WHAT I USE… FULL-COVERAGE FOUNDATIONS

WHEN YOU GET PAID TO TEST BEAUTY PRODUCTS FOR A LIVING, WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY PAY TO USE? ELLE’S BEAUTY DIRECTOR KatyYoung COMES CLEAN

Our Beauty Director reveals how to choose the perfect foundation for your skin type

I’ve had a long-standing relationship with foundation. It began with a teenage obsession at 15, when I would get through a tube of Rimmel cover-up a week – which is ironic, as I needed precisely none back then. As with all good love affairs, there have been ups and downs – orangey in my teens, heaviness in my twenties, a little too much, er, ‘glow’ in my thirties, and quite a strong aversion as I approached my forties. But, as in all matters of the heart, every pairing that went wrong brought me closer to the one that was right.

The trick is to find a suitor that brings out the best in you. With a base, ask yourself: how much coverage do I need, what finish do I feel most comfortable wearing, have I got the right shade, should I go oil-free and do I need that SPF? (Most experts will tell you to wear a separate sun filter.)

Some of us will answer ‘a lot’ to question one, due to skin concerns or a preference for the look of a full face of make-up. Thankfully, the next generation of foundations has made the matchmaking we all struggled with in the Nineties much easier. With textures so seamless, coverage so buildable and pigment so fine, getting a good foundation is a piece of cake – without the cakiness.

It pays to keep a few tricks up your sleeve when you’re shopping for base – the most important being not to use your hand to colours-watch. We all do it, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had my knuckles rapped by make-up artists for it. (Look in a mirror while holding your hand to your face and you’ll see why – mismatched tone and texture, right?) However awkward it may feel – and, of course, it’s challenging while wearing a mask – you have to use your cheek. Pick three shades that closely match your complexion and choose the one that seems to disappear into your skin (one always will).

Not sure how to select that trio of colours? Here’s a tip: know your undertones. It’s not a question of how light or dark, but how cool or warm. The how to? Look at your wrist: if veins are green, you have warm undertones, so you need golden hues. If they’re blue, you have cool undertones, so go for pinky shades. If you have dark skin, stand in front of a white background – the contrast will help you to see obvious colours in your face. A reddish complexion? You’re cool-toned; yellow, warm.

However long-winded this seems, for brands including Fenty, Chanel and MAC, once you know your shade, it’s the same across every foundation in the range, so buying online is easy.

Whether you apply with a brush or your fingers comes down to preference; a good foundation works with both. And there’s no perfect brush – some people swear by a flat-topped kabuki for quick coverage, traditionalists may prefer a mini paintbrush, whereas I love how blusher brushes give a wonderfully real-skin finish. Whatever you choose, remember that it’s easier to build up with a good base than it is to take it off. Oh, and leave your nose bare: it gives a more natural-looking finish. After all, your perfect match should allow you to be your most natural self, right?

“PICK THREE SHADES THAT CLOSELY MATCH YOUR COMPLEXION AND CHOOSE THE ONE THAT SEEMS TO DISAPPEAR INTO YOUR SKIN ”