Don't overapply. Applying too much foundation can result in a cakey or heavy look, which is not flattering. Start by applying small amounts of foundation to your neck and blend well. You can always add more if needed, but it's better to start with a light hand and build up if necessary.
But just like all beauty products, it can leave you looking worse when not applied properly. The biggest mistake people make: Skipping their neck when they blend their foundation. Need some visuals? In the left photo, Kelly Osbourne's foundation looks perfectly even and beautiful.
Stop applying more once you reach your cheeks – from there, just blend out what's already on your skin. I never put foundation down the front of the nose, only the sides – if your nose is bare, it makes it look like you're not wearing foundation at all, but your skin still looks great.”
Never put concealer or foundation on your eyelids as a base, it will cause your eye makeup to crease.
Having worked as a makeup artist for both Charlotte Tilbury and Givenchy, I've picked up a fair few tips along the way, and this was one of the major no-no's I found that many did, but didn't actually realise why it was a bad idea. To put it simply, your eyelids are incredibly oily, and concealer only makes that worse.
Applying primer underneath foundation helps to prep the skin for makeup, creating a smooth canvas for your foundation to glide onto. To apply a face primer, pump a peanut-sized amount onto your hands and massage into the face and neck using your fingertips.
Don't: Apply too much foundation
“Always start with a light veil of product and only apply more where needed,” she shares. “You don't need extreme coverage over the whole face, but rather only in certain areas.” Those areas might have more discoloration or blemishes that you want to mask.
You want to match both the surface tone and under tone of your skin. It's more important to match the color in your chest than your neck which is normally always slightly lighter than your face. Match foundation to your face. For neck apply the same color.
Apply a little concealer on the darker areas of your neck. Make sure you blend it in with a damp sponge. You can even use a colour corrector first, so that it cancels out the darker areas of your neck and looks even when you colour correct. This'll immediately hide those neck lines.
The proper way to apply the two products is to first smooth on a foundation and then apply your concealer. Foundation will create that even canvas we talked about earlier, and then concealer can be used to spot correct any outstanding areas that need extra coverage.
Yes, many professional makeup artists and beauty gurus swear by applying liquid foundation with their fingers. This tactile approach provides a skin-like, natural makeup result since you're massaging the makeup onto your skin. Using your fingers works on all skin types and with both cream and liquid foundation.
According to Lovello, applying your foundation with your fingers is the best way to achieve a natural, "no makeup" makeup finish. You'll find that the product will absorb super fast, and you'll get a more controlled application.
All of the artists agreed that you should be blending your foundation down your neck on a day-to-day basis. "For everyday, I'd recommend blending your foundation down your jawline and buffing it down slightly, that way you avoid any color differences," says Bedrossian.
It's often easy for us to overlook our neck — and our decolletage (the chest area). But Dr. Khetarpal says you can use many of the same products you have for your face on your neck. “The same regimen we recommend for your face is a similar regimen for your neck and décolletage, because your skin ages in similar ways.
The skin around your neck and collarbone is thinner and more delicate than the rest of your face so it's more prone to damage over time. It's best to prevent this damage from occurring or accumulating rather than having to work harder to correct the signs of aging later.
"If your neck is lighter than your face and you don't want your face to be as pale, choose one shade lighter than your face so it's comparable. (You can always 'warm up' the face with bronzer if your complexion still appears light.) This way it's not too light or that much warmer than your neck."
Blend The Foundation Lighter Than You
Watch out for oxidizing foundation! People do not realize that foundation tends to oxidize, which means it will turn a shade or two darker when it is exposed to the air. When in doubt, always pick a shade that is slightly lighter than your complexion rather than darker.
One of the more common causes of an uneven skin tone is hyperpigmentation, where the skin overproduces a pigment called melanin. This condition has various causes, such as injury to the skin, medications, genetics, and underlying medical conditions.
Powder is usually the final “setting” step to seal foundation and concealer, but some on TikTok suggest that using it before foundation can keep your makeup in place for longer and give a better finish.
The results are in: brushes over blenders. “My absolute favorite way to apply foundation is with a brush because it works the product into the skin so much better than a sponge and gives you more control,” says Murdick. “I love a dense brush like the Anisa Pinnacle foundation brush because it won't leave any streaks.”
Once you've got that new foundation at home, don't apply it just to the face. Blend your makeup, preferably with a blending sponge, all the way down, over and beneath the jawbone, to the neck. This creates a seamless look. Who knows where your foundation begins and ends?
The truth is, you should always apply moisturizer before reaching for primer (seriously, always). As we mentioned above, the purpose of a moisturizer is to lock in moisture to keep dryness at bay. If you apply primer first, you run the risk of sporting dry, lackluster skin.