A Firm Foundation

@p1kef1sh (45681)
December 16, 2012 1:14pm CST
Right from the start I must confess that I know very little about make-up. I know that there is powder, lipstick, eyeshadow and mascara.. Some women manage to combine all this to look sensational and some don't. Recently I was having a discussion with a female friend and she said that you should never wear make up without including a foundation layer. I presume she means powder all over the face. She was not a young woman and she certainly practises what she preaches. Do women these days bother with foundation or is it just the stuff of grandmothers.
2 people like this
16 responses
• United States
16 Dec 12
Sadly, I'm one that cannot combine it to look good-to me, it looks ludicrous on my face (and because I have eye allergies, I tend to rub it off anyway!). But I'll try to explain a bit. One should moisturize their skin daily, and to prevent clumping or other weird things, it should be entirely absorbed into the skin. There's a number of dark spot correcting moisturizers or makeup that can even out the skin and lessen the need for foundation. Foundation can be liquid, creme or powder. Its job is to even out the skin tone. A primer is the base for your makeup, and helps it to be applied evenly and last longer. I believe that one applies the foundation all over the face, including the eye lids to create a blank canvas, and then primer is applied to your eye lids to help shadow and mascara to last longer. If you happen to be using mineral (powder) makeup, you can also apply a mineral veil to help polish your look. I prefer mineral makeup, but I don't think I've really used the veil (or I'll use it alone). If you intend to wear mascara, you need to wear a matte makeup under your eyes to prevent it from running and creating raccoon eyes-not an attractive look! I'm torn when it comes to the order that you apply eye makeup-I've been told that eyeliner should be applied AFTER the eye shadow, but never really had luck with that. I apply my eye liner first, and if I decide that I want to wear shadow, I'll just pop some on. After that convoluted answer, I guess you could say I am not that good with it!
2 people like this
• United States
16 Dec 12
Probably not any worse looking than me-I struggle applying it, so I actually wear very little now.
• United States
16 Dec 12
I also do a lot of reading-it just doesn't translate well into practice in my case.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
16 Dec 12
You sound very proficient to me. Now me in makeup - that would be a sight! LOL.
1 person likes this
@GreenMoo (11834)
16 Dec 12
I don't bother with any of it. If you don't like me as nature intended, tough. I think if you're going to wear full make up you should wear foundation, or at least powder, though. modern foundations are far lighter and more natural looking than those of old, although it still takes care to prevent you looking as if you're wearing a mask.
1 person likes this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
16 Dec 12
I love au naturel! Some women really do look like they are masked too!
1 person likes this
@GreenMoo (11834)
16 Dec 12
Of course, there are those who should be!
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
16 Dec 12
For every day, I wear a moisturizer mixed with a tiny amount of foundation to give me colour. My skin is white and although I live in a hot country I cannot tan as a few years ago had skin cancer on my face. But I do need a little colour. Jergens has a moisturizer that does give you a little colour after about 3 days but I cannot always buy it here. The whole trick in wearing make up with older women is the rule that less is more. Your hand should always be light when applying any make up so it looks natural. Shall we discuss hair next?
@ElicBxn (63194)
• United States
17 Dec 12
foundations are more that just powder, they are generally a liquid and then a powder... and I won't do any of that stuff...
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
20 Dec 12
Yeah Pikie, they are generally not bad for the skin as such but it all tends to clog the pores. As for the time element and repairing natural flaws and so on, it takes ages and ages to achieve that natural look. Just sayin'
@ElicBxn (63194)
• United States
17 Dec 12
It depends on the skin, or so I'm told. I know that some people have skin that have patches of color, the former, and unmissed roommate was one of those. She used a liquid foundation to make her face look a uniform color. I guess I like my sleep too much to want to lose any to getting up in time to mess with the stuff. I'm awake now because of that sucky kitten...
1 person likes this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
17 Dec 12
They sound bad for the skin Elic.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85129)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Dec 12
It's not powder, it's liquid skin colored makeup.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
17 Dec 12
Can you drink it? LOL.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85129)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Dec 12
I wouldn't recommend it. I'm sure it tastes nasty. Kind of like "mud nog" probably.
@allknowing (130088)
• India
17 Dec 12
I am glad that I never got into using make up. Going out without it would then make one look pale and not 'done up'. I dab some talcum powder and my only make up is lipstick. It is so much easier that way, as it also saves a lot of time.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
17 Dec 12
A much fresher look too.
