It may seem like a case of “first world problems” but, this morning, disaster struck as I prepared to apply my make up for work and discovered that my foundation had mysteriously vanished during a night out the previous evening. A panicked search of the entire flat – including the fridge – confirmed my greatest fear.
I was completely and entirely off base, a realization that shook my foundations to their core. Emerging from the house without some kind of base was, of course, unthinkable and so, resisting the temptation to call in ugly and crawl back under the covers, I put on my thinking cap in order to figure out an alternative solution. The can of emulsion that had been lurking in the garage for several years was dismissed almost immediately as “too shiny” but, after a little experimentation, I discovered the following passable alternatives.
Table of Contents
- Looking At The World Through Rose-Tinted Moisturizer
- A Sample Example
- When You Don’t Have The Real Deal, Conceal
- Take a Powder
- So, there you have it!
Looking At The World Through Rose-Tinted Moisturizer
If you’re anything like me – a compulsive cosmetic consumer, you’re buying every new product to grace the shiny pages of monthly magazines. If so, then chances are that somewhere in your arsenal lurks a tube of tinted moisturizer that you bought thinking it would be great for that post-holiday glow or a fabled ‘good skin day’. Although this won’t have the same depth of coverage as your foundation, it will help to even out skin tone and can be finished off with face powder and a little bronzer.
PRO-TIP: color-matching your base is very important, no matter what product it is!
A Sample Example
Monthly magazines – glossy pages full of eye-wateringly priced clothes, a couple of trees worth of pamphlets that cascade out every time you turn a page and… a veritable treasure trove of cosmetic samples. If you share my tendency to never throw anything away until you can no longer reach the front door without mountaineering gear, then there’s a good chance that your bathroom cabinet is stuffed with an assortment of sachets and samples ripped from the pages of Cosmo and Grazia. Among these samples is likely to be your savior – a little pouch containing just enough Nars foundation to get you through the day.
When You Don’t Have The Real Deal, Conceal
OK, so you’re a neat freak and inhabit a zen-like living space meaning that anything that isn’t being used is binned long before it turns crusty and covered in dust. A quick fix to get you through the day involves your concealer and a little water. Break or crumble a small piece of your concealer onto a saucer and then add a few drops of water. Use a lip brush to mix, adding water until it reaches the right consistency and you have a passable, make-shift base. Add a little bronzer if the shade is too pale.
Remember to take care of applying this though, since it has the potential to be crumbly and chunky, so blend well, especially on those pores. But don’t forget that the best way to deal with large pores is with the best makeup for large pores.
Take a Powder
Right, so you have great skin and sleep like a baby so you have no need for concealer but, don’t panic, all is not yet lost. Although not ideal, you can fashion a rudimentary base using your shine powder and a little moisturizer. Shake or break a little powder onto a saucer and then add a small blob of moisturizer. Stir with a make-up brush until the powder breaks down and forms a paste, adding more moisturizer as necessary. It’s likely that the paste will be paler than your usual foundation, in which case you can add bronzer or a little fake tan to avoid looking like an extra from Twilight.
RELATED: Cream to powder foundation
So, there you have it!
No need to fret about running out of foundation anymore! With these quick and easy solutions you will have all your bases covered.
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What are your tips for covering your face bases? Share with us!
