Rules for a flawless base

The No 1 rule for beautiful, flawless make up is to start with healthy skin....no matter how expensive your foundation is, without clear beautiful skin it never looks good, you need to cleanse, exfoliate and hydrate your skin....always use a primer to prep your face or an anti shine serum for people with oily skin....i recommend the No7, Bmpro anti shine serum, Smashbox photo finish primer, Face to face, milk of magnesium.....lol....i just have to be blunt ladies, this is a laxative and it holds your face like cement, i don't use this often though and i don't recommend you use it at all.....it's only meant for professional makeup artists...#lipssealed#...you didn't see it here oh...always look out for primers that are silicone based coz it covers skin imperfections.

I use a lighter foundation under the eyes....you have to have about three different shades of foundation, always stay lighter in the centre of your face....you can also achieve this with a powder or a highlighter...so you don't spend a lot....also remember too much foundation will settle in to fine lines and sap out the luminosity from your skin, only use foundations where you need to even out discoloration.

You also have to understand your skin type before shopping for foundation, dry, combination, sensitive, oily skin....and who says you have to stick to a particular brand to choose your foundation, powder and concealer...you don't have to get everything from a particular brand....feel free to mix and match...it really pays to find the perfect foundation....set it with loose powders or any form of setting powder, also remember to use the right tools for application...a foundation brush, latex wedges, i use my hand sometimes when i'm in a rush....i just blend really well.

Personally i have used so many foundations and i'm going to give a review on some of them.

1. Black-Up foundation: The one in the FL tube...this is my current favourite one, i use colour no 2....it comes with an in built primer...it stays matte all day....and a little goes a long way, loving it.
2. Bmpro foundations: This is also a really good one, very light weight, gives a smooth finish that last all day.
3. Makeup forever HD foundation: This is also one of my favourite....it feels really light and blends in easily....i use it when i use a lot of concealer to cover blemishes.....then i use either a mineralise finish or setting powder.
4. Benefit cosmetics hello flawless foundation: This is one i just discovered and it's amazing....a client in New york recommended it and i got stuck...i got all the different shades....lol....it's oil free and very light weight....it gives a really smooth finish and lasts all day...and just 2 pumps goes a long way.
5. Laura mercier moisture supreme foundation: This i will recommend for anyone that has oily skin coz when i used it i didn't get that shining that comes in the middle of the day....so i didn't have to blot all day.
6. Estee Lauder double wear: This is build-able....dries quickly though, so you have to apply quickly and it stays matte all day.
7. Bobbi brown skin foundation spf 15: I use the golden orange 3 Bobbi brown powder a lot so i had to search for the foundation just to see if it's good too....and yippeee.....it's blended with shea butter and glycerin, so it moistens the skin...you can actually get away with no other added moisturiser, just apply directly to clean skin.
8. Chanel perfection lumiere: This is very light and sheer....perfect for very light coverage....i had to mix it up with other foundation...still love it though...hey it's Chanel what's not to love....lol.
9. Kevin Aucoin sensual skin enhancer: I have this on right now as i type....i got introduced to it by a top celebrity make up artist...and i love it...it is highly pigmented, making it excellent as a concealer.....looks the same all day.
10. Black Opal: This is my fav foundation for dark skin....the stick foundations are the best...you have to use a primer or anti shine coz it's a bit oily but it has an after glow look that i love.
11. Iman second to none cream to powder foundation: This is very thick....good for covering blemishes....also serves as a concealer
12. Revlon color stay foundation: This is perfect for oily skin...it stays on all day and doesn't give you that shinny look in the middle of the day, so i didn't have to blot....but i had to mix two different shades to get my colour right.
13. Fashion fair perfect finish souffle: This is the first foundation i ever used...lol...was my grandmother's favourite foundation...the first time i bought it, i got a fake one....so make sure you check it properly before you buy, coz it's actually still a really good foundation, it's just the counterfeit market that is causing the bad rep it has now in the country.

I have many others i have tried but i'll leave that for next time and put them in different categories of dry, combination and oily skin. When buying a foundation you could always ask for a free sample to try out...coz it's always better to take it home and try....the make up stores have so much bright lights that tend to confuse you into agreeing to a shade that might not be suitable...and you could also check if it will go with your skin type by using  a free sample all day.

The right foundation will look as if you're not wearing any at all.....Happy shopping ladies.....Ciao