Selecting your foundation – As the name suggests foundation is the basis for your make-up and consequently your overall appearance. When you get your foundation correct it is much easier for you to obtain the overall look you desire. With a little advanced planning and knowledge, you will achieve the look with minimal practice.  There is no magical formula that will apply to everyone,  listed below are various options so you can explore which technique is best for you.

The number one issue is, quite simply men have facial hair growth referred to the dreaded five o’clock shadow. This is something that  applies to the majority of men. We will start by outlining the basic process as follows:

1. Have a good close shave – sounds simple but you would be surprised how a little change in your routine can yield a lot of benefits. Experience has led me to believe that a wet shave does get closer to the skin and causes less irritation than an electric razor. So using a wet shave technique, prior to applying shaving foam, warm the skin with hot water without going too mad, as hot as you can take it. This will open the pours and make the hair follicles softer. Apply shaving cream / foam and shave with the direction of the hair follicles. When you have finished shaving the entire area, wash with hot water again and apply a generous layer of Johnson Baby lotion (pink bottle – obtained from any good chemist). Leave the lotion on for a minute or so, this will sooth the skin a little and assist when you come later to apply your make-up. Shave the lotion off against the hair direction, once it has all been shaved off, submerge your face in as cold a water as you can possibly get. Submerging your bearded area in the cold, will shock / force the hair follicles to retract that little bit further.
2. No matter what / which foundation brand we use it is always a good idea to protect the skin as much as possible. After all it does have to last us a lifetime. If you are going to use any of the Kryolan paint sticks or Derma color range, then it is advisable to apply Pro shield which is a barrier foam, this will also help with the application of the foundation, make it last longer and also aid in the removal of your cosmetics. If you are using some of the lighter foundations such as MAC cosmetics all in one foundation or BB creams then you should consider their Pre+Prime Natural Radiance Base Lumiere. MAC does a whole range of Prep+Prime products as does Kryolan. The objective is to make cosmetic application easier, longer lasting and provide better coverage. It is also worth pointing out that the MAC Prep+Prime due to its peachy colour has an automatic colour correction ability (See colour correction below).
3. Colour Correction – In simple terms, the lighter or thinner the foundation you use, there is potentially more of a requirement for colour correction prior to the application of your foundation. Why and what is it? Why do we colour correct? In very simple terms you are trying to neutralise blemishes or potential problem areas. As an example, if you have a red patch on your skin and apply a coat of green over it, the red is washed out. A pinkish tone will add depth to the skin, whilst an orange or red tone will reduce the appearance of the five O’clock shadow. For the purpose of this exercise, we are going to briefly cover as many potential foundation options as possible, starting with the thinner foundations and working our way up.

Water / liquid based Foundations

MAC Face and Body Foundation

These are the typical over the counter brands you see at most department stores, with wonderful names such as tan, olive. Which to be frank is somewhat bewildering at first. If you have great skin and little to no facial hair, then these foundations are probably ok for you. The advantage is they can be layered on to achieve the depth and basic contouring you may need. Colour correction may be something you need to take into consideration, prior to applying this foundation to ensure you get a good even finish. The advantage with this type of foundation is that it is not totally necessary to seal the foundation with translucent powder after application and therefore can look a little more youthful and natural. This is more of a day time bright natural light foundation. The main challenge is ensuring you select the correct tone, either warm or cool, as you do need to get a close match to your own skin. Refer to (tip one) to see how you can select the correct shade.

Cream Foundations

Kryolan Ultra Foundation

These are what I would term medium density foundations and can be applied best by using a foundation brush and then buffing / blending in the finish. I find the best results are achieved by working in small areas at a time rather than applying to the entire face in one go. The Kryolan Ultra Foundation or MAC all in one studio finish are great, once you have matched up your shade (see tip one). Warm the foundation up on the back of your hand before application, this helps to make it spread a little easier. If you can not find the perfect shade then you can mix or blend foundations together. I find the Kryolan range better for this particular approach. You can even turn these creams into a more liquid form by adding a small drop of Make-up Blend (see tip Four).

Powder Foundations

To be honest these are not my favourites as they always look wrong on me as my skin looks dry and old. I have used them more like a blotting powder to very quickly touch up existing foundation.

Heavy(er) Foundation or the go-to for most Drag Queens and girls on a night out

Kryolan TV Paint Sticks

OK not the best of headings – The TV Paint stick and or Derma Color are generally the go to foundation for the majority of the girls as this is a full coverage foundation. This is a thicker foundation that was developed to work well in the theatre or under intense lighting, thus making it very durable, easy to apply and just ideal for an evening foundation. This make-up does actually blend and gets better when your skin temperature goes up. The advantage of this foundation is that it has excellent coverage, and is very forgiving. As previously pointed out I would always recommend using the Pro Shield before applying this type of foundation. If you do have a heavy beard line you can colour correct with an orange (D30) or deep (D32) based Derma colour foundation working it in well with a sponge prior to applying your foundation.  You can use a lighter shade of Derma color over the entire area or a TV paint stick such as shade 5W (see tip two). Due to the nature of this foundation it is always advisable to seal the foundation with a translucent powder. This will help to set it and make it last longer. In addition, when you seal the foundation it will not transfer onto your clothing so easily. Believe me, this is not the easiest foundation to remove from clothing. See (tip three) for removing this type of foundation.

For a more smooth and day like finish use Kryolan Make-up blend in conjunction with the Paint Stick. This product helps to thin the product down making it more of a fluid foundation. We prefer to either apply a small quantity directly onto the face and then blend in the stick using a foundation brush or apply strokes of the paint stick to the face and blend in using a foundation brush coated with the make-up blend.

Tip One

To get the best match of foundation for your skin, apply a small amount to the back of your hand and blend it in with a brush. This warms it up and exposes it to the air to oxidise a little, apply near the jaw line and leave for a short period, then have a look. Is it to light / dark, does it look a tad yellow or blue. You will soon know when you have done this a couple of times, which shade is correct for you.

Tip Two

For the majority of European clients the best shades for the general foundation are shades 4W, 5W or 6W. Apply your selected shade (say 5W) all over the face and blend in well, right into the neckline. Then take a darker shade 8W/9W and use that as a basic contour shade along the jaw bone, the cheeks, temples and forehead, if necessary along the inside of the nose and blend these areas in well. This should help to pre-contour your features (email me for more details if required). Once it is all blended in, take an OLD powder puff and gently pad all over the face to remove any surface oil from the foundation. Then apply a translucent powder to seal the foundation. I would recommend using Kryolan Professional Translucent powder. This powder comes in various shades, the most useful being TL3 which has a slight pink tinge. Dust it all over and remove with a powder brush. This will leave a good matt finish.

Tip Three

Removing TV Paint Stick or Derma Foundation. You do need a reasonable make-up remover as these products are oil based and water along does not do the trick. I would recommend either a hydro make-up remover or my personal favourite is the Kryolan make-up remover. Apply a reasonable coating of the remover (i know it’s a mess) then wipe with some make-up wipes and remove the last traces with traditional soap and water.

Tip Four

You can not always find that perfect shade of foundation, but that does not mean you have to settle for second best. It is very easy to blend foundations together. I have often used two shades of Derma color foundations mixed together, to achieve a more porcelain textured foundation. In some cases a blending agent such as Kryolan Make-Up Blend helps to make the foundation easier to blend. I always carry some in my make-up kit because it is great for reviving dried out eyeliners and make-up in general.