Choosing your primer

Your primer is probably the first layer of your makeup, and will be in contact with your skin all day, so you'll need to choose something that will enhance your skin.

• If your skin is very dry, look for a primer that also moisturizes your skin.
• If your skin is very oily, make sure your primer is oil-free.
• If your skin is extremely sensitive, look for a primer that has minimal ingredients, or consult an aesthetician as to which products might be best for you to try.
• If you have any chemical sensitivities, read labels and know what substances to avoid.

Ingredients in various primers react with different peoples' skin in different ways. As an example, a particular brand that I've tried uses silicone in their facial primer (as do many other companies, in varying concentrations). This particular brand's primer causes me to break out more frequently and more severely than normal, and most primers that contain silicone cause similar reactions on me. Yet my mother, whose skin is generally very similar to mine, not only can wear that brand with no problems, but she loves it.

Most primers are non-comodogenic - that is, they won't clog your pores. That doesn't mean that they all are, however. Check the packaging to be sure, or ask a knowledgeable aesthetician. If you're prone to acne, or if you have larger pores, you may need to do research into primers that will not cause flare-ups or break-outs.

Choosing your foundation type

Choice of foundation consistency is largely a matter of personal preference. There are good and bad points about anything. I personally use loose-powder foundation because I like the weightless feel, I like the long shelf-life (my particular powder doesn't allow bacteria to grow), and I like being able to easily blend my own custom shade if necessary. I've had to learn how to work with loose powder, and I had to do more searching to find a foundation shade that worked for me. I finally found my Holy Grail foundation with Meow Cosmetics (Frisky Chausie), but before I tried loose powder I tried liquid, cream, pressed loose powder, and cream-to-powder foundation. I have a cream foundation that I'll wear when I'm getting my picture taken, but I just prefer the feel of loose powder foundation.

• If you live in a damp or wet environment, a cream or liquid foundation will probably work better. Powder can more easily "melt" off.
• If you have prominent deep wrinkles or scars, use a cream or liquid foundation. Powder settles into and accentuates wrinkles. (Finer lines and smaller scars aren't so problematic.)
• If you have very pronounced facial discolorations that you regularly want to totally disguise (larger birthmarks, dark scars, prominent rosacea), and can't cover them satisfactorily with cream concealers, use a cream or liquid foundation. Powder foundations provide less opaque coverage.
• If your skin is extremely sensitive or especially prone to breakouts, use a powder foundation with minimal ingredients. Fewer ingredients means fewer substances (or interactions between substances) to irritate your skin.
• If you are going to be photographed, use a matte powder foundation or use a cream foundation. The mica and titanium dioxide in many loose-powder foundations reflects light and can create rather odd-looking white spots on your face when they react with a camera-flash.
• If you have extremely oily skin, look for a foundation with mattifying or oil-absorption properties. Most often, this will mean using a pressed- or loose-powder foundation; but there are some cream-to-powder foundations on the market that may do what you need them to.

General points to remember:

• Even if your primer has a moisturizer, you should use separate moisturizer, especially as you age. A moisturizing primer isn't as effective as a separate moisturizer, because the active moisturizing ingredient is less concentrated.
• Even if your foundation has an SPF rating, you should wear separate sunscreen - especially if you use powder foundation, which doesn't provide enough protection from the sun unless you cake it on so heavily that you look obviously "made up".
• Always read the ingredient labels. Just because something is marketed as 'organic' or 'mineral makeup' doesn't mean that it doesn't contain problematic ingredients (especially if you have chemical sensitivities.)

Choosing your foundation shade

There are so many "how to" guides for choosing the right foundation. Part of the reason for that is...they've all got some truth and reasoning to them. People advise you to match on your jaw because that's the close to your neck - matching on your jawline will ensure that there's not a sudden line where your foundation ends, or a very visible difference between your face and your neck. Others advise you to match to your arm - because a person's arm generally gets more even sun exposure than their face, so matching there will ensure that your face is a uniform color and will have a healthy glow besides (or you'll be a uniform paler shade on hands and face.) Others advise you to match to your upper chest, especially if you wear v-neck or scoopneck shirts - because then your face/neck/chest will all be the same color. Where and how you match your foundation depends on either what you think will work best for you, or what your photographer thinks will work best :D

Application

The skin on your face is more delicate than the skin elsewhere, and is the focus of more attention - so not only is it more susceptible to wear and tear, that wear and tear will be more obvious. Always apply very gently. Pat or blot rather than rub or smear. Don't abrade or tug on your skin. When you apply your creams, use your middle or ring finger instead of your index finger - since you're not used to using those fingers as often for pointing or gesturing, the muscle coordionatino is a little bit lessened and the pressure won't be as strong (it'll still be strong enough to blend and spread your concealer and foundation, though - don't worry!)

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