ASK SAJ: Liquid vs Cream Foundation

Rudina, S. Harris and Renee ask:
"How do I match my foundation? do I match to my arm? and should I choose cream or liquid?"

A question I've been waiting for :), thank you ladies!

First things first...How to match your foundation. Do you match it on the top portion of your arm? or the inner side?

I'll answer that question with a question..Where does your foundation go?

THE FACE!

(yes I'm dramatic....but stick with me)

The rule of thumb is: Match your product where you will be using it.


If your foundation is being used on your face then you need to match it ON your face...not your arm or your knees.

The best place to match for your face is close to your jawline as the shade will easily blend to your neck's colour that way.

Also be careful of in-store lighting, if the lights look yellow have them place a few swatches on your face then step outside with a mirror to look at it in natural light. The shade that "disappears" into your skin is your pick. If the lights are white/fluorescent that should be fine but I still always double check outside of the store.

There are also the skin undertone's which are important in picking your makeup, whether you are a pink, yellow, olive or red undertone will determine what colour range you begin your search in. This might be tricky to figure out for some women, for this I'd recommend having a one on one consultation.

So now you know how to pick your colour, how do you pick your texture?

Liquid Foundation vs Cream


Both are great products and they do fall into a personal preference category, but there are some facts that should help you decided on which type is best for you.

-Coverage: If you have discolouration, hyper-pigmentation, scars or texture issues with your skin, then a cream product will give you better coverage and control to even and smooth out texture.

Note also that just because it's cream doesn't mean it should be heavy like a mask, apply a thin layer of your foundation over your entire face and go back in ONLY on the areas with scars/pigment issues that need a bit more product.

-Dry Skin: Try a liquid foundation if you have dry skin, this would be easier to apply as opposed to cream which could end up looking patchy on your skin.

-Great Skin: No skin issues, or scars but you just need something to have a more polished look. For this I'd go for the in-between combo of a tinted moisturizer. Not as runny as a liquid, but not a solid cream. These tend to be the same texture as body lotion. They don't usually give super coverage for scars so if you do have one or two, maybe add a bit of concealer to the routine.

-Oily Skin: I recommend cream products or tinted moisturizers for oily skin, as a liquid will not win the battle against the oil.

Finally, to accompany your chosen texture, you must pair it with a setting powder. This should be a LOOSE translucent powder, not a pressed compact.

Bonus Round!

Pressed Powder Foundations:

These come in compact form and are a pressed powder with pigment to give coverage. It's important to know that this IS a foundation so using this to set a cream or liquid foundation is only piling on the pigment and will not properly set your base. Cause that oh so common pancake creasing look.

These can be used on their own for a light coverage with a brush and a medium to heavy coverage with a dry or damp sponge. Some brands are also pretty good at hiding scars so concealer may not be needed. This is not recommended for dry skin, dry + dry= dry twice, not a good look.

Hope this helps!

Check out these products below, let me know what you try and feel free to share pictures!

good foundation

Saj Mack is a Professional Makeup Artist in Atlanta Georgia providing over 6 years experience in Beauty, Commercial, Film, Television, Special FX and more. See her work at www.makeupbysaj.com