Best Face Products

Make-up or no make-up - the choice is always yours

There’s no right or wrong when it comes to choosing how much or how little make-up to wear. Despite an abundance of products on the market, don't feel obligated to wear make-up every day. Applying it can also be time-consuming, especially if you’re new to the world of cosmetics.

Some days you might be comfortable with wearing just moisturiser and bronzer, or a BB cream and mascara; for a minimal make-up look.

On other days, or for other people, applying make-up can be fun and even therapeutic. Make-up can also play a part in helping us feel more beautiful and confident.

However, none of these products are ‘must-haves’ for a beauty kit. Play around with different products, but if you find you don't need them all, stick with the ones that work for you. This will help simplify your make-up routine and also keep it enjoyable.

Know your skin tone and skin type

A large part of finding the right make-up involves first knowing what your skin tone and type is.

Skin tone and undertones

Everyone’s skin has either cool, warm, or neutral undertones. These undertones should match the make-up you’re buying, so it compliments your undertones.

An easy way to find out if your skin is cool, warm or neutral is to look at the underside of your wrist. What colour are your veins?

• Blue or purple veins: You have cooler undertones. These includes: pink, blue and red undertones in your skin. Many people with fair to light coloured skin have cool undertones.
• Green or greenish blue veins: You have warm undertones. This includes gold, yellow and peach undertones. People with medium or dark skin often have warm undertones.
• Indistinguishable colour, or the same colour as your skin: You have neutral undertones, which are neither warm nor cool. Some skin types are a mix. For example, olive skin is warm to neutral, with a green undertone.

Skin type

Skin type refers to whether your skin tends to be dry, oily, a combination of the two, or normal. The guide below references your skin type a lot. If you’re not sure what your skin type is, you can find out by reading our article on moisturisers.

Primer

Face primer is applied after moisturiser, and before foundation. Primers help create a smooth palette on which to layer your make-up. It also provides a barrier between your skin and make-up, to stop your foundation from looking greasy and sliding if you have oily skin - or hydrating your skin if it’s dry.

• Oily skin: A mattifying primer that's water-based is a good pick. A mattifying make-up soaks up oil and makes your face appear less shiny. The water base provides hydration without oil, which helps the matte look. Apply only a thin layer of primer - since it sits on almost-bare skin, too much product (even mattifying) can still make your skin sweat and get greasy.
• Dry skin: Choose a hydrating primer with hyaluronic acid and antioxidants. Hyaluronic acid keeps water locked into skin, by keeping skin tissues lubricated. Apply a layer that’s not too thick or thin over the top of a hydrating moisturiser.
• Mature skin: A smoothing or blurring primer can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines before you apply make-up.

Foundation

Foundation is applied after primer, and provides the base for the rest of your make-up. It’s applied to the whole face, and blended evenly into the neck so the colour doesn’t cut off abruptly at your chin.

Foundation can also help to blur or cover blemishes and correct skin tone.

Coverage types, explained

Coverage refers to how thin or thick make-up is when applied to the face. Coverage can be sheer, light, medium or full. The ‘fuller’ your coverage, the more noticeable your make-up will be, as well as longlasting.

• Sheer or light coverage embraces a minimal make-up look, letting the glow of natural skin show.
• Medium coverage disguises blemishes, marks and spots more than light coverage.
• Full coverage make-up, applied correctly, hides all blemishes on your skin. It may be your preferred option, if you have acne, scars or hyperpigmentation.

Types of foundation

• Liquid foundation: These are the best foundations for oily skin or combination skin. The consistency is usually not too thick, compared to cream foundations. You can apply it with a sponge/ beauty blender or a brush for liquid make-up.
• Cream foundation: The thick texture is capable of providing full coverage. Their creamy consistency that makes them hydrating for dry skin. If you’re not after a full-coverage look, a thinner layer can be applied.
• Powder foundation: These are lightweight foundations that you need to apply with a brush. They are dry and lightweight, so are suitable for oily skin. However, they only provide light coverage and a natural finish. Powder foundations often rub off part-way through the day, making it necessary to reapply them. If you have oily skin but like the idea of a powder foundation, start off with a thin layer of a lightweight liquid foundation, then add a little powder foundation on top.

Foundation Finishes

• Natural finish: A natural or sheer finish looks closely like your natural skin. It doesn’t have a matte or dewy look.
• Matte finish: This foundation doesn’t contain any shine. It’s a good pick if you have oily skin. However, make sure that the foundation isn’t overly drying, as this can prompt your skin to produce even more sebum/ oil than it usually does.
• Dewy finish: These reflect the light, to add a luminous glow. Words like radiant, glowing and luminous often describe dewy-finish foundations. These are good for dry skin, as they add a hydrated look.

Concealer

Concealer is applied to selected areas of the face, in order to cover up blemishes like pimples or scars, and dark circles under the eyes.

Concealers aren’t made to even your skin tone, or change the colour of your skin. That’s why foundation should be applied first. Applying concealer first can leave an unnatural white cast on the skin if your foundation slips or wears off throughout the day.

Where are you applying concealer?

• Under the eyes: Apply a concealer just 1 shade lighter than your foundation.
• On the face: To cover up spots, marks or blemishes, pick a concealer that’s the same colour as your foundation.

