STARLETT SKIN- The Ultimate Foundation, skin type and care guide!

Do you covet the pearly skin of the old time starlets and the celebrities of today? Take a deep breath as I'll guide you through the different skin types and what foundations to use with it to turn any dull face into a blank canvas. (No retouching required!)

What do you want your foundation to do for you?

Foundations have different kinds of coverage depending on how much powder it contains. It is there for vital to choose the correct type according to your needs and skin type.

LIQUID FOUNDATION

May contain a lot or a little powder. It is easy to use with you fingers, a sponge or a foundation brush


Mac Studio fix fluid NC45..


COMPACT CREAM FOUNDATION

Often contains a lot of powder and will therefore give much coverage. Best used with a moist sponge.

 Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Sponge-On Cream Makeup

POWDER FOUNDATION

Contains more powder than liquids. Will give a quick and even coverage, but may also clog pores. Thorough facial cleansing after use is highly necessary.

Shu uemura Powder Foundation

TINTED DAY CREAM

Moisture cream with added tint. This thin and light cream will not cover much, but evens out skin tones.




Loreal Age Perfect Pro Calcium Radiance Perfector Sheer tint Moisturizer (what a name!!)
WHAT SKIN TYPE ARE YOU?

The perfect foundation must also go well with your skin type. The most common skin types are oily, dry and combination skin.

OILY SKIN

Facial treatment

First of all, do not try to dry out an oily skin! This will fool it into producing more oil. An oily skin needs a good moisturizer that does not contain any grease or oil ingredient. Use an exfoliater 1-2 times per week to get rid of dead skin cells. An oily skin has trouble doing this on its own and the dead skin cells will therefore get pulled back into the pores and clog them up more.

Foundation choices

Use a product that contains a fair amount of powder that will matte down shiny skin and will let the foundation colour stay on longer. If you do not wish for a lot of coverage, try using a Tinted Moisturizer and finish up with a translucent powder to get that shine away. If you’re really having problem with getting your foundation to stay put, try a matting primer underneath. 

Body shop matte it The primer will both matt down and pull the foundation closer to the skin.

DRY SKIN

Facial treatment

A dry skin obviously needs a lot of moisture in forms of creams, but if your skin is flaking off you also need a fat ingredient to allow the skin to bind the moisture. To exfoliate a dry skin is a big help, but remember to use a product for dry or sensitive skin and maximum 1 time per week. By doing so the dead skin cells will be removed instead of stealing moisture from the healthy skin.

Foundation choices

Use products that DOESN’t contain a lot of powder. There are many liquid foundations that are made especially for dry skin, but I.D. Bare Minerals polwer foundationworks wonders on a dry skin- just remember to blend the polwer well in the lid to make it melt completely.

 


COMBINATION SKIN

Facial treatment

Remember to treat the different parts of your skin in an accurate way as a combination skin often will have dry cheeks and a more oily t-zone. If so, apply a slightly greasier moisturizer to the cheeks and use your normal moisturizer over the rest. In general the most important thing for a combination skin is that is gets a good cleansing and treatment routine.

Foundation choices

A combination skin will stand most of the different foundation types. If some parts of your skin are extra dry or oily, simply use the advices for these skin types to these areas.



WHAT SKIN TONE ARE YOU?

This is where the magic is! Who haven’t bought tons of foundations that have a perfect consistence and coverage, but will just not match the rest of your body’s’ skin colour? The trick is to find the undertone to your skin colour. Disregard freckles or sporadic shades of red that may be due to heat or other skin conditions. The undertone to your skin colour is the colour you want for you foundation, regardless if it dark or light.

The most common undertone is yellow, but there are also those rear red tones. This occurs often to the very pale (for instant red heads) or to those of a very dark colour (for instant some African skin) When you have found your correct undertone, all that is left is to get the correct shade of light or dark. A foundation cream is always best tried on between your jaw and your neck, and will nearly disappear when the colour fits perfect.
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HOW TO PRIME YOUR SKIN



 Lancome Make-up la Base
To make a foundation stay on even and for the entire day it is important to make a good base. A primer will enhance the skin and allow it to accept the foundation better

The easiest way to prime is to simply cleanse the skin and apply moisturizer. Let it dry inn for 10 minutes and follow with the foundation.

The best way is to exfoliate your skin 1-2 times per week, cleanse your skin and apply moisturiser followed by a foundation primer. This will even out the surface of your skin and let the foundation get closer and therefore stay on longer.

HOW TO APPLY


Mac foundation brush. 190 fra Mac
Foundation can be applied by the use of your fingers, a sponge or a foundation brush

Common facts of the tree:

Work evenly and quick with the product. Don’t let it dry in on one side of your face before you start with the other side.

