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How to Apply Foundation With Tips From a Makeup Artist

How to Apply Foundation Like a Pro

Feb 18 2022

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  • There's a learning curve to applying foundation.
  • You can put on your base makeup with a sponge or a brush.
  • Two makeup artists are sharing tips for applying your foundation the right way with product recommendations.

There's an art to applying makeup. To get your winged eyeliner just right, you have to flick your wrist just so to taper the end; to get lifted cheekbones, you have to place your blush strategically; and to get smooth foundation coverage, you have to find the best application method for you.

Whether you use a brush, a makeup sponge, or your hands, there's a bit of a learning curve to applying your foundation the right way. You can just smear some product on your face, but you may not get the most natural-looking coverage. Your foundation should look like an extension of your skin and be untraceable but to get that, you first have to find the right type of formula for your skin type. It's kind of like dating around until you find your perfect match. There are three main types of finishes to choose from — satin, matte, and dewy — and different variations of coverage: light, medium, and full. Whichever you use is a matter of personal preference. There are also many different forms: powder foundation, liquid foundation, cushion compact foundation, serum foundations, and tinted oil foundations, to name a few.

If anyone knows how to apply foundation and make it look like your skin but better, it's celebrity makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes and MAC senior makeup artist Romero Jennings. Ahead, they're sharing tips for applying foundation the right way with a brush and a sponge.

— Additional reporting by Kaitlyn Dreyling

Image Source: Courtesy of Make Up For Ever by Alexandra Arnold

Before You Apply Foundation

Prep the Skin
Great foundation starts before you even pick up your makeup. "It's so important to prep your skin before you put on foundation," Jennings tells POPSUGAR. Start by doing your skin-care routine to ensure your skin is hydrated and smooth. This is when you can also apply a primer depending on what your skin needs. The InnBeauty Project Face Glaze Skin Barrier Glow Viel ($24) is great for dry skin in need of a boost and the E.l.f. Poreless Putty Primer ($9) helps to control shine for oily skin. "Primers really help everything stay in place," Jennings says.

Image Source: Getty / JGI/Jamie Grill
InnBeauty Project Face Glaze Skin Barrier Glow Viel
$24
from sephora.com
Buy Now
E.l.f. Poreless Putty Primer
$9
from amazon.com
Buy Now

How to Apply Foundation With a Brush

Step 1: Prime Your Brush
Applying your foundation with a brush will give you more coverage than your hands or a sponge. If this is your preferred application method, Hughes has a few tips for getting a finish smooth. First, you want to "prime" your brush by swirling it around in the product to get the bristles coated in formula. If you're using liquid foundation, like the Make Up For Ever HD Skin Undetectable Longwear Foundation ($43), you can put some on the back but if you're using a powder foundation, like the BareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 ($33), simply swirl the brush around in the compact. You may think this wastes product but Hughes says it actually helps you use less product because it allows you to cover more surface area on your face. "It's hard to blend when there's too much product there," says Hughes.

Step 2: Use the Stippling Technique
The biggest mistake people make when applying foundation is the way they go about blending it onto the face. Swiping your foundation brush across the skin can leave streaks and bristle marks, which can be frustrating when you're trying to get smooth coverage. Instead, use the stippling technique (aka tapping). "A lot of people tend to wipe when they use brushes," Jennings says. "But the technique is really about pressing or tapping because you have more control, and the result doesn't look as caked on."

The same technique works to cover your pores. "Just press into that area and you'll see that it just becomes more one with the skin," says Hughes. "You're pushing it into the skin."

Image Source: Courtesy of Make Up For Ever by Alexandra Arnold
Make Up For Ever HD Skin Undetectable Longwear Foundation
$43
from sephora.com
Buy Now
BareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15
$33
from ulta.com
Buy Now

How to Apply Foundation With a Sponge

Step 1: Wet Your Sponge
Many people love to use a makeup sponge to apply their foundation because it's easy to get light, natural-looking coverage. First, wet your sponge, like the Beauty Blender Biopure Sustainable Green Makeup Sponge ($20), with water or a makeup setting spray — you want it damp but not soaking wet.

Step 2: Use Dabbing Motions
Then, apply some of your liquid foundation to the back of your hand or directly onto the sponge and dab the product onto your cheeks, forehead, and chin. To blend, use dabbing motions — don't smear or drag the sponge across the skin. Continue with this process until you've reached your desired result.

Image Source: Getty / FluxFactory
Beauty Blender Biopure Sustainable Green Makeup Sponge
$20
from sephora.com
Buy Now

After You Apply Your Foundation

Pay Attention to Areas That Crease
Foundation creases because skin moves — there's no way around that. But you can tweak the way you apply your makeup to help reduce how much it creases around your mouth, eyelids, and under-eye area. To start, Hughes recommends you avoid layering on too much product to areas that experience a lot of movement, like your nasolabial folds and the crease of your eye. Once your base layer is applied, she says to "puff your cheeks" by filling them with air then use your fingers to press the foundation into that area. Raise your eyebrows and repeat that process on your eyelids, as well. This helps blend your foundation into those areas and reduces creasing.

Set With Powder
Setting with powder is an optional last step. Those with oily skin can benefit from a light dusting of setting powder to their T-Zone area to keep shine at bay and help keep making from slipping. For this, use a small fluffy brush and tap some powder into the areas you need it. We like the One/Size Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder ($30) for this.

Image Source: Getty / Glowimages
One/Size Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder
$30
from sephora.com
Buy Now

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