What's your skin type?

• Oily skin: Pick a liquid concealer with a matte finish to create a dry, non-oily look. Liquid concealers are longwearing and light, and so are also suitable for normal, combination, and sensitive skin.
• Dry skin: Choose a stick concealer or a cream concealer, both of which have thick, creamy consistencies that are hydrating.
• Sensitive skin: Avoid stick concealers, as they contain ingredients that can often clog pores and irritate the skin.

Setting powder

This is an optional step after applying concealer. Setting powder can help your foundation stay in place, and help give it a more mattifying effect. They can be slightly tinted - to match foundation - or translucent powders that don't alter or darken the shade of your foundation.

Bronzer

After foundation or setting powder, you can pick some bronzer. Bronzers give your skin a sun-kissed look - adding a warm, tanned touch, rather than adding colour to the cheeks (this is what blush does).

Bronzer is applied to the parts of the face that would naturally be touched by the light. To best do this, pick a bronzer shade with a shade range no more than 2 shades darker than your natural skin tone. If you're going for a subtle look, a powder bronzer that's matte, with no shimmer, is the way to go. However, if you're after buildable coverage, cream bronzers can add more drama to your look.

To achieve a natural summer glow, don’t just apply bronzer to your cheekbones. Instead, make a shape of the number 3, starting from the top of the forehead, down to the cheekbones and across them, then across the jawline and down to the chin.

Bronzer shades based on skin undertones

• Cool undertones: Opt for warm peach, beige-taupe or soft browns.
• Warm undertones: Golden-brown bronzers work best. If you have darker skin, look for shades like mahogany, chocolate and terracotta.
• Neutral undertones: It can be tricky to find the right bronzer for you - experiment, but you're likely to be more lucky avoiding pinks and trying neutral, soft browns instead.

Blush

It’s possible to apply both bronzer and blush, though many people just stick to one or the other. Blush gives your cheeks a healthy, rosy glow, and accentuates the angle of the cheekbones.

• Powder blush: This is by far the most common option. Powder blush is applied with a brush. Its lightweight consistency makes it a great choice for oily skin, and for light skin, as it looks subtle and natural.
• Cream blush: A more hydrating option for dry skin.

Blush shades

As a general rule of thumb, think of the colour your cheeks would turn naturally when you blush, and try and find a shade that’s close to that.

• Fair skin: Choose a blush that’s light, like baby pink or light peach. Plum or berry shades offer a more dramatic look at night. Avoid darker shades, especially those with orange or red tints.
• Medium-skin: Rosy pinks often look natural on medium skin. A golden-toned blush may also look good.
• Olive skin: This skin can look good with either an orange-peach colour, or a golden-hued blush.
• Darker skin: Blush can include bolder colours, due to the warmer undertones in the skin. This includes orange and red tints, like corals, berry shades, and magenta.

Highlighter and Contour

• Contouring make-up accentuates the shadows of your face, for example by applying product to the cheekbone hollows and under the jawline.
• Highlighting emphasises the places where the light hits the face, including above the brow, the bridge of the nose, and the tops of the cheekbones.

Together, contouring and highlighting work together to produce a more sculpted, angular look for the face. This includes the appearance of higher, sharper cheekbones and a thinner face.

Should I use a cream or powder contour?

Cream contour is the more common option of the two. However, if you’d rather opt for a less dramatic look, powder contour looks more natural and pared-back.

What does a contouring stick do?

A contour stick contains a cream contour in a crayon-like stick. You draw it onto the shadow sections of your face (the parts that the light wouldn't naturally touch), then buff and blend it in. Its stick application method makes it easier to apply than manually applying contour using your fingers.

Contour kits

If you’re new to contouring, investing in a cheap contour kit can be a better option at first, as it will have everything you need at a cheaper price. It also saves you time sourcing out all the correct shades you need.

What highlighter colours should I use?

It’s recommended that your highlighter shade is 2 colours lighter than your skin.

• Fair skin: Look for highlighters with a champagne or slightly-pink hue, or a pearlescent sheen.
• Medium to dark skin: Rose gold, gold and bronze highlighters should work with your skin.

Setting Spray

If you’re using a setting spray, it’s the last stage of your make-up routine. It sets your make-up so that it stays in place, rather than slipping away as the day wears on.

A good setting spray can fix make-up in place and make it smudge-proof. Depending on the product, this can help make-up last all day, and sometimes part of the night, too.

For example, if you're going out for Friday night drinks, a reliable setting spray will mean you only have to apply your make-up once, at the start of the day. Re-applying can be skipped with a good setting spray.

• Dry skin: Look for a spray with ingredients that are enriched with moisture. Hyaluronic acid can help keep skin hydrated. Sprays that have a dewy finish can assist skin to look more hydrated.
• Oily skin: There are oil-absorbing setting sprays that aim to remove the appearance of unwanted sheen. Matte finish products aid with a dry look.

Wrapping up

Choosing the right make-up products for your face may involve a constant process of trial and error. To choose make-up kit winners, always keep in mind your skin type, skin tone and undertones. This helps you choose colours that complement your complexion, and allows your skin to stay comfortable throughout the day, while you remain confident about your look.