How To Apply Foundation: Easy Steps for a Flawless Makeup Base
How do you apply foundation? Unlock your dream complexion with my backstage tips and tricks on how to apply foundation.
- 18th July 2024
- By Charlotte Tilbury
9 minute read
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Darlings, knowing how to apply foundation for a smooth, flawless-looking finish will transform the look of your makeup. A perfect foundation base is the secret to every successful makeup look – when your complexion looks lifted, even, and radiant, the rest of your makeup will pop!
In my years as a makeup artist to the stars, I’ve learnt a thing or two about foundation faux pas, and so often the first thing my clients will notice is the way that I make their skin glow! Discover my top tips for creating a beautiful foundation look and learn how to apply foundation for red carpet-worthy results!
Before you apply foundation darling, discover how to choose the right foundation finish for you
Shop Foundation
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1. Prep your skin with moisturizer
I always say you can’t create a beautiful painting without a beautiful canvas! Your foundation will always look better when you have prepared your skin with supercharged skincare first. Sometimes skincare can bunch up underneath foundation and cause it to pill or roll, but fear not, darlings; all of my skincare is expertly formulated to layer effortlessly with makeup as well as with other skincare products, so you can prep your skin to help it look smoother, plumper, and more hydrated without a second thought.
Tilbury Tip: I never apply foundation without moisturising skin with my award-winning Charlotte’s Magic Cream! This iconic moisturiser is designed to give skin an immediate revival and creates a smoother, plumper-looking canvas for makeup to glide onto. 93%* agree that makeup looks better and 94%* agree that makeup lasts longer when skin is prepped with Charlotte’s Magic Cream!
2. Apply a makeup primer
A makeup primer creates a smoothing-effect barrier between your skin and your foundation that helps foundation and other makeup products to apply more seamlessly. Primers can improve the appearance and longevity of your foundation, as well as offering a variety of secondary skincare benefits. Many primers are a hybrid of skincare and makeup; there are illuminating primers like Wonderglow that give skin a radiant glow; SPF primers like Invisible UV Flawless Primer that help shield skin with SPF50 protection; as well as mattifying, pore-blurring, colour-correcting, and makeup-gripping primers that can help your foundation to look flawless and last all day. Not to prime is a makeup crime, darlings! Take 2 finger lengths of SPF primer and massage it into your face, ears, and neck for all-over sun protection.
3. Colour correct dark spots and hyperpigmentation
Foundation will help to even out the look of your skin tone, however, if you experience dark spots, dark circles under the eyes, or hyperpigmentation, I suggest applying a colour-corrector underneath your foundation to help counteract any unevenness in your skin. Using a peach, orange, or red colour-corrector like Magic Vanish! helps to neutralise the appearance of any blue or grey tones in your skin. By addressing uneven skin or skin dullness with colour corrector before applying foundation, your foundation can appear more true to tone and can look more uniform on the skin.
Tilbury Tip: Colour correctors are perfect for anyone that experiences 5 o’clock shadow around the jawline and mouth. Hair growth can give your complexion a blue tinge which can peek through foundation, but tapping a colour corrector around the mouth for neutralising beard coverage will help to conceal the appearance of 5 o’clock shadow throughout the day.
4. Choose a foundation that closely matches your skin tone
The best way to create a seamless, undetectable foundation look is to use a foundation shade that closely matches your natural skin tone and undertone. Use my Foundation Shade Finder to reveal your perfect foundation match – it’s powered by Beauty AI to find your flawless match, every time! In just 60 seconds, my Pro Beauty Tech will match you with the formula and foundation shade that will look best on your complexion. Answer a few quick questions on your skin tone and skin type, then upload a picture of you to let my Beauty AI work its magic – it’s like having a personal makeup artist in your pocket!
5. Apply a small amount of foundation with your fingers or a foundation brush
Think of your foundation as a work of art, darlings! Applying too much foundation all at once can get messy, so it’s always better to work in sections and apply product little by little to get the best skin finish. You can apply foundation with your fingers or a brush; whichever you choose, start in the centre of your face by applying foundation to your cheeks and nose, then smooth it outwards onto the rest of your face.
Tilbury Tip: Your foundation shouldn’t be a mask, darlings. Rather than applying foundation to your entire face, it’s best to dot foundation onto focused areas and blend it out with a brush. This helps to avoid heaviness and caking.