Don’t let any foundation get caught in you hair line or eyebrows if you want to avoid orange streaks.

Don’t forget your neck! Use a thinner portion and let it fade towards your chest.

If you are using you FINGERS, remember to wash them free form dirt and oils. Apply small dots of foundation to your forehead, nose, chin and cheek and smear on like a moisturizer.

If you are using a SPUNGE apply the foundation with quick press and lift motions. Start along the jaw and work your way over the face.

A FOUNDATION BRUSH is an increasable aid that will save you both time and product. The brush almost works like a paint brush across the face. Remember to allow you final strokes to have a downwards direction to make facial hairs stay put.

Concealer


A concealer is similar to a foundation, but contains often more powder and is therefore more covering. It is therefore not meant to be used all over the face, but only to parts with need of extra attention. Common places are under the eyes, around the nose, the chin and to acne areas. The colour of your concealer should be the exact same tone as your foundation, only ½ tone lighter. Pat it gently and thin into your skin with your finger. If you smear the concealer to much, it will just move back and forth over your skin. Remember to even out the edges so that is blends with the foundation.

Compact Concealer: Contains more powder and gives the most coverage


Liquid Concealer: Contains less powder, but will still give a good coverage. Great for dry skin.




Highlighter Pen: A highlighter pen is meant to lighten without giving a lot of coverage. It creates an illuminating effect on the face that is any starlets’’ best friend. Try it over your cheek bone, the middle of your forehead, down your nose bone and right above your upper lip. Tips! Blend a highlighter pen with you concealer to make the concealer lighter!


POWDER

You should always follow up a foundation with a brush of powder. The powder does give a matting effect, but the foremost reason to use it is to seal in the foundation and make it last all dat. Powders come in both loose and compact forms.

Coloured powder gives a little more coverage and visibility.

Translucent powder is colourless and thin and will therefore appear more natural.


Mac Blot Powder loose is a translucent loose powder



 Chanel Mat Lumier is a compact and tinted powder


WHY DO YOU FEEL PALE WITH THE CORRECT FOUNDATION COLOUR?

Many do feel a bit pale when they find the perfect foundation colour. This is because the foundation neutralizes any colour interruptions you previously were used to seeing, such as red cheeks. In stead of switching to a darker foundation, remember that this is just a first step in a make up process and as soon as little miss blush comes along with the rest of the make-up bag gang, there will be plenty of colour to go around!.

• Tips:


1. The skin colour changes between summer and winter. Invest in two foundations that are suited to your undertone, but one shade lighter and one shade darker. Mix them together to always have the perfect foundation for you!


2. Apply some foundation into your moisturizer to create you own Tinted moisturizer. It won’t cover a lot, but give your face a more even colour and glow.


3. Never test a foundation on your hand. The skin type and colour is not the same as your face!

TOP 3 MAKEUP PRODUCTS

It's a jungel of products out there, and it's just not always easy to know what to use or how to use it. Here are 3 products which are a sure winner for a professional or an enthusiast!

1. Face and Body Foundation from MAC.Color range from palest pink to darkest brown. Can be used on face and body as the name reveals and has a coverage starting at light with one coat, but can easily build up for television full coverage as well.

2. Makeup Store Wonderpowder. Again- the name sais it all! It's actually dificult to try and explain how it works, but the illumenent result when used either alone or over foundation is absolutely mesmerizing! Your face actually gets more interesting and alluring in a magical way.

3. Lancôme Long Lasting Softening concealer has an AMAZING texture and perfect coverage without taking away the skin. The biggest flaw is that it comes in 3 shades, retarded, but it fits my skin and most of my models perfectly. Anytime i have a model with a different skin color, I simply mix in a suitable foundation or other concelear just to benefit from the texture.

shopshopshop

Shopping guide for the average woman

When it comes to shopping, it really is wise to have some guidlines in the back of your head before entering the chaos.

I might just speak for my self, but there is an absolute rush to shopping, and you don´t even realize it until you come home with 5 bags filled with things you can´t even remember what is.

I would imagine it feels kind of like gambling- we´re not sure we can afford it, or where we would wear it, but I still want it!!

So here are 5 of my top shopping tips that allows you to still shop, but slightly smarter.

1

SKINCARE

Buy your skincare from a skincare therapist. Why? Because if your car breaks down, you don´t take it to the gas station do you? no- if you want your skin done right, you have to go to the brands that specialize in skin treatment and improvement and not it flashy bottles, Hollywood ads and high-end names.

