Foundation (cover-up, powder, liquid consealer, pick your poison) is probably the most important tool in a womans makeup bag. Unless you were blessed with perfectly poreless breakoutless even skin (to hell with you!) Foundation is a serious life saver! It's the one thing I cant leave the house without and if I wake up 20 minutes late and have to choose between only one thing to put on my face before running out the door...foundation wins the battle every time.

Foundation can mask imperfections like breakouts, uneven skin tone, dark circles under the eyes, and redness. The trick is to apply it with enough coverage without looking thick or cakey. You want the coverage to appear natural, not obvious. Beleive it or not, to get the most out of your foundation less is more! This article focuses on people who have combination or oily skin types. I'll teach you how to apply it so you can cover anything that makes you self conscious and still look natural.

♣ remember that even though you may have areas on your face that tend to breakout, it's very important not to skip moisturizing. dry skin is not the absense of oil, it is the absense of water. applying a moisterizer that is oil free will not cause breakouts and still hydrate and soften the skin. this will even out your complexion and also makes it easier to apply foundation.

♣ choose an oil-free liquid foundation. the best liquid cover-ups contain no oil and are water-based. foundations that contain oil will make your skin appear oily. water-based foundations will stay matte and wont cause breakouts. my absolute favorite foundations are maybelline pure , it's super light, very blendable, and is the perfect amount of color: just enough to blend in with your skin tone and doesnt appear obvious. I also enjoy covergirl tru blend the wide range of colors is especially impressive for very pale and very dark skin tones that are exceedingly difficult to find in other brands. It also is very silky and hydrating. However I've found powdering is an absolute when using this foundation to really have staying power throughout the day.

♣ foundation does not need to be applied on the entire face...only the places you need it! a lot of women are under the notion that if you wear cover-up...you have to cover up your whole face, but this isnt true! only use it where you need it. this will give you a more natural look and speed up your daily routine. not sure where to apply it? just look at the picture above. the spots to apply foundation is simply under the eyes, the chin, the nose, and blend in the middle of the forehead. these are the spots that are prone to redness and oil, so applying in these areas will even skin tone and give you a matte look.

♣ how should foundation be applied? when using a liquid foundation, focus on one area of the face at a time, it shouldnt be applied the way we slather lotion on our face! squeeze a little bit onto your finger or a makeup brush, then sweep it across one area. distribute the color across the entire area in small circular strokes. once it is applied evenly, blend in downward strokes until it is set and no longer pliable.

always set your liquid foundation with powder when you are done! this is very important because the powder sets the foundation to last all day! it will absorb moisture from your skin and create a protective layer from the elements. applying powder prevents your foundation from fading after a few hours, getting rubbed off easily, and dissolving from the oils in your skin. to apply powder, just use a sponge puff to dab into a powder base, then firmly pat the makeup sponge onto your skin. I recommend not to swirl the puff in circles, as this can rub off the even coverage of your foundation, which can be especially annoying when trying to cover imperfections.

♣ when should you apply blemish consealer: before or after you apply foundation? this should be done after you apply your usual liquid foundation. this will help even out the redness so you can guage how much, or if you even need to apply consealer.

♣ what is the best way to brighten up tired eyes and dark circles? using your finger or an eyeshadow puff, dot on several drops of foundation or consealer under the eyes. use the tip of your finger or the puff to blend the dots together until they are blended evenly. for extra oomph, use your finger to apply a little bit of shimmery flesh tone or pale pink eyeshadow under the eyes. instant 8 hours of sleep!

♣ how should i fix my makeup if it becomes oily throughout the day? not all powders are created equal! if your skin is prone to oil, it is essential for you to have a shine free formula pressed powder compact in your purse or with you throughout the day. it is embarassing to look in the mirror and -gasp-! find out your makeup looks like a trainwreck because of annoying buildup throughout the day! using a shine-free formula will drastically reduce the amount of times you need to powder your face durring the day and keep you looking fresh. it's also a good idea to have oil blotting paper as well, it can remove oil without putting on uneccesary makeup. when in a bind, i've also found that gently patting toilet paper on your face will do the trick!