Feeling the pressure to have that no-makeup makeup look? We all know what it's like to need glowing skin for that 10am meeting but to feel like we could use another 8 hours of sleep. Foundation can be a total game changer. Achieving an incredible, healthy glow is the aim, not to leave the skin completely covered. It can be tempting to smother your face, but please don’t. We are here to help! No need to spend hours in front of the mirror- you have important things to accomplish, Freedom Fighter! Here are a handful of tips to keep your glow au naturale and feel flawless in a hot minute.
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Prep your skin- clean and moisturise + primer
After you have chosen the best foundation for your skin (aka TMF foundation of course), it's critical to prepare your skin before beginning application. Begin with a natural skin care cleanser and moisturizer. Clearing the skin from excess oils, dirt, and sweat is a morning and night must. Follow up with a dollop of pure moisturizer while the skin is still damp. This will ensure your skin is getting regular nutrients and the right kinds of hydration before you do anything else. Massaging the skin in circular motions really helps with these steps. It awakens your skin with circulation, breaks up congestion naturally, and allows the skin to become responsive and soak up the goodness. Give your moisturizer a minute or two to soak in after your super sweet massage.
Why use a Primer? You can read our other blog on that topic if you're on the fence about it. But in short, for the masterpiece to shine, you need to give the paint a smooth base. A makeup primer gives you beauty-boosting ingredients while creating a smooth canvas for your foundation. Apply just a dime size amount of aloe- based primer on your skin. You do not need to let this dry before moving on to the next step.
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Prep your makeup + tools
Hands are amazing tools! Use your fingers first. Nothing beats a clean hand on the fly for a fast, streak-fee coverage. And Pro Tip: using a liquid foundation is even more forgiving than powder alone. Use the back of your non-dominant hand as a palette for your liquid foundation. All of the great makeup artists do it and there is a reason why! The warmth of your body will soften the natural oils and pigments and make the product easier to spread for application. (If you do not feel comfortable using your hands for warming products, we would recommend a small metal palette and to use a blow dryer for 2-5 seconds to make the cream more blendable.) Be careful not to pump out too much product though. Also, be intentional when you apply it. What do we mean? Avoid being haphazard and piling on too much foundation all around the face or starting in an awkward spot, like the jawline. You want to dot the foundation onto the center of the face, typically where you want more coverage like the t-zone, and then blend outwards to the edges of the face.
To get that truly flawless finish with no lines, pick up a clean makeup brush or makeup sponge after your gentle finger painting is done. Move the brush/sponge/beauty blender in smooth sweeping motions to pick up any excess product and blur any lines. Always bring the brush/blender under your chin so the color is cohesive and blends into the neck.
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Go back to conceal if needed
Thought you should be applying concealer first to wake those peepers up? We are here to put the kibosh on that. If you need that brightened awake look for a bit of a dark circle or more coverage on an irritated part of the face, go back in with a concealer. Allow the foundation to even the skin tone first. You will naturally need to use less of a concentrated concealer afterwards. The formulas of concealers pack more pigment, so you need less product. That’s why concealer tubes are always smaller than your foundation bottle. Hint hint… concealer is not for everywhere. Please use it sparingly.
For an under eye concealer, choose the same shade of product as your skin tone or 1 shade lighter. Apply in a patting motion and then press into the skin with a small concealer brush or beauty blender. Don't drag it so you don’t crease. Make sure to bring the concealer up to the inner corner of the eye, not just underneath.
Spot concealing for a blemish is probably the biggest cover-up concern. In this case, you definitely want to use a concealer the same color as your skin. Using a lighter concealer can highlight the area and draw attention. No good there! Your previous steps have already prepped you for this though. Preparing the skin but first cleaning, moisturizing and then using a primer gives any irritated areas nourishment, softening, and a base for covering. Pat concealer on the spot with your ring finger and blend out around the blemish in a circle.
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Set your foundation for longer wear
If you are going out all day, set your foundation with a powder or a hydration mist.
To button it up with a setting powder, we recommend using a brush with a flat top (imagine a regular powder brush but with the top leveled off). Sweep the brush into your powder compact but be sure to tap off any excess. Then gently pat or roll the brush over your skin, again focusing on the interior of the face first. Swiping the brush or powder puff around the skin will smear the liquid that you already worked so nicely into all of the right places.
You may want to apply a little powder over the concealer but please be warned. Keep the powder away from the outer eye area so it doesn’t play up fine lines. And if your blemish is dry on top, you may want to skip this step so it doesn't look especially dry.
Achieving flawless foundation is a skill, but you are more than capable! Follow these TMF Pro hacks and you’ll never go back...
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