How To: Get Flawless Long Lasting Foundation

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For years I’ve been searching for the perfect foundation that will give me a flawless base and last all day and I finally think I’ve found that. I now believe that it’s not all down to the foundation and that preparation and a good primer plays a big part in getting your base to look flawless and last all day.

Step 1- Cleanse and moisturise face
A key to getting your foundation to apply smoothly and evenly is to make sure you apply a good hydrating moisturiser to a clean face before hand. My favourite moisturiser that I like to apply before I put on any make up is the Garnier Moisture Math moisturiser for dull skin.

Step 2 – Apply a primer
Before I had used a primer I was skeptical about them and thought there was no way they could ever make your foundation last any longer. But gosh how wrong I was! Applying a primer before your foundation not only makes it last a lot longer but also makes your pores appear smaller which leaves your skin looking flawless. The primer I use which gives me at least an extra three hours wear is the Elf Face Primer.

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Step 3 – Apply a long lasting foundation
My absolute favourite foundation which delivers outstanding, long lasting results is Mac’s Pro Longwear foundation. As the name suggests this stuff does not budge all day and along with the two other steps can leave your skin looking flawless for up to 16 hours! My tip to achieve a flawless coverage is to apply the foundation directly to your face and then buff it in in downward motions.

Step 4 – Set everything
You may think you don’t need to powder your face if you don’t suffer with oily skim but powder doesn’t just control oil it also sets everything on your face making it last a lot longer. If you do suffer with dryer skin just powder through your t zone and where you’ve put concealer. If you’re on the oiler side lightly powder your whole face.

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There we have it, this is the final look using 4 steps to achieve long lasting flawless looking foundation.

Do you have any tips to make your foundation last longer?

 

Make-Up Basics

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Make up can be confusing if you’re a beginner, I mean there’s so many different things. Foundation, concealer, blush, highlighter, bronzer? What are they all for? Whether you’ve just started wearing make up or you just want to learn more, you’ve come to the right place.

Concealer
I think concealer is an essential in any make up kit. This stuff will be your lifesaver when it comes to covering up any blemishes, dark eye circles and even redness. There’s many different forms of concealer including liquid (my personal favourite), cream and powder. The best concealer I have ever used and is a great price is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer m this stuff offers high coverage and works great under the eyes and for covering up spots.

Foundation
Foundation is completely optional and you may find that you don’t need it or want to wear it. If that’s the case you can just use concealer or a tinted moisturiser. If you do want to cover up some blemishes or even out your skin tone foundation will do that for you. If you’re looking for a light to medium coverage (covers up small blemishes but still shows your natural skin, great for summer and younger people) I’d recommend something like the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation. If you have more to cover up or just prefer the look of a fuller coverage foundation I’d recommend Mac’s Pro Longwear Foundation or Revlon Colorstay as a cheaper alternative.

Powder
Now you may be thinking, do I really need powder? If you have oily skin the answer is YES! Do you ever get in after a long day and you’re make up has nearly disappeared and you’re left looking like a shiny mess? Powder will stop that and reduce any shine you may have. By taking a translucent powder likeRimmel Stay Matte and lightly dusting it through your t zone (forehead, nose and chine) it will set your make up in place and control shine.

Blush
Blush isn’t essential but it can bring back life to your face after foundation and make you like healthy. Add a warm toned blush like Sleeks Rose Gold to the apples of your cheeks and you’re good to go.

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Bronzer
Although many people say bronzer isn’t an essiental in a starter kit I really disagree! Back in my early teens I used to think bronzer was this glittery orange thing that made girls like like orange disco balls but gosh I was wrong! There is actually a thing called matte bronzer which isn’t orange and can literally make your face look slimmer, yes you heard that right, slimmer! By placing a matte brown toned bronzer such as the powder in the Sleek Contour Kit in the hallow of your cheekbones (helps if you make a fish face) very lightly it can make your face look more defined and warm your completion up.

Mascara
I think mascara is the one thing that mostly everyone will wear in their lifetime, if you’re going to wear just one make up item it would have to be mascara. This stuff is made to define and enhance your eyes making them look larger, stick with a basic black and you can’t go wrong. A good starter mascara that lengthens your lashes without making them clumpy is Loreal Telescopic Mascara .

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Eyeshadow
You may not want to use eyeshadow if you’re just starting out but if you do then a good basic, defining and easy look is to sweep a natural champagne shade all over your lid and then place a matte deep brown or grey shade in the crease of your eye (in between your eye and brow bone). The original Naked Palette has great shades for creating everyday looks. This will not only make your eyes look larger but also make them look more defined.

