COVER STORY New foundation formulas for finer coverage
Full coverage doesn't have to mean fake-looking. Take a new approach to application using one of many impressive new foundation formulas.
When it comes to foundation, beauty’s trend pendulum has regularly swung between uniformly matte, pancake camouflage, and sheer, minimally tinted offerings.
Good coverage has long meant forgoing realistic, healthy-looking skin texture or simple application. At the other end of the spectrum, the alternative approach offers little in the way of minimising perceived imperfections.
However, a new wave of full-coverage
products has landed on counters and we’re excited to dive in. Evolving ingredients and formulations deliver easily blended, comfortable colour, packed with pigment. They perform well on camera (including at arm’s length for selfies), but expert application could mean reconsidering the way you work with foundation and concealer.
“Product performance has come such a long way,” says Kiekie Stanners, a senior artist for MAC.
“Once upon a time, high-coverage
invoked the idea of matte, powder finishes. Now, a full-coverage base can still reference the same texture as real skin. This feels so much more on trend. Even if you have discolouration or pigmentation concerns that you prefer to be flawlessly covered, it can be done in a much more ‘real’ way.”
The right tools make the most of the new bases, according to Kiekie, as does working with a minimal amount of product.
“Even if something is designed for full coverage, it doesn’t mean your application technique needs to be heavy. High-cover products provide great wearability and will last a long time, especially if you use them lightly.” Kiekie calls on a soft, fluffy brush to blur a thin “veil” of product over skin. “The softer the brush, the more diffused a high-coverage product will be.”
Lochie Stonehouse, NZ director of artistry for YSL and Giorgio Armani Beauty, agrees on the less-is-more approach to these heavily pigmented, yet lightweight, new options. To make the most of your own complexion, he recommends using a tapered makeup sponge, applying coverage only where necessary. It’s an approach that flatters regardless of age or skin type.
“Apply foundation or concealer in small dots, only where it’s needed. A dot on the chin, nose, forehead, and a dot on each cheek. With a small damp sponge, use dabbing motions to gently “push” the product into the skin. Work your way from the centre, outwards, so that by the time you reach the hairline and jawline you’ll have next-to-no product on your sponge. No one likes to see foundation in the hairline, and people rarely have redness in these areas.”
Radiance is still (always!) desired but there’s no need for glitzy highlighters.
Many products now contain miniscule light-reflecting particles that deliver an almost imperceptible luminosity, which mimicks the skin’s natural translucence.
One of the most appealing new options is an update on YSL’s famed Touche Éclat pen, originally designed for brightening and highlighting, which now has a more opaque option. “It provides the same radiant light as the iconic Touche Éclat Radiant Touch, explains Lochie. “However the real difference is in the high coverage. It will cover under-eye darkness, blemishes, pigmentation, and knock back redness.”
As with many of the new base options, it also contains specific skincare benefits: caffeine concentrate and vitamin D to fight the signs of fatigue – particularly beneficial when used under the eyes.
“High-cover products provide great wearability and will last a long time, especially if you use them lightly.”