“You’re a makeup artist. How can you not like foundation?!” Don’t get me wrong, foundation definitely has its benefits. It is a quick and easy way to even out the skin and help make it look picture perfect…when applied properly. There are two main reasons why I don’t like foundation. The first is that so many people think they can just apply foundation all over their face, set it with powder or a setting spray, and go. What they don’t realize is when you put a medium to full coverage foundation on; it takes away the dimension of the face. This makes the face look flat and unnatural. Most people are not well versed on highlighting and contouring, which adds the dimension back into the face, and quite frankly, some just don’t care that much to do the whole shebang. Now, I am in no way saying that if you wear foundation, you should also highlight and contour. What I am saying is, take a look at your skin. Evaluate why you wear foundation. Do you have perfectly smooth skin and want to cover hyper-pigmentation? Are you trying to cover acne or acne scarring? Whatever the case, I find that most people only wear foundation because they think that is what they are supposed to do.

Let me take a moment to share my story. When I was in college, I began to get acne. At that time, I didn’t know how to properly care for my skin, I was eating unhealthy, and not drinking enough water. The breakouts left me with a lot of acne scarring (see photo here). When I began wearing makeup, foundation never really crossed my mind. I knew I didn’t need coverage all over my face, just on the dark spots/acne scars. This revelation led me to my all-time favorite complexion product, CONCEALER! Concealer is usually thought of as a product to cover under eye darkness or to add coverage to small problem areas that foundation didn’t cover. Either way, concealer is never considered as as product to use in larger amounts. What many people don’t know or don’t consider is that concealer has a higher concentration of pigment, thus allowing it to provide a more opaque coverage than most foundations. I have worn foundation a total of about five times in my life. All of these were times I was having professional photos taken and wanted my skin to look flawless on camera. On a regular basis, I want clean, natural looking coverage. Therefore, to even out my skin and cover my acne scarring, I use concealer and a loose powder all over my face to set it. I only use the concealer where I need it and make sure to blend out the edges well so I am left with a seamless coverage.

This story brings me to my second reason I don’t like foundation. Most people don’t NEED it! A bit of concealer where needed and some powder to set is all most people really need! This will also mitigate the risk of covering the dimension of your face and keep it looking natural. Now I do realize that some like the full coverage look foundation gives. I love it too, just not on a regular basis. I am a minimalist when it comes to makeup. I use what I need and try not to overdo it. So, as I mentioned earlier, look at your skin and evaluate what it is that you truly need as far as coverage. Is foundation really the answer?

Sarah Robyn’s concealer recommendations: NARS Creamy Radiant concealer, NARS Soft Matte Complete concealer, Maybelline Better Skin concealer, LA Girl Pro Conceal HD concealer

The ONLY foundation I wear: Makeup Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover foundation. It photographs amazingly and looks like skin on camera. See me wearing this foundation here.

Till next time gorgeous,

Sarah Robyn

P.S. Stay tuned for future posts on this topic, discussing proper application and tools (brushes) for both foundation and concealer.