According to Garshick, caking can occur when you're using the wrong shade of foundation, as it simply looks unnatural, and thus caked on. To avoid this potentially cakey experience, it's important to think about your undertones when selecting your foundation.
Should foundation be lighter or darker than your skin?
Blend The Foundation Lighter Than You
When in doubt, always pick a shade that is slightly lighter than your complexion rather than darker. This can prevent your complexion from looking darker than the rest of your body. It is the safest way to go when unsure about two shades that may look too light or too dark.
Wearing way too much, wearing none at all, or wearing a color that doesn't match your skintone are all big no-no's. Why? Skipping it completely while still adding other makeup (like mascara) can make your skin look washed out.
Should you apply foundation with a brush or sponge?
Sponges work best, for instance, with lightweight liquid formulas or stick foundations. Creamy, thick foundations would be better served with a brush (so you can buff out the edges for a more natural finish).
A CC Cream is perfect as foundation alternatives as they give you that barely there "your-skin-but-better" appearance while still appearing like a natural glow. The colour pigments will burst on application to the skin, colour matching your skin tone and neutralising any areas of redness or discolouration.
How to Get Flawless Makeup Without Foundation or Powder
1) Gently cleanse with a warm flannel. Create a smooth, clean canvas by very gently buffing the skin with a warm flannel to remove any dry patches. ...
The key to adjusting your matte foundation to more of a dewy, luminous finish is all in the glow-enhancing products you mix it with. Try a few drops of Glow Recipe's Watermelon Dew Drops in your go-to matte foundation—it'll bring a subtle, dewy effect to the finished look.
If your foundation frequently looks cakey, the problem might actually be connected to your skin care routine. After you apply moisturizer, it's important that you jump skip straight to smoothing on foundation. Instead, you'll want to give face lotions and creams a minute or two to dry before moving on.
Applying too much product is the leading cause of cakey makeup, makeup artist Alexandria Gilleo tells mbg. "Applying too much product can build up and cause the skin to pill or become uneven, blotchy, and textured." Too much product can mean too much foundation, concealer, or powder.
Since our skin naturally becomes increasingly dry and dehydrated as we get older, a powder foundation only makes things worse. It settles into all of your fine lines, and the matte texture finish instantly ages you.
Your foundation looks grey or ashy because it's much lighter than your complexion. Working with a lighter foundation than your complexion, makes your skin look unnatural. So as to prevent this, add 2-3 drops of darker shade foundation and blend it well.
Is it better to go too light or too dark with foundation?
The experts have spoken, and the answer is, foundation should be one or two shades lighter than your skin tone. This is because when you use bronzer or contour then the foundation should be able to blend and give the perfect look to your face.
If your makeup is too light, you will look ashy or as if you have a gray cast on your skin. If the formula is too dark, it can make your complexion look muddy. Look for the shade that disappears into your skin most is your right match.
Celebrity makeup artist Frederick Sanders recommends starting with two or three shades that look closest to your complexion and blending them all in fully. "The foundation should match the side of your face and your neck to prevent you from looking like you're wearing a mask," he says.
