Come warm weather days and my thoughts switch to powder-based foundations, especially of the mineralised kind. Made from natural micronised minerals like iron oxides, mica, and titanium dioxides, mixed with pigments, these powdery formulas are superb at soaking up excessive greasiness, while staying put for hours.
Plus, they don’t include parabens, silicones, fragrance, emollient oils, waxes, artificial preservatives, or other harsh chemical binders. So they won’t clog pores and lead to acne or exacerbate sensitive skin. Which, to me, is one of the biggest problems with makeup in summer.
And if you apply them correctly, powder foundations can look absolutely seamless, creating the illusion of absolutely perfect skin. Hooked? This is how you should apply powder foundations… mineralised or not.
1. First things first, choose your brush… this is far more important for powder foundations than the liquid versions. The latter go on just fine with fingers (my personal preference) or a beauty sponge. Powders, however, need actual tools. Kabuki brushes work best for all-over sheer coverage, while flat-headed powder brushes give a slightly heavier application, especially on problem areas.
2. Hold the brush horizontally and sweep the sides of the bristles into the powder with swift back-and-forth strokes. This will help the brush pick up the correct amount of powder.
3. Then, instead of sweeping the brush across your face (like we do with translucent powder), press the bristles onto your skin with a slight rolling motion. Repeat across the face till you have the desired level of coverage. This smoothes out uneven areas, like pimples and dark spots, without looking dry, cakey, settling into fine lines or exaggerating the pores.
4. Then start buffing the outside of the face with the brush, slowly working your way in towards the forehead, nose and chin. The minerals will warm and blend with the oils in your skin to give that “no makeup” look.
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