MAKEUP

2
Makeup

  When you’re looking for an eye shadow, there’s a very easy trick you can do to make sure the eye shadow will stay on and last you for at least a year. Simply rub the eye shadow on your fingertip, apply to the back of your hand. If the color comes out as intense and in the same shade as you see in the box, the eye shadow should be good. Cheaper eye shadows will tend to look a shade lighter on your hand. This means you will end up using a lot more product to get the effect you wanted.

3

SALE

Don´t buy on sale. If you think about it, of all the items you have bought during the big sales throughout the years, do you end up using that much? When we go on sale, we are just on a mission to get SOMETHING. Of course, sometimes we do bargains, but seriously- The big summer and Christmas sales are really just emptying our pockets instead of saving up for some descent statement peaces you will cherish for years.

4

HAIR

Invest in hair products. Again, if you want to take care of and improve your hair, you must go to the expert. Even thought the professional hair products are a little more expensive, you use less product to get the desired treatment and your hair will grow better.

5

NEWSET TRENDS

When you’re looking for the next seasons wardrobe, try to look out the classics that we see come back over and over. These will obviously last you longer, and you can invest in them with an easy heart. (Fall 2010: Cape, trench coat, color camel, leopard, 60´s sweaters, knit) But of course, don´t forget the fun, extreme statement pieces, but buy them as cheap as possible, because chances are you´ll wear them to bits the next 4 months, then put them away for the next statement trend.

COLOR ME TANNED!

Every Monday I will introduce a favorite beauty product of mine and today I am starting with the Face Tan.

As a rather pale red head, even though I’m not all that bothered by it, I can still see the benefits of a little color come summer. Now, my body I can get up to sort of a golden red tan with my SPF 15, but my face I will always keep sun blocked with SPF 50 to shun those nasty sun damaged wrinkles. But this tends to result in a rather color less mask, keeping my head detached from my body.

It must be said: I think most self tanner are dreadful. They usually end up in an orange looking color only intended for mandarins and various other fruits. Gradual tanners I like, but sometimes a girl needs a little instant effect. I have tried, written about and gathered test panels of blue eyes friends in my days to find one that actually works in a satisfying i.e. no orange streaks in sight, way. And I am happy to say, that my favorite by far is the Garnier Ambre Solaire Face No Trace Bronzer Self Tanning Spray. Easy to use, and can only be messed up if you over exaggerate the usage.

How to:

Spray lightly over a clean face, move the can from side to side starting at your forehead and continue spraying down to your chest. This way your neck, upper arms and chest will get some color as well. For my skin I choose the lightest tone. You can do two rounds if you already have some color, but trust the product to do its job and apply more the following day if you still want a darker shade. The color will start to show after an hour and be complete after about 8. It dries in 10 minutes, so it’s perfect before bedtime and I have even put it on over light make-up and gone out the house without having any problems with that- just a gradual glow growing on me during the day.

How to pack you makeup bag for any holiday!

Ok people, when packing up for a fab holiday on the Seychelles, in Paris or road tripping from LA to Las Vegas, there are a couple of thing they have in common. You should pack chic, sleek and practical. Makeup for holiday should be the same as your outfits. "Sure-thing" basics surrounded by a FEW funky variables. Here is 5 of my top 10 list on products to take with you on ANY holiday:

1. Illuminating lotion for face and body.

Estee Lauder Spotlight Skin tone Perfector

- The absolutely fab thing about the illuminating lotion is that when you only have 5 seconds to get up and out of the hotel, plane, cabana or trailer- a quick wipe of it will make your face 10 times fresher without putting any makeup on and of course it's hydrating as well. Winn-Winn situation, no?

2. Concealer with SPF 30

Dermablend Quick Fix concealer spf 30

- Regardless if you are in the city or on the beach during summer or winter, one thing we often do more while on vacation is spend time outside. With all the things to see, time spent gazing up in the sky and on the sun; those crow’s feet are growing bigger around your eyes by the second. So cover up with both SPF and tint for that healthy and sleek look.

3. WONDER POWDER FROM MAKEUP STORE

Makeup Store Wonderpowder

As a reader of this blog, you will quickly catch on to my passion for wonder powder from makeup store. I don't really even know how to describe it properly as it simply must be experienced; however, the most important thing to know when using it on vacation is that it will give you an incredibly healthy shine without looking sweaty, build on color and cover up minor flaws without foundation. Other than this, is amazing to use over foundation to help it set without drying it out.

