The Beauty Corner with Mandy Muldoon from Hi-Maintenance Beauty and Photography Studio, The Diamond, Monaghan. Tel – 047 72153 or email info@himaintenance.ie.

CHOOSING the right shade of foundation is tricky. This is especially true for us Irish ladies who have mainly ghost/milky white skin and are willing ourselves to be five shades darker!

The purpose of foundation is to even out and enhance the skin tones, not to coat or hide the skin. You should choose a foundation the same tone as your skin that will blend seamlessly into your neck to create a blank canvas. People often feel that this will make them too pale or washed out looking but trust me when you add a little blush and use a bronzer to brush over the raised features of your face to give a sun-kissed look it will look much better than going shades darker in foundation or over-bronzing your whole face. However, this rule does not apply if you have a spray tan done on only your body. It would then be advisable to go for a shade of foundation to match your tan not your face.

Choosing the right type of foundation is equally tricky and there will be a certain amount of trial and error. So with this in mind, a little experiment was carried out in my salon to show you the different types. It is important to note that while the types of foundation used look very similar in these images there is a big difference in how they may feel on your skin and how they lasted during the day. I would like to thank Darlene McCann, my work experience student for being my model.

Liquid - This is the old favourite. It can be applied using fingers/sponges or brushes. The newest way is using a fibre-optic brush as shown in the photo. This creates a very even and line-free application. As you can see from the photos, I used the middle foundation on Danielle as it disappears into her skin.

Mineral - This is the new favourite foundation because of its natural ingredients. Don’t feel bad if you forget to cleanse it off after a night on the tiles, as it is made from non-toxic ingredients that won’t damage your skin and will even look good in the morning! Mineral is great for all skin types including problematic skin as it won’t block your pores and cause more problems. It is applied using a short stumpy brush called a kabuki brush. Mineral foundation mostly comes in a powder form and it is buffed into the skin using small circular movements. Some companies have now developed a mineral liquid foundation which is also great, but I’m not sure if all ingredients used in the making of it are natural.

Air Brush - This is a favourite with make-up artists who work on performers, dancers and models etc. Airbrush foundation creates a flawless matte finish that will not budge. This means it will not slide from the face of dancers who may be sweating, nor will it melt under stage lights. In fact, it’s quite hard to remove as it is silicone based and I wouldn’t recommend it for every day use. Airbrush foundation is applied using a compressor and a tiny spray gun.

Tips!

*All foundations need to be set to allow them to last all day and keep them from looking shiny. Translucent powders are best as they have no colour and won’t dry patchy.

*Highlight only certain points that you want to make prominent e.g cheeks and brow bone. Do not put highlighter all over you face as this will make you look like you are sweating.

*Use concealer under eyes and blend. Follow with a lighter shade of concealer in the shadows only - the lighter colour brightens up the shadow making it appear less deep. Use a brush to dab it in this area. Don’t rub away with your finger as this will remove all product. Don’t apply light colour all over the undereye area as this will make puffiness appear worse.

*Applying a little blush defines your features and cheeks.

*Apply a little bronzer on forehead, nose and cheeks to give your skin a sun-kissed look