6. Blend foundation with stippling motions
Every foundation will look better if it has been carefully blended out. Blending is the secret to avoiding a streaky foundation application and it’s always worth spending an extra moment to buff and blend foundation into your skin. You can blend foundation with your fingers or a brush; use tapping and stippling motions to get an even finish and remove any visible brush strokes. I recommend using my Hollywood Complexion Brush to blend out your foundation – it’s my secret to flawless-looking, Hollywood skin!
Tilbury Tip: When blending, pay particular attention to areas where foundation may bunch up such as around the nose, the eyebrows, and the hairline to avoid any gaps or makeup mishaps.
7. Build up foundation to get your perfect level of coverage
It’s easier to add more foundation than it is to take it away, darlings. For your most flawless-looking base, I recommend applying a small amount of foundation and blending as you go, then adding a little more at a time in any areas where you want some extra coverage. Applying a full-coverage foundation like AIRbrush Flawless Foundation will deliver full coverage off the bat and is less likely to require foundation layering, whereas light-medium coverage formulas like Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Foundation and Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick are designed to be built up for effortless, customised coverage.
Tilbury Tip: Remember darlings, foundation is designed to create an even-looking canvas for your makeup. If you’re looking for more coverage, you can always apply a high-coverage concealer in areas where you’re experiencing blemishes, discolouration, or skin redness.
8. Apply concealer and cream products
Once you have applied foundation, your complexion is prepped for other liquid and cream products such as concealer, cream bronzer, and cream blush. These products will mesh beautifully with your foundation and will bring dimension back to the face.
Tilbury Tip: Generally, it’s best to apply liquid and cream products before powders as applying liquid and cream products on top of powder can get gummy and cause makeup to cake.
9. Smooth and blur the look of foundation with powder
Powdering your foundation will help to set it into place while mattifying the appearance of skin and creating a soft-focused, blurring effect. Applying a light veil of powder like AIRbrush Flawless Finish on top of your foundation will give your foundation an AIRbrush effect that helps skin to look smoother and pores to look blurred. Less is more when it comes to powder, darlings; focus powder in oilier parts of the face that are prone to creasing such as the T-zone, under the eyes, and around the mouth to help foundation to look flawless for longer.
Tilbury Tip: If you love the look of dewy skin, spritz Charlotte’s Magic Hydrator Mist onto powdered skin to refresh your complexion with a dewy-looking, on-the-go glow.
10. Make your foundation last longer with setting spray
Setting spray locks in your lookl for every makeup application! Spraying a high-performance setting spray onto your finished makeup look will help to make your foundation last longer. I created AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray as the ultimate makeup fix – it helps makeup to last for up to 16 hours!** This AIRbrush-effect setting spray creates a delicate veil on top of foundation, using film forming resin to keep makeup looking pristine. Longevity is one of the main concerns that makeup lovers have about foundation, darlings, but all they need is the AIRbrush effect!
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How To Apply Foundation FAQs:
Why doesn’t my foundation look good?
There are a number of reasons why foundation may look unflattering. Some common foundation faux pas include improper skin prep; choosing the wrong foundation for your skin tone or skin type; insufficient blending; and applying too much foundation. Follow the tips in this guide for a flawless foundation application, every time!
Discover how to stop foundation separating
What is the best tool to apply liquid foundation?
The best brush for blending out foundation is a dense, flat brush that can manoeuvre foundation around the face. I like to use my Hollywood Complexion Brush to blend out foundation as it has a large, flat end that’s perfect for buffing liquid formulas into the skin, as well as a small, tapered end that can blend in hard-to-reach areas like around the nose.
Shop Hollywood Complexion Brush
How do you blend foundation?
When blending your foundation, it’s best to use light, stippling motions that buff product into your skin and remove any harsh lines. Soft circles and upward motions will look the most flattering and will help to lift the look of your face while achieving a seamless blend. Never drag, darlings! Stipple!
Do you put foundation under your eyes?
No – applying concealer on top of a hydrating eye cream should provide ample coverage under your eyes. Usually you would apply concealer under your eyes to help disguise the appearance of under-eye bags and dark circles. You can apply foundation under the eyes to give them some initial coverage before applying concealer; however, as the eye area can be prone to creasing, it’s often best to apply less product where possible.
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Author Details
Charlotte Tilbury
Founder, President, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty
With over 30 years experience, Charlotte Tilbury MBE is the world's number 1 makeup artist and British beauty entrepreneur. Charlotte established Charlotte Tilbury Beauty in 2013, which is now a record-breaking beauty brand that has won over 400 awards.
