The Perfect Foundation

I often get asked ‘what is the perfect foundation?’ The answer unfortunately isn’t so simple. There are as many factors to consider as there are skin types, and what’s perfect for one person may not be right for another. Below are a few considerations to help choose a good base, from there on in, preference, cost, packaging and brand loyalty take over.

• An extremely important factor these days for a woman of any age is to have a foundation that has anti-ageing properties. For example jane iredales Liquid Minerals contains Co-Enzyme Q10, Olive Squaline and Hyaluronic Acid to deliver time released active ingredients directly into the skin. What better way to enhance the effect of good facials and skincare than to recommend make-up products that are an extension of skincare?

• Wearing a moisturiser that contains a sunscreen is useful but wearing a sunscreen in a foundation is the most efficient way of protecting the skin from the suns rays. Foundations are applied last and therefore the UV rays pass through them to reach the skin, however if the foundation is made from a physical sunscreen i.e. containing naturally sun reflective minerals Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide then the sunscreen can be easily topped up during the day. A broad spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF15 – 20 should be worn every day of the year.

• The level of coverage required depends on how many blemishes are visible on the skin and preference; however in my experience clients see their skin much worse than it actually is and tend to wear higher covering foundations than is necessary for their skins condition. One common mistake made by many women is to try to cover texture with their foundations; lumps, bumps, dents, scars, spots and wrinkles are the hardest to disguise and piling on the foundation makes them look worse. The lowest coverage bases conceal the least amount of discolouration whereas highest coverage conceals coloured conditions but can look heavy on the skin if chosen poorly.

• Dewy, satin, luminous, matt and soft focus describes the type of finish a base can create. These are affected by the skin type but should not be dictated by it if chosen wisely. Someone with an oily skin for example can wear a dewy looking foundation but be aware of how the skin might look later on in the day, likewise a mature lady might prefer a matt finish but would need to choose a base that looked non-luminescent without looking flat. I recommend trying different finishes and comparing them, the results can be surprising.

I wish I could spend more time discussing application but that would be a whole other topic, but here are a few final tips. Always wait 10 minutes for moisturiser to sink in before foundation and if possible avoid applying base with fingers – brushes are the new sponges and with a vast selection of foundation brushes available it’s worth having a play with the application but the results a brush can give are amazing.

Emma Doherty | Jane Iredale Brand Manager, International Institute for Anti-Ageing