Last week we covered how to make your skin beautiful from the inside out with a healthy diet, lifestyle and a proper cleansing regimen. Have you started exercising more, eating avocados and moisturizing? Your skin will thank you!

This week we will be covering the basics of applying a foundation for exciting makeup. It is bland and boring, but it is all part of the process, kids! Please remember that every one’s skin is different and certain products might not work that wonderfully for you. The products I’m suggesting are ones that have worked well for me, but please feel free to experiment and then share your findings here!

Now lets start with something I forgot last week:

Eyebrows

I just realized totally forgot eyebrows in the last post! Groomed eyebrows are definitely an important part of creating a perfect face. You would be surprised how much of a different a few plucked hairs can make.

Your brow should begin at your tear duct, peak at the outer edge of your iris and end at the outer corner of your eye. To make things simple: pluck in between your eyebrows (if needed). Hold your finger up to the side of your nose so it reaches up to your eyebrow. Then pluck any hairs that fall underneath your finger. Pluck any stray hairs under your natural arch and then clean up the end of your brows. If you have any crazy hairs above your brow make sure to take care of them too. We will get into the process of filling them in, later.

For an awesome guide on how to solve many eyebrow issues, go here.

Creating a Perfect Base

Now for the base! Make sure skin is properly cleansed, exfoliated and moisturized as described in our previous post.

Primer

A primer evens out your skin tone, and creates a smooth base for the rest of your makeup. Although some women use primer everyday, it works best when you want your makeup to stay put for a very long time. Like say, a night out at a club or an all day/night event. Primer is not for everyone. I, personally, am not a primer kind of girl. My skin is happiest when it is allowed to breathe. However I am lucky enough to have a pretty even and smooth complexion albeit very dry. Girls with problem or oily skin might find primers a godsend.

Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion- Pore Perfecting – This primer comes highly recommended. It is lightweight and not only evens out your skin, but minimizes pores. Be sure to only use a tiny drop – a little goes a long, long way!

Tinted Moisturizer

For the reasons listed above I am a die-hard tinted moisturizer girl. My face is very dry and tinted moisturizer kills two birds with one stone. Even though it is not a traditional foundation, you still need to make sure you get a color that matches your skin tone. You also need to make sure it is spread evenly. Unlike foundations you can apply tinted moisturizer with your fingers, just make sure you wash them after because the color will rub off on everything you touch!

Marie Veronique Organics Moisturizing Face Screen, SPF 30 – This is by far my favorite tinted moisturizer, ever. It goes on easily, is super blendable, and lasts much longer than regular tints. It also includes an SPF which makes this product a three-in-one: moisturizer, foundation, AND sunscreen.

Organic wear 100% Natural Origin Tinted Moisturizer -Physician’s Formula “Organic Wear” line is truly remarkable (and economical). Instead of just jumping on the green bandwagon and throwing one or 2 organic oils in the mix( like most of their “natural” drugstore counterparts), Organic wear is really 100% Free of Harsh Chemicals, Synthetic Preservatives, Parabens, GMO’s, Synthetic Colors and Fragrances, and is 100% Cruelty Free. These products are also high quality and work great! I highly recommend giving this line a try if you haven’t already. It is available in most drug stores.

Foundation

Foundations provide great maximum coverage for problem skin. They also create a wonderful base for glamorous-type makeup if you are attending a special event.. or just like to look like a rock star. It is VERY important you get a color that matches your current skin tone or else it will be very obvious in natural light. You also need to use a sponge applicator to apply the foundation evenly. Oh, and make sure you blend on to your neck. You don’t want to look like your wearing a mask, do you?

Organic wear 100% Natural Origin Liquid Foundation SPF 15 – This foundation follows all of the “natural” guidelines as it’s lightweight friend above, however it is thicker and formulated to soothe problem skin.

Herbs Of Grace Mineral Makeup Foundation – If you prefer minerals to traditional foundations, try this shimmery foundation made with limited ingredients. It can be applied wet or dry and gives great coverage.

Concealer

Some of you lucky betches might not need concealer at all, but us humans use it on a semi regular basis. Concealer works best when applied with a brush and blended into the rest of your makeup. If you have issues with heavy circles under your eyes try to use a concealer with a slightly yellow tint and make sure you blend it up by the corners of your eyes. Here are some more helpful hints to combat circles.

Zuzu Luxe Concealer – This awesome formula is talc, paraben, lead, and cruelty free. It is formulated for under-eye concealing but works all over the face.

Derma Minerals Concealer Brush #110 – Derma Minerals has some amazing vegan brushes. They are super soft, and don’t feel too synthetic-y like most vegan makeup brushes. They also don’t shed! I use #110 for my concealer and it covers imperfections better than any sponge or finger ever could. And guess what? All Derma Minerals brushes are currently 10% off with coup code “dermabrushes”!

Powder

And finally, the cherry on top of your perfect base is a powder to seal the deal, clear up any remaining shiny spots, and get you ready for some color.

Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Pressed Powder – I love this powder because it is super lightweight but covers up shiny spots like a champ. I also get nervous with powdered formulas because I would rather not breathe in harmful chemicals. With Organic Wear, you don’t have to worry about that because it doesn’t contain any of that nonsense!

Kabuki Brush #201 – While I love Physician’s Formula nad all, their brushes leave much to be desired. The PERFECT face powder brush is this Kabuki brush by Derma Minerals. (Again, all Derma Minerals brushes are currently 10% off with coup code “dermabrushes”)

What products/methods do you regularly use and love?

Next week we will be covering contouring with blush and bronzer! Exciting? I think so!