Flawless Foundation

When I was younger, I never wore liquid foundation. In all honesty, I didn’t know I needed it {insert monkey emoji with hands over eyes here!} and was always worried I would cake it on too thick and look like a pageant girl gone wrong. Eeep! When I finally figured out I totally did need it and started wearing foundation after college, I realized how vital it was, and understood what the word foundation actually meant. It is the canvas for the rest of your makeup, and the essential building block to getting that flawless glowing look.I am one of those girls that L-O-V-E-S high end make-up, but that also comes with a high price tag. There are SO many great options at the drug store, and I love finding those favorites, too. I use both, and want to share some of my favorite high end full coverage foundations and their drug store counterparts. These dupes work just as well, but at a price we all love! A few of my favorites that you can grab at the drugstore are Revlon Photoready or Revlon Whipped, Maybelline Dream Velvet and Fit Me Foundation Stick (I love this product for touch up’s), Cover Girl Outlast and Loreal Lumi Trumatch. These are almost exact matches to some high end brand name products, but for less than $15.Still to this day, going to the make-up counter at the mall or browsing the foundation aisle in the drugstore, gives me anxiety and brings back vivid memories of trying to pick out the perfect color, so that my face would match my neck. Many times, I got it wrong time and time again. I mean, why is it SO hard to pick the perfect shade for your skin tone?! With lots of practice and some expert help, I finally figured out the tricks to picking out the right color and finish for your skin type and have found the best foundations that will leave your skin with the perfect glow, if applied correctly.

Here’s a few tips: find your undertone warm, cool or neutral by looking at the veins in your wrist. If they are purple/blue = cool, green/olive = warm and blue/green = neutral and then decide if you have oily or dry skin. I love a matte finish, but most like dewy. If you have oily skin, matte is best, which will be your Chanel CC Cream or Maybelline Dream Velvet. When applying, always use a sponge, brush, or beauty blender and never use your fingers to apply. Always set with powder immediately after application by pressing into skin, not feathering or dragging across with the brush (I like to use a foundation brush for this step). Only target your T-zone, consisting of forehead, between the eyes, down the sides of the nose, upper lip, finishing with your chin and avoiding your cheeks.

When trying to find a color match in the drug store, always put it on the top of your hand, or if you are super confident in the store, on the side of your face/chin right at the neckline! If you can get close enough to the color that you want on the top of your hand, more than likely it will be a match. When you get home, try it in multiple lights on your chin line to be sure.Here’s a super tip: I love that Walgreen’s will take back ANY makeup that has been used with no questions asked. If it didn’t match, take it back and try again! I mean, to think of how many times I’ve gotten it wrong, and how much money could have been saved over the years if I had just know this! I  love buying makeup there, because I always know it can be returned even if the package has been opened and the product has been used. #NoShameInTheMakeupGame

I don’t claim to be anything close to a professional make-up artist, but what I have done is watch my share of YouTube videos and talked with experts at the Chanel, Dior, Mac and Bobbi Brown makeup counter’s over the years. I have even made some sweet friends, one of which, I am SO proud of. My dear friend, Deidra Hamilton, was recently awarded Chanel Business Manager of the Year. If you are in the Atlanta area, please stop by and see Deidra at the Chanel counter at Perimeter Mall and let her give you a consultation. Or, if you are in need of a personal artist, she does personal side work. Just send me an email and I will connect you or you can find her on Facebook here! She is THE BOMB. I recently stopped by the Phipps Chanel counter and met another new artist that introduced me to Chanel CC Cream and I am obsessed. It is more coverage than a BB cream, the smell is so fragrant, and it feels like satin when applied. It is my new favorite and my next purchase. I have been using a sample, because I ALWAYS ask for samples at the counter to make sure I am not splurging on something that I don’t absolutely L-O-V-E.

Trust me, don’t be embarrassed and don’t feel pressured to buy on the spot. I encourage you to introduce yourself to a makeup artist and find one you feel comfortable with and can keep going back to buy from and consult with. They are so talented and the really good one’s understand that not everyone is made of money and just want to you to become a client, even if you’re just buying one lipstick at a time.No one says it better than Sonia Kashuk: “Foundation is like Spanx – no one should know you’re wearing it.” Stick with these tips to picking out the perfect foundation and no one will ever know you’re wearing it!

Hope you’re having a great week Empresses! I would love for you to share what your favorite foundation is and if you want to be featured on Crockpot Empire’s Instagram, post your pictures with the hashtag #styleyourempire We love seeing YOUR beauty and style!