Chapter I: Skin Prep & Base

The Order of Application

The working rule is old and reliable: apply products from thinnest to thickest, water-based before oil-based, and skincare before color. A typical morning sequence runs as follows. Cleanse. Apply any treatment serum. Moisturize. Apply sunscreen as the final skincare step. Then, if you use them, primer, color corrector, foundation, concealer and powder.

Patience matters more than product. Give moisturizer and sunscreen a few minutes to settle before primer goes on. Rushing this step is the most common cause of pilling, those small rolls of product that appear when layers are rubbed together before they have dried down.

Reading Your Skin

Skin is commonly described as oily, dry, combination, normal or sensitive, and it often changes with season, climate and age. Oily skin shows shine through the day, especially on the forehead, nose and chin. Dry skin feels tight and can look flaky under foundation. Combination skin does both, in different places. Sensitive skin reacts with stinging or redness to fragrance, strong acids or new products.

Choose finishes to suit. Oily skin tends to favor mattifying primers and satin or matte foundations. Dry skin looks smoother under hydrating primers and dewy or luminous formulas. Combination skin often does best with a targeted approach: mattifying primer only through the center of the face.

You may also meet the Fitzpatrick scale, devised in 1975 by dermatologist Thomas B. Fitzpatrick. It sorts skin into six types by how it burns and tans. It is a sun-care tool. It does not describe undertone and should not be used to choose a foundation shade.

Matching Shade and Undertone

A foundation match has two parts: depth, meaning how light or deep the shade is, and undertone, the warm, cool, neutral or olive cast beneath the surface. Most brands encode both in the shade name, often with a number for depth and a letter such as W, C or N for undertone.

Test on the jawline, not the wrist or the back of the hand. Stripe two or three candidates from cheek down onto the neck. Wait ten minutes, because many formulas oxidize and darken slightly as they dry. Then check in daylight by a window. The correct shade is the one that seems to vanish into both face and neck. If your face and neck differ, favor the neck so there is no visible line.

Foundation Formulas

Liquids are the most versatile and range from sheer to full coverage. Creams and sticks give more coverage and suit spot application. Powder foundations are quick and suit oily skin. Cushion compacts, a sponge soaked in liquid foundation and pressed onto a puff, were popularized in 2008 by Amorepacific's IOPE Air Cushion in South Korea and have since spread worldwide.

The modern category owes much to Max Factor, whose Pan-Cake of 1937 was a water-activated cake developed for Technicolor film before it reached shop counters. Its success taught the industry that a lighter, more natural-looking base would sell.

Concealing and Setting

Apply concealer after foundation, so you use less of it. Tap, rather than rub, with a fingertip or small brush. A shade near your foundation covers blemishes; a shade slightly lighter brightens under the eyes.

Set only where needed. A light dusting of translucent powder through the center of the face controls shine without dulling the cheeks. Setting sprays can help melt powder into skin and extend wear in heat. Blotting papers, pressed and lifted rather than wiped, remove midday oil without disturbing the base.

Reference Notes