Foundation

I generally don't wear makeup, but there are times when I am willing to put in the effort to get dolled up. I used to have really great skin. I mean it used to be totally smooth and even. Now, it's uneven and has rough patches here and there. Chalk it up to age, stress, bad lifestyle or whatever, but it is what it is. So I need something to even out my face.

Depending on how much time I want to spend applying makeup, I may or may not be too lazy to apply a primer. On special occasions where I actually want to look nice and stay looking nice, applying a primer for my face and another for my eyes is a must. I highly recommend Philosophy's The Present Clear Makeup for the face and Urbay Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion for the eyes.

Now that your face is set to take on color, you can start applying foundation. If I want to be quick and dirty, I'll brush on some light mineral makeup or loose powder foundation. You can actually make your own loose powder foundation. My formula uses mostly zinc and titanium oxide, which are white powders often found in sunblocks, and a tiny mix of red and yellow iron oxides to get my skin tone color. I've also seen a recipe where cornstarch was used as a base (good for absorbing oil) and cocoa powder was used to give colored tint. Anyways, mineral makeup may be good for every day use, but sometimes you want some more coverage.

That's when I started hunting for liquid foundation. I happen to like Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup. I had an old bottle that had to be thrown out and was about to get a new one when one day, I happened to be browsing at a Sephora. I was very intrigued by the rave reviews of Makeup Forever's HD foundations so I shelled out the big bucks and got myself a bottle. Was I a happy customer? You bet! Would I get it again? Not sure. Neutrogena's is cheaper and really does work quite well for me. However, I will say that Makeup Forever's HD foundation keeps me matte all day long, which is a big plus for me! In the end, I'm not sure what I'll get when I finally run out of my pricey foundation. For now, I can say I recommend trying out both brands for yourself.

Of course, you can also mix up your own tinted lotion as a foundation. Just use your iron oxide colors and mix it into your favorite facial lotion to tint it to your skin tone. If you want more coverage, add some zinc and/or titanium oxide to it, which gives it the added benefit of adding a sunblock element to your lotion. Don't overdo it with the powders because it changes the texture of the lotion by making it heavier and thicker. One of these days, I'll get around to posting my favorite lotion recipes here too! Lotions are easy to make!