Foundation Question (probably a stupid one???!!)...

[ButterflyOfFreedom]

If I put on foundation and can still see my rosy red cheeks and blemishes, does that mean I am using the wrong shade (or wrong foundation altogether)?

I am a redhead and have fairly pale skin (I don't tan, I burn!) and have quite a lot of redness especially on my cheeks which I don't like.
I currently use Rimmel 25 hour foundation in Ivory but am just not happy with it. It doesn't look too bad but after I apply it (with my fingers), the redness is still visible and I end up using a concelaer (Rimmel cover up stick in Sand) to cover up the remaining redness which I know is not giving me the look I want.

Surely the point of a foundation is to give full, all over coverage on the face, hiding redness to give an even skin tone? No...??

(I admit I am a bit dumb when it comes to make-up in general so any help would be much appreciated - am happy to spend money on a more luxury brand too as I realise Rimmel isn't!).

Thanks!

I use max factor lasting perfection and have for the last 10 years or more. I like the full coverage. If you want it to cover everything you need a proper full coverage foundation...

You can use a redness corrector or serum before putting foundation on.

Benefit foundation covers my blemishes without looking heavy, always get compliments for my 'lovely ' skin when I wear it little do they know my skin is shite

Like the others have said, you need a medium or full coverage foundation.

I like to cover all redness in my cheeks too (and then add pink/peach back with blusher - go figure). I like Revlon colorstay and Lancome teinte idole ultra. I think both have very light shades.

Maybe you could try mineral foundation? I have quite bad skin (spots/acne scarring/uneven skin tone) and mineral foundation is the only thing I've found to properly cover it up.

I'm with Walnut8 here - Revlon ColorStay every day of the week. Redness, what redness...? :)

If you have lots of redness then a green primer applied to the relevant areas helps a lot.

Certain foundations are better than others for coverage too -my personal favourite is lancome tient idole 24hr applied with a real techniques stippling brush

Im a freckly celtic person, but thankfully my redness just saves a bit on blush. However if it bugs you try smashbox primer (the green one looks odd but works brilliantly). Or other colour correcting primer . The major thing that improved how i feel about my skin was sorting my routine I use Andrew Weil from origins anti-redness which has massively improved my skin but is not budget, other friends swear by aveno.

What Walnut said. Cover all the redness then put some back with blusher

That is what I do, sure someone will come on and say embrace your natural tones, no thanks! But if you use a full coverage foundation you do need to add other stuff - I use cream blusher, highlighter and bronzer to get a more natural tonal effect. I am pale and if I just wear foundation, I look a bit dead.

Thanks for your responses!

So it look like I either need to get a full cover foundation or use a primer before applying foundation... Will give it a go!

Yes a more covering foundation is called for. I love Revlon colorstay. I too have redness. Be careful when using any colour correcting stuff (green primer etc). You will need to practise as it can give the skin a 'greyish' cast. I find a foundation that is more on the yellowish side (rather than pink) is better otherwise it looks 'ashy'. I never use green stuff but have on occasion used a yellow toned beige type concealer. Revlon colourstay do one. Mac fondations are supposed to be good but never worn them so cannot compare.

Be careful around bronzer too. Some are red based and you will end up back to square one. I ony use blusher in the evening if going out. I prefer a bit of my colour to show through but most is softened' not totally oblitterated by the foundation. I also avoid bronzey eye shadows as I think this highlights any red either in eyes or on face. However, if you feel you look dead without blusher try a pink or peach toned one. Less is more. Be sparing and don't put it all over the cheek.

If you tend to sweat or are likely to get rained on I would 'avoid, avoid' any of those green primer/colour correctors. Nothing nice about streaks of green down your face. I did have good results with a cover up stick from Benefit that had yellow in it Bluff something? Can't remember. Quite liked Rimmel concealer stick (if you are on a budget). Try not to put too much on -if your face is more concealer than anything else you need a more covering foundation. Go easy, building it up lightly. Some people really rate Estee Lauder Double wear so try tht maybe. I liked their maximum cover which is a gel type cream foundation. It is very covering so go light handed. I liked that it was quite yellow enough to 'soften' my colour. I don't need it quite so much now as redness not quite it used to be.

Good luck.

I'm a pale redhead too, and have a bit of redness from sporadic rosacea. I find Bourjois CC creme good for neutralising redness without being too heavy; I apply it with a Real Techniques face brush which buffs it in so the finish is very natural-looking.

Also, I agree with VByzant about seeing if a change in skincare routine can minimise any redness before you start trying to cover it up. Avene/La Roche Posay is good value skincare for sensitive skin, and I think both do moisturisers with redness-neutralising tones (?). My own rosacea has calmed down a lot since I started using Paula's Choice Skin Recovery, to the unthinkable point where I don't always have to wear foundation now.

Oh, and yes, be careful with colour correcting primers! I used a Clinique anti-redness base, then this Bourjois CC cream, and the combination of two lots of green pigment made me look like I'd just walked off stage from an am dram production of Wicked.

The Clinique counter lady was very generous with samples though; they do a special anti-redness foundation which might work for you?

I recommend that you have a look at other skincare products. There are products such as Clinique anti redness solutions designed to help skin that tends to get red.
You might also look into whether you might be suffering from rosecea as there are products to help the condition and triggers that you might be able to avoid and thereby improve your skin.

With regards to foundation and covering the redness, I'd suggest getting using a light/medium coverage foundation on the areas of your face that are not affected and a full coverage foundation or concealer on the affected areas.

I also recommend giving a green primer a go - I personally don't feel that they do much for me, but loads of people really like them. Smashbox make good ones and I suspect they might be able to give you a sample before you buy.

After primer, use the sheer foundation. Then use the full coverage foundation or concealer on the 'bad' bits.

Set the foundation with a powder - you can use a translucent one, a skin coloured one or one of the yellow toned ones (Clinique has one, but other companies also make them).
Then do the rest of your makeup as you normally would.

The reason why I recommend the sheerer foundation on the good bits is that it looks far more natural. I find that a full coverage foundation all over requires far more makeup to look natural - bronzer, highlighter, blusher and so on, whereas you can get away with less if not covering up the skin completely.

Regarding the colour of the products, I'd personally go for foundation, concealer (and powder if going for a skin coloured one) in a colour that matches my neck and chest. I test the colour at the back of my jawline and on the side of the neck - just below the ear. My face is a bit darker than the rest of my body and matching my foundation to my face makes my head look like it doesn't belong on my body as the colour looks a bit off and will usually either make it look very obvious where the foundation is applied or I will have to apply foundation down my neck to ensure that it looks seamless.