps. The first and most important part is having the right tools...i.e. products! You want to invest in a good concealer, foundation, and powder brush. 

     
Benefits of Using a Brush:

• More hygienic than using fingers
• Gives skin a natural, smooth, professional-looking finish
• Easier to blend products
• Make-up lasts longer 

My favorite brush to use for moisturizer, primer, foundation and even sometimes concealer is the Sephora Collection Foundation Brush #47

Sephora Collection makes a great 7 piece anti-bacterial brush set that is a steal at $60.
**Always remember to clean your brushes thoroughly every 2-3 weeks using brush cleaner or your favorite facial wash.


Now the key to achieving beauty-full make-up results begins with achieving beauty-full skin.

4 steps to beauty-full skin (the basics): 
             1.) Cleanse
             2.)Treat
             3.)Moisturize
             4.)Protect


         This means beginning your make-up application with a nice even application of the appropriate moisturizer for your skin, eye cream and some kind of sun protection. Many moisturizers have SPF in them now, which is great, however, I recommend that women get their sun protection in their make-up. 


For any SPF to be its most effective it needs to be re-applied throughout the day and what bombshell beauty wants to put moisturizer or sun-block on over their make-up through-out the day?


 Re-applying a pressed, loose or mineral finishing powder with SPF is much more realistic for the bombshell beauties' lifestyle. I recommend using your foundation brush to apply your moisturizer. 

Next is PRIMER...

Now primer is something that professional make-up artists have been using for years to achieve flawless results for film, tv, runway, and print, but it is now coming into the consciousness of the public.

Bombshell Beauties here is 4 reasons why you should always be using primer!

1. It preps the skin acting as a barrier between your complexion products and your skin's texture
2. It hydrates & makes your make-up wear longer, so it doesn't disappear 1/2 way thru the day
3. It makes your product last longer, because it minimizes the appearance of pores and fine lines so, you use less complexion product.
4. Creates a smooth, flawless finish and the perfect canvas for your make-up.

**There are primers specifically designed for certain skin types & conditions, primers w/spf, primers that are color correcting, brightening, highlighting, and light diffusing and come in gels and creams.

My favorite full face primers are:

• Makeup Forever HD Micro-perfecting primer collection for color correcting
• Smashbox Photo Finish Targeted Pore & Line Primer for min. the appearance of pores/fine lines 
• LORAC aquaPRIME Oil-free makeup primer for sensitive, oily, or acne prone skin
• Sephora Collection Perfecting Ultra Smoothing Primer for brightening dull skin and dark spots and an ultra smooth, even texture for every skin type
• Check out Sephora's Primer Page to see a huge assortment of great primers

Apply even layer, using foundation brush to the middle of the face and blend out to the perimeter.

Concealer:

It is always good to be mindful of what it is you wish to conceal. Whether it be dark circles, scars, blemishes, or hypo/hyperpigmentation concealer can help you fake a beauty-full complexion. This also helps you to see what treatment products you may want to incorporate into your skincare regiment to address the concerns you are want to conceal.

You need to know what kind of coverage you want as well. Liquid is a lighter coverage, whereas, sticks & creams are fuller coverage

My fave concealers are:

• Stila Perfecting Concealers for normal skin
• Benefit Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealers for MAJOR coverage, great for hyperpigmentation
• Sephora Collection Smoothing & Brightening Concealer for concealing imperfections, dark circles, and smoothing fine lines while brightening.
• Cover Fx Camouflage Concealer for oily and acne prone skin. 
• Korres Quercetin & Oak Anti-aging & Anti-wrinkle Concealer for mature skin
• Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer for scars
• Check out Sephora's Concealer Page for more concealing options

*With a concealer brush, apply a concealer one shade lighter than your foundation to disguise under eye circles, or the same shade as your foundation to cover blemishes or redness around the nose, blend using short back and forth strokes

Choosing the right Foundation shade:

• First determine whether you have a foundation undertone of pink, beige, yellow, or red.
•  Choose one shade you think might be close to your skin's color and apply a small dot or line of it along the jawline.
• Next, do the same on either side of the first dot/line using one shade lighter and one shade darker. 
• Blend each in and see which one disappears into your skin the most. 
• (You can keep moving lighter or darker if you need to)

Foundation:

There are a wide variety of foundation products today that provide sheer, medium, or full coverage, and also offer other skincare benefits.

To pick the perfect foundation for you...you need to know 3 things:

Coverage             Finish               Formulas                        

sheer                    matte                tinted moisturizer              

medium               natural               liquid                                 

full                       dewy                cream                                

                                                      stick

                                                     wet/dry

                                                    cream-to-powder

                                                      mineral

* You also need to consider if you want your foundation to have any treatment properties for specific skin types & conditions. (Example: salicylic acid for acne prone skin)

If you have dry skin you're going to want to use a cream, as they tend to be more hydrating.

Oily skin might want to try a powder or mineral foundation for oil control.

Some of my favorite foundations:

• Benefit Cosmetics Play Sticks for normal to dry skin
• Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation for sensitive skin
• LORAC Natural Performance Foundation for combination or transitional skin
• Make-Up Forever HD Invisible Cover Foundation for max coverage and staying power
• Tarte ReCreate Anti-aging Foundation with Wrinkle Rewind Technology SPF 15 for mature skin
• Cover Fx Powder Fx Mineral Powder Foundation for oily & acne prone skin
• Check out Sephora's Foundation Page for more options

You want to start in the center of the face using your foundation brush and blend outward. It is always best to gradually layer and build until you've achieved the desired amount of coverage.

Ahhh Finishing Powder

This step is going to set your make-up to wear all day. Many finishing powders also mattify (control shine), minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines, and treat acne concerns.

1. I love, love, love me a translucent powder. These don't work as well on deeper skin tones though.
2. Loose powder is for all skin types and provides a natural finish.
3. Pressed powders these days can come with a myriad of skin concern treatment options.
4. Cream based powder for max coverage & wet-to-dry powder for a matte finish

My Favorite Finishing Powders:

• Make-up Forever HD Microfinish Powder-Universal for all skin types, flawless finish
• LORAC POREfection pressed powder for minimizing the appearance of pores & fine lines
• Tarte Smooth Operator Micronized Clay Finishing Powder with PM20 for sensitive skin
• Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Original SPF 15 Mineral Veil for mature skin
• Benefit Hello Flawless SPF 15 for maximum coverage
• Korres Wild Rose Mineral Setting Powder for oily or acne prone skin
• Check out Sephora's Powder Selection for more options

Use a Big fluffy powder brush tapping excess, then buffing powder into the skin using circular motions.

You should now have a Bombshell Beauty-full Complexion and can keep it natural or add color from here...Hope this has helped clearly define how you can achieve perfect coverage and a flawless face.

Please feel free to ask any questions  and hope you have a happy hump day!!!

XoXo-Bombshell Beauty