Highlighter
I’ve only recently started wearing highlighter myself but I wish I had sooner which is why I’ve decided to include it in this post. Highlighter is a shimmery powder or liquid that is placed on your cheekbone (just above the bronzer) to provide your face with a glow. The highlighter that I use and have had many compliments wearing is the one from the Sleek Contour Kit.

Lipstick
After all that make up you’re gonna want to add some colour to your face with a lipstick or gloss if you want a more subtle look. If you want to keep your look natural I’d recommend using a tinted lipbalm like Maybeline Baby Lips , or if you want to go all out and rock a bold lip then try a dark pink to start out.

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Brushes
When you’re just starting out with make up you may feel as though tools and brushes are not needed but if you want a flawless base and seamless eyeshadow they really are! To start out I’d recommend a buffing brush for foundation, a powder brush that can also be used for blush and bronzer, a flat eyeshadow brush to apply colour to your lid and a crease brush to apply colour into the crease.

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Face Of The Day: Subtle Smokey Eye & Bright Lip

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Today’s look includes a subtle smokey eye, bright lips and glowy skin. I used my new Barry M lip crayon in Sirius on my lips and I love the result, it’s brightened up my whole complexion and goes hand in hand with the smokey eye.

Face
Foundation: I used my Mac Pro Longwear Foundation in Nw15 which I’ve only recently bought and I love it!
Concealer: I applied the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer on my blemishes and under my eyes in a triangular shape to highlight.
Bronzer and Blush: For bronzer I used my all time favourite NYC bronzer in sunny, and for blush I went with Sleeks Blush in Rose Gold.
As Prolongwear is quite a matte foundation I don’t feel the need to powder my face on a normal day unless I know I’m going to be out all day.
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Eyes
To start I primed my eyes using Avon’s eye primer in light beige to create a smooth base for the eyeshadows.
Eyeshadow:I used YDK from the Naked 2 palette all along my lid, followed by Tease in the crease. To deepen the look I then applied Snakebite into the outer v and then blended it together with the lightest brown colour from my Benefit Brow Kit which I also used to fill in my eyebrows. To bring the look together I applied a blend of YDK and Tease underneath my eyes.
Eyeliner: I was also brave and done a small wing with the cheap and cheerful Asda Liquid Eyeliner, this stuff is great for 1.99!
Mascara: To finish off I used my favourite mascara at the minute which is the Chanel Volume Le Chanel.
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Lips
I used my new Barry M Hi Shine Lip Crayon in Sirius on my lips and I think that the colour really brought the look together. I love the high shine result that it gave my lips, I’m just loving this product!

What does your make up consist of today?

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FOTD: My Everyday College Make Up

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Hey guys!
I don’t normally wear makeup on a Sunday as I typically don’t tend to go anywhere, today however I thought i’d recreate my ‘everyday make up look’ that I wear to college etc. for you guys. I always keep my eyes neutral using my naked pallets or even  just a bronzer through my crease and a bright inner corner highlight. My lip colour changes daily daily depending on my mood but I decided to go with a dark nude for this post as it was my most worn colour throughout the week.

Face

Foundation – During the weekdays I use a mix of Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation and the Bioderma Photoderm Tinted Cream. I first used the Bioderma tinted cream whilst on holiday in Egypt last year as a sunscreen but ended up loving the finish it gave my skin so much that I now mix a bit in with my foundation! I applied the mix of these two with a Real Techniques Buffing brush.

Concealer I applied the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer under my eyes in a triangle shape to highlight and also along the bridge of my nose.

Powder I powdered my t-zone with the Maybeline Fit Me Powder .

Bronzer – I applied the bronzer from the Sleek Contour Kit to my cheekbones, temples and jaw, and applied the highlight colour down the bridge of my nose and tops of my cheekbones.

Blush – To finish off my face I used my all time favorite blush from Sleek in Rose Gold.

Eyes and Eyebrows

Eyeshadow I’ve slept late for college everyday this week (ooooops) and havent had much time to potch with eyeshadow so instead I simply used the same Sleek Contour Kit that I used on my face in my eyes. I applied the highlight shade all over my lid,  bronzer in the crease and Urban Decays Half Baked in the inner corner.

Eyeliner  Believe it or not I used Asda’s Liquid Eyeliner to make a small line just above my lash line. This stuff is actually really good and lasts around 8 hours without smudging.

Mascara  For mascara I used the Chanel Volume De Chanelone of my favourite mascaras ever!

Eyebrows I used the Benefit Brows A Go Go which I’ve used for the past 2 years now.

Lips

I used Loreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Sweet Lychee it’s a darker nude that’s perfect for everyday!

What does your everyday makeup consist of?