Foundation 101 for Cosplay
Okay so foundation is very important if you want to even out your skin. There are 6 main points you should consider when it comes to foundation for cosplay:
Choose something according to your skin type
Your foundation should match your neck and chest
Know the coverage you want to go for
SPF/Sunscreen, is it worth the risk?
Keep in mind that I constantly keep these kind of posts updated.
You’re probably gonna be taken in photos a lot so your foundation has to make you look good! When I say camera friendly, you don’t necessary have to buy an expensive HD foundation but at least it should have a matte/satin finish. Don’t get me wrong, dewy finishes are beautiful and I personally prefer this over a matte complexion on a daily basis but in photos… not gonna lie… it’s harder to make it look goodt. You gotta find somebody who has good knowledge about photography and lighting if you want to work with a natural dewy complexion… Especially if you’re gonna have a photoshoot with a flash. Not only it’s gonna create a white cast on your face but it will also make you look sweaty.
To be camera friendly here are some tips:
- BE aware of SPF foundations or putting sunscreen before because they reflect in pictures. Go see my last point because there’s a part in that post dedicated especially for this topic.
- DO set your foundation with a setting/mattifying powder
- DO NOT choose a translucent powder… Otherwise it’s gonna make your skin looks ashy
I’m sure you want to spend some time having fun at a con and not always be worried about how you look. That’s why I recommend going with a long lasting foundation. Which means you shouldn’t always have to touch up throughout the day and it should be crease resistant.
Here are some tips to keep your foundation lasts longer:
- PRIMER is quite important. It’s going to create a fence between your skin care and makeup. Plus, it makes the foundation lasts… However, I’d suggest looking at the first foundation’s ingredient and finding the same first ingredient in your primer. For example, MUFE HD foundation is meant to be worn with MUFE HD primer because both are water based products. Otherwise, I’m afraid your foundation won’t stay because another ingredient we use for primers is oil. Imagine an oil based primer with a water based foundation… Oil and water DON’T mix together. (BIG CREDITS TO GOSS WAYNE FOR THIS INFORMATION)
- Set your foundation with powder… I think I haven’t said it enough. If you have very dry skin you can skip this step.
- Optional but if you feel like you want to, use a setting spray.
- Choose a foundation that claims to be long lasting. Not gonna lie, there is a lot of absurd terms (like 24H wear) that are only there for marketing, because let’s be real: who’s gonna wear makeup for 24 hours? Nobody. That’s why I’d go for a foundation that is better suited for your skin type! Which leads… to my other point!
CHOOSE SOMETHING ACCORDING TO YOUR SKIN TYPE
Like I said before, the lasting power of your foundation will depend on your skin type. For example, if you use a cream foundation on oily skin, it’s gonna drag for sure. If the foundation claims to be for ‘’all skin types’’, you should be great.
(This is just a generalization)
Here’s a chart on what I’d suggest for all skin types:
Dry: Creams and liquids (that will not turn into a powder finish… for example I’d stay away from MAC Studio Fix fluid)
Oily: Liquids and powders.
Combination: Depends on what’s more prominent, either dry or oily
Normal: Lucky, you can try whatever you want
Sensitive: Depends if you have dry or oily skin… Just be careful on the products you’ll be using because it could break you out. Fragrance-free products are highly recommended. In fact, I highly suggest knowing what ingredients you are sensitive to.
MATCH YOUR FOUNDATION TO YOUR BODY
People have this huge misconception that they must do a simple swatch on the jaw line then blend it out. If it disappears onto the skin, it’s the right shade. That is wrong… Most of the time! Why? Some people tend to be slightly lighter on the face than the rest of their body. So your foundation should match your entire body. If you want a more natural look, the first tip I can give you here is to find the right shade of foundation… Otherwise it’s gonna look like a mask. In order to find a good match, I would much rather test the color on your neck and chest than your face and jawline.
Also another thing people forget is the undertone. A lot of people get confused between the shade and the undertone. The difference is that the shade determines on a scale from fair to ebony, how pale or dark we are. The undertone is the pigmentation of our skin. There are 4 different ones: cool (pink), warm (yellow, golden, orange), neutral (both cool and warm or none of them) and olive (green, brown). A common way to know your undertone is to look at your veins. If your veins are blue-ish, it means you have cool undertones. If it is green-ish you’re warm toned. If there’s a mix of these two, you’re neutral toned. I, personally, don’t follow this tip because it’s overall simply confusing… and especially since you can determine an undertone just by looking at it, or even with somebody’s ethnicity. For example, East Asian people have 99% of the time a warm (yellow/golden) undertone.
I could make an entire post on this topic but I’m just generalizing here. There’s so much more to tell about skin tones and colors.
Tip #1: If it’s hard for you to find the right foundation shade(especially if you’re very pale), you can always just use concealer. Since the ‘’Kim Kardashian contour and highlight’’ pass, companies have released lighter concealer shades.