4. A very gooood mascara in all ways.

bareMinerales Flawless Definition

Yes- we want full, long, thick, black luscious eyelashes ALL the time! But, it's easier said than done. When on vacation, running around from shopping, museum or zoos during the day and fancy dinners at night, you need mascara that stays on, but is easily removed when wanted. It should also give you thick lashes, but not necessarily be made for long ones. Why? Mascaras used to build up length takes longer time to apply than the volume/thickness ones. When on vacation, you really don't want to waste your time on mascara.

5. The perfect blusher

Lancôme Peach Blush

The great thing about blushers is that they can be used to so many things if the color is right. For a vacation blusher you should always pick a peachy tone with gold spots so you can use it in your apple cheek, but also slightly over forehead for a bronzing effect and on your eyelids for a wonderful eye shadow tone. For the even more creative, you should blend it into you color free lip-gloss for a perfect flesh shade.

- follow the blog for the next 5 products and instructions, and remember: and comments with makeup and fashion questions will be answered :)

Questions about makeup and fashion are WELCOME here!

I just wanted to mentione that because this page is still new (4 days) but had an amazing numbers of visit already, I will answer ALL questions regarding makeup and fashion for the next month. My background is as an international makeup artist and stylist, along with lifestyle and fashion journalist and makeup teacher. I am always honest and straight forward, and would never give you a makeup tip that actually only works on photoshoot with retouch available! ;) However, for you professionals out there, new or professionals looking for new inspiration- feel free to shoot any questions for shoot/set/live makeup as well.

SO COMMENT AWAY WITH QUESTIONS WONDERED!

Eye makeup brushes

Along with your foundation brush, your eye makeup brushes are the most important tool professional makeup artist, makeup lover or even an amateur can have. The brushes you chose to purchase and how you use and treat them, are essential when it comes to applying any type of eye shadow or eye product that you want to be symmetrical, well blended and spectacular; in other words absolutely flawless.

There are tons of different brands, types and textures out there to choose from when it comes to eye makeup brushes, and it can be difficult to know exactly what to look for. You also have to keep in mind that many expert recommendations are also based on what the artist prefers.  However, there are certain guidelines regarding the textures, craftsmanship and hair-type of the eye makeup brushes, that can be apply to any brand or purpose while shopping for your own eye makeup brushes. In the end, the tools you choose to use for your most attention drawing features i.e. your eyes, must not only be high in quality, but also be in tune with the movement of your hands and the surface of your eyelids.

Craftsmanship

The most important thing to look for and ask for when you are browsing the different eye makeup brushes at varied brands is the craftsmanship of the brush. In general, handmade brushes tend to last longer because the shaft sticks better to the metal plate between the handle and the brush hairs.

Authentic hair vs. synthetic hair

Eye makeup brushes made from authentic hair is most often from goats, pony, donkey or sable. It’s difficult to say if authentic or synthetic brushes are better as they are used for separate purpose. However, one thing that’s for sure is that authentic eye makeup brushes are best used on dry products while synthetic hair eye makeup brushes are best used on moist or liquid products. If you use a synthetic hair brush on a classic style dry eye shadow, the brush will have trouble ‘picking’ up the product and will cause a lot of eye shadow drizzles that tend to fall down under your eyes. On the other hand, if you use an authentic hair brush to apply liquid eyeliner, the brush will suck up an excessive amount of product and will struggle with realizing it to the eyelid.

The Cut

It’s easy to forget to look at the cut of the hairs, but this little detail is very important when it comes to application. Flat and straight-cut brushes are great for symmetrical lines, placing of eye shadow on to a large area and also to get to that area underneath the lower lids’ eyelash line. A fluffy and round-cut brush is great for blending colors together while on the eyelid and to soften out the outer edges of a hard eye shadow line.  Eye makeup brushes cut on an angle, wither if it is of a hard texture or of a fluffy texture will make it easier to place the brush along the global to create a perfect eye shape.

The Eyeliner Brush

The perfect eyeliner brush should always be hand made out of synthetic hairs.  The two standard cuts are thin and short or cut on an angle, thin and short (much like an eyebrow brush). None is proven better than the other as it comes down to personal technique, but personally I prefer the thin and short cut for when I am making a simple eyeliner without a big angle or flick on the side, while I will use the cut on an angle, thin and short if I am making a classic 1950s eyeliner a lá Marilyn Monroe.

Don’t forget maintenance!

Once you have chosen your eye makeup brushes you still need to treat them with care to make them last as long as possible, but also to achieve a perfect eye makeup result on every use.  Luckily, it’s actually pretty easy to your brushes clean as regular shampoo and water will do the trick. Apply a little bit of shampoo on to the hairs and carefully rub in the same direction as the hairs.  Rinse out with water in the same way and leave to dry on a towel.  Be careful to never get water or shampoo further up the handle as it will influence the glue holding the handle together.