‘Wardrobing’ is the new key to achieving a selfie-worthy complexion, reveals Lucy Slight.
Forget Valencia, Amaro, Hudson and Rise, when it comes to putting your best face forward, we all know that #nofilter (and a dial-up on the brightening spectrum) is the filter du jour. Where once we were all about getting creative with sepia tones, obvious editing apps have become passé, and so has caked-on foundation. Applying the correct foundation is like having Photoshop at your fingertips, but it’s not always easy to get it right – especially when YouTube tutorials leave you feeling like a face full of makeup is the only way forward.
“While it’s always popular to not wear a lot of makeup, with social media and YouTube, a lot of girls are now seeing the opposite,” says Bobbi Brown Cosmetics international pro artist Liz O’Malley, who has worked her magic backstage for international brands including Roberto Cavalli, Carolina Herrera Bridal and Tibi. “Makeup can be glamorous, it just doesn’t need to be overt.”
Finding the right foundation for your skin type is imperative to a flawless finish. Liz advises taking your lifestyle into consideration. “I think women are getting really savvy and realising that one size doesn’t fit all. If they really want to feel flawless, they need more than one formula to fit their lifestyle.” This concept is what Liz terms ‘wardrobing’ – the art of using complementary formulations to achieve your desired finish.
“Those with dry skin should use a really creamy liquid hydrating formula, but if you are always on the go you may never be able to do that. You need something portable.” Where go-anywhere makeup is concerned, cushion compacts tick all the boxes. “Cushions are best used not as primary foundations, but as a touch-up product – they’re small, they’re easy, they’re on the go,” explains Liz. This handbag must-have is light enough to replace powders for touch-ups, especially when you don’t want to mattify or weigh down the face, making cushions great for dryer skin types. For those with normal skin, a sheer, water-based liquid foundation set with a mineral powder will result in a natural-looking glow. Your mineral powder then becomes your touch-up product during the day.
Longwear liquid foundation for oily skin leaves it looking luminous, without the grease – an essential element of your foundation wardrobe. A cream-based formula that starts as a liquid and dries down to a powder form is perfect for portability, thanks to its oil-absorbing properties, shine control and staying power.
When it comes to tools, you’ll be pleased to know you’re not alone in favouring the low maintenance (and wallet-friendly) option of using your fingertips. “You can do a lot of it with your hands, and I think you should, especially if you’re someone who’s not trying to look made up,” says Liz. “Your hands are always there, they’re practical and when you press or manipulate a product with your fingers, you’re warming it and therefore making it look more like skin.”