Tip #2: You can’t decide what shade matches you the best? I’d suggest to go for the lightest one and if it’s too light, you can always use a darker setting powder or bronzer to correct the shade.
Tip #3: People with oily skin should probably go a shade lighter since most products tend to oxidize easier.
Tip #4 (For people with dark skin!): If you can’t find your shade in the drugstore makeup section, especially if you have beautiful deep skin, go for Fenty Beauty, Nars, Graftobian, MAC or Make Up For Ever. I know it sucks to spend more money than your white counterparts, but I swear that you’re gonna be more than happy to find a shade for you that doesn’t look ashy or too orange! Don’t be afraid to ask the staff for samples. BUT IN ALL HONESTY… Graftobian HD Glamour Creme Foundation (comes in 66 shades) has been my favorite (especially when I was doing photoshoot!) and it is only 24$USD for 14g. Doesn’t seem like a lot, but you don’t need a lot, I swear. It is pretty much just pigments haha.
There are several types of coverages you can go for: sheer, light, medium, buildable and full.
Sheer: Very natural finish. Barely any coverage. Just there to even out your skin tone. Best for people with good skin. For example: Tinted moisturizer.
Light: Natural finish. A little more coverage than the sheer one and evens out the skin tone. Best for people with good skin. Depending on the foundation and on how many layers you put, you can get a medium coverage. For example: Western BB creams.
Medium: Can range from a natural to a heavy feel depending on how many layers you apply. Most medium coverage foundations can turn into a full coverage if you apply a second layer. For example: Asian BB Creams, most foundations, Make Up For Ever HD Foundation…
Buildable: When you can build up the coverage to a higher one. The most recommended method when you have a foundation like this, is to wait a few minutes for the first layer to set, then apply the second one.
High/full: Actually the most ‘’controversial’’ foundation of them all. I think it’s important to talk about some points of a high coverage foundation… Most of them feel indeed heavier just with one layer but they cover well. You may not even need concealer. However, they can look cakey, especially if you use powder on top. It may also accentuate the appearance of pores. BUT if you use it in moderation it can create an amazing photographic skin. You can sheer it down with a little bit of moisturizer or use a fix spray to feel fresher.
Now, the reason why using SPF or sunscreen can be problematic is because it can create a white cast (which looks ghostly) on photos. Also, it depends on where you are and if the flash is required. If you are outdoors, this may not be a problem, just be sure your face is matte.
The higher the SPF is, the higher the chances of a white cast (Side note: there’s not a lot of difference between SPF30 or SPF50 when it comes to protection… Good sun protection is the one that you will re-apply every 2 hours.) My only one recommendation here is: protect your skin, even if there is a white cast. Also, there are exceptions. Not all kind of sunscreens or foundations with SPF photograph bad. Mineral sunscreens (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) tend to be the ones that will leave a white face because they reflect the sun rays whereas the chemical ones absorb them instead.
For example: MAC’s Studio Sculpt foundation SPF15 (recommended for dry/normal skin) and CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 foundation SPF20 (recommended for oily/normal/combination skin) are both amazing foundations with SPF that don’t leave a white face.
Are BB/CC creams okay to use? Taking from my personal experience, I’ve never had any problem with Asian BB creams WHEN I set my face with a powder after and WHEN they’re a perfect match. Even if it was SPF50 I never encountered any problem. I can’t tell for western BB creams though…
Finally, I’d still suggest SPF (on your face and body) because you can prevent a lot just by using it. If you put makeup, the chances of white cast are lower because of all the products you’ve used after, the effectiveness of your SPF is reduced.
Since you have to re-apply protection every 2 hours, how can you do that when you already have a face full of makeup?
Powders with SPF are a good way to go, plus you are re-touching your makeup. BareMinerals has an amazing range of powders with SPF. Face mists or makeup setting sprays with SPF can also be an option. Keep in mind that you won’t get the same kind of protection as if you were applying liquid sunscreen all over your face! It is only okay for touch-up. Don’t base your whole sun protection on SPF makeup.
Here are some foundation recommendations depending on the skin type:
(FYI: I have oily-combination skin. Dealing with an oily T-Zone (nose and forehead) and normal to dry in the other parts of my face. My skin type has changed over the past few years so I experimented LOTS of foundations.)
For oily skin: CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous SPF20, Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo, Revlon Colorstay (liquid formula for oily skin), MAC Studio Fix Powder, MAC Studio Fix Fluid
For dry skin: MAC Studio Sculpt SPF15, Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation, YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat
For all skin type: Make Up For Ever HD, L’Oréal True Match, Sephora 10H Wear Perfection
For sensitive skin: Be sure the product you are using is fragrance free or at least, know what ingredient(s) your skin tends to react to.
If you want to know how to apply your foundation, go check my post about makeup brushes for face!
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