Flawless skin may be unattainable for most of us. But who said we couldn't fake it. High-tech formula , anti ageing ingredients, SPF, vitamin enriched liquids & light interactivity are just some of the features you will find in today's tubes of concealers & foundations. Check out what is best for you!

Choosing the best foundation is the first step to a successful makeup result. Perfect matching foundation can only be assessed by correct estimation of skin type, natural color and skin tone. Since most Caucasian, Latin, African and Asian women have yellow-based skin, they must buy foundation with a yellow base too so that it doesn't look like a mask. However, Asian women from the south-Asian region have skin with a yellow-greenish undertone and thus, need a foundation that has same color of pigment as the base. Experts often use two or more shades of foundation to highlight the best features of the face and underplay the low points

"Full coverage does not need to be three inches thick"
"New silicone based foundations give a super fine, flawless & perfect finish. You would not even know it is there. The silicone smoothes out imperfections & fills pores, to leave skin with a silky texture. They are perfect for normal to oily skins as the silicone creates a water-resistant, long wearing formula".
The most common mistakes are testing the color on the back of your hand & looking at it under artificial store lighting. To find the right match, always test foundation along your jaw line. (foundation should match your neck not your cheek) and make sure you check it in day light. No matter how much coverage you want from your foundation, if you have chosen the right color, it will seem to disappear when applied to your face.
         Go shopping for foundation with clean make up free skin. That will help you see what the shade you are trying on looks like.

Make up artists know the tricks that make the difference:
a) Loose powder should be a shade lighter than your foundation; if it is too dark, it makes the skin look
 dirty.
b) For a dewy look, thin a liquid or cream formula by diluting it with a little moisturizer or distilled water.
c) Foundation should be more yellow than pink to flatter the skin tone & to correct high coloring.
d) Women with a very dark skin could try to find a foundation with a bluish undertone. Dark foundations that do  not have bluish yellow tones tend to give an ashy, grey look to the skin.

Use a wedge shaped sponge to spread foundation evenly over the skin. Always blend it along the jaw line, so you do not get a demarcation line between your face & neck, but never take it on to the neck. Some pros prefer to use their fingers. The warmth from your skin helps the make up go on really smoothly. Some make up artists apply foundation first with fingers, than distribute it with a sponge & use fingers again to blend. Blotting removes any excess moisture or oil leaving it perfectly smooth & matte.

These combine SPF, subtle coverage & hydration. The only catch is that they offer very little camouflage for blemishes.

Can be used as foundation & concealer. Gives good coverage, but can be quite greasy, so avoid them if you have oily skin.

*Always apply makeup in a light closest to the kind of light you are going to be seen in.
* For a sassy day look.
* To makeup for a glam night.

* When using make up less is more. Make the bare minimum work for you. You just need some practice.
* The secret is to makeup not patch up.

We are talking about foundations that now carry pigments & ingredients that work with diffusing or reflecting light, so get the optical illusion that your skin is perfect. "The latest- reflecting bases are lightweight, illuminating & provide extremely natural coverage".
"These foundations are mixed through with a fine veil of shimmer which is invisible until the lights hits it. As you move, the light-reflecting particles make skin appear brighter, smoother & more even toned".

What dark circles? That is what you would say if you tried these. Thick concealers isn't going to do the trick if you have got dark circles. Cream collects in the fine lines & makes you look hideous & tired, not to mention old! Instead of disguising them, brighten the area to cancel out the shadows suggests experts. And the new magic eye lightening brands use micro pigments that deflect light. "Use peachy tones if you are fair, and orange hues if you are darker". These are the best concealer for dark circles.

Scars may make Al Pacino look sexy, but they do nothing for women. Unless, you are auditioning for the next Quentin Tarantino film. Some blemishes change color over time & with age, so your trusty concealer that once did the trick may not always work. Balance the different tones with multi tonal palettes. Counteract them with channel Pro Corrector Palette which has a green shade to tone down red & a peach shade for lightening up grey.

Got a massive zit? Liquid concealers are not going to cover them up because as soon as you start to perspire they will just run. Stiffer stick concealers are best for tackling blemishes as they last longer & give fuller coverage". "The color should match your skin tone exactly".

If you have an oily complexion, choose a foundation color a trace lighter than your skin tone, as oil darkens the tone.

Applying foundation

• Foundation needs to be blended, properly, especially under the jaw line, into the hairline, on the ear lobes, corners of the nose and mouth and over and under the eyes, so that they don't let on the difference that the foundation makes to your skin to the viewer.
• To retouch a particular spot, reapply the foundation there lightly and blend it with the rest of the face. Then powder it lightly with the translucent powder to let it set properly.
• Touchup with dual active powder foundations can easily help you to change your look from day makeup to night makeup as it works as foundation as well as powder. For sheer finish using this foundation, you just have to dampen your cosmetic sponge a little.
• While applying liquid foundation, it is better to put small points of foundation at different parts of your face such as forehead, nose tip, chin and cheek bones and then blend a little at a time on the face to give a more finished look.
• You can use powder foundation just like the normal compact powder.