The type of foundation a woman uses is often as much about preference as it is what works for her skin type and tone. While some enjoy the sheerness of liquid foundations and its buildable properties, others can’t be bothered with the mess and opt for pressed powders. And still some enjoy just a light dusting of loose powder to set their foundation or concealer. Regardless of why you like to use powder on your face, when you use it is what matters. According to Solange’s makeup artist, when the warm weather hits you need to put the compact away.
“When powder mixes with sweat, it starts to separate, and it doesn’t look as smooth and clean,” Dana Delaney told NY Mag’s The Cut. “I’d rather use a mattifying gel — that works better and feels a lot lighter on the skin in the summertime.
“With sweat you want to remove it, not mask it. Blotting with either blotting papers or a paper towel will always be better than putting makeup on top of sweat. You’re essentially making the problem worse and making a breeding ground for bacteria. Obviously Solange has really great skin. I’m not going to lie and say: ‘No one needs to use foundation.’ Obviously people have things they’d like to mask, but I say that less is more. Just spot conceal where you need it. Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage concealer is really great because it doesn’t move.
So what should you do if you don’t have “really great skin” and want more coverage than concealer provides for the summer season? Don’t worry, Delaney has a tip for you too.
“For the girls who like to wear makeup, I’d say that wearing a matte foundation is probably the best move. I love Marc Jacobs’s matte foundation. That can be heavy though, so just be careful with the way you apply it. I also like the makeup drops where you can control your coverage — I have to say that the NYX one is really good. It’s like $14. You can add more drops for more coverage, but it doesn’t feel heavy on skin at all.”
Photos: Getty/Bigstock