@allknowing (130088)
• India
17 Dec 12
This foundation thing is something like giving a primer first and then painting your walls. The primer helps the paint to stick!
@liezel25 (292)
• Germany
16 Dec 12
Some women don't just apply some powder or lipstick alone. Many these days, especially teens put so many stuffs unto their face such as primer foundation, concealer, corrective primer and so on. Its endless and its their daily ritual already. But for me, light make up is better than full coverage. It makes you look more youthful glow.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
17 Dec 12
So women do still wear foundation when they are young. Thank you.
@liezel25 (292)
• Germany
17 Dec 12
Yes, I have been using MAC foundation. keep posting. No problem and have a nice day.
@pumpkinjam (8451)
• United Kingdom
16 Dec 12
I don't wear make-up myself (except a bit of black lippy, etc. on the odd occasion!) but I do see people with it. I doubt know whether it's common for people to wear foundation. There are definitely people who do. It's obvious.from how thick it's laid on! Perhaps more people do use it but are more successful at putting it on without looking like they've had their face cast in wax.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
17 Dec 12
I have seen some of those wax like women. Clearly they think that they look good.
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
17 Dec 12
I do not wear any make up being a male. But I can answer in behalf of my wife. She does not wear any as she just like it as simple as possible. The only time I remember here wearing one was during our wedding as she has to put on a make up as pictures will be taken. There are those that I see that never goes out of the house without a make up even just to go out for shopping. Well, I really do not mind whether a person wears a make up or not. What is important for me is how that person looks on the inside, her personality and character. That is what matters most.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
17 Dec 12
That is very true. I am sure that you are very happy that your wife is like that.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
17 Dec 12
hi pikefish I used to I do not any m ore as my budget as an elderly person is low believe me,i use eye shadow as I have good looking eyes and lipstick and try to smile and thats about all i do. I should wear a fo undation but it again is costly and i have other places to use my money like the internet bill and phone bill and medications bill. I do need a fou ndaion evener to even out my skin shades but maybe next time I shop.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
17 Dec 12
I am amazed at must how expensive make up is. My daughter tells me that her lipstick is a "bargain" at $10 when it ought to be $20!
@bhanusb (5709)
• India
17 Dec 12
I think now women are more interested to project their figure. They are less interested to makeup their face. It is because of men.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
17 Dec 12
That has not been my experience entirely. I think that women like to compliment their figures and their faces.
@Cutie18f (9551)
• Philippines
17 Dec 12
Foundation is very good in hiding skin blemishes. It is very basic to make up. Make-up is not complete without foundation. That is why it is called foundation because this is the base of make-up. It is that which gives the face a finished look and it makes powder stick to the face a lot longer.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
17 Dec 12
Thank you for the reply. I don't think I had quite realised that that was how it works.
• Philippines
17 Dec 12
Oh, I've heard about this foundation thing for most of my friends. And they said it's better to put foundation before putting make up on your face. They said it will help to make your make ups look nicer and not only that it's good for an oily face. I'm not quite sure but foundation is essential if you're joining some parties or pageant for the make up.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
17 Dec 12
I had not heard that before. Thank you.
• Philippines
17 Dec 12
Before i was attracted to buy a foundation as i have seen it to celebrities who are using it and some performer.But i discouraged when i saw my late grandmother wearing it during interment and other interment I've attended. so I stick to used face powder instead.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
17 Dec 12
I suppose that if you apply some types of makeup only during interment then you will disinclined to wear it normally.
• Philippines
17 Dec 12
I don't usually wear make up, even at work - a powder and a lip gloss will do. When I attend big events or other formal functions and celebrations that's where I put on make-up and I usually use liquid or powder foundation and all those stuff, but I prefer just light and not heavy make up. But for small celebrations, I only use powder with a little blush on and a lip gloss or lipstick. With or without foundation, the best thing is you look good and feel good- it adds confidence.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
17 Dec 12
Are you normally lacking in confidence?
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
20 Dec 12
Foundation is OK if you are going to be in air conditioned circumstances. Other wise it doesn't stay in place when you are sweating buckets. Your eye-shadow, mascara, rouge/blush and lipstick however can survive lot's of ravages.
@sulynsi (2669)
• Canada
30 Dec 12
I rarely wore makeup of any kind when I was younger. I did like to use a substance called 'kajal'on my eyelids to emphasize my eyes, but never foundation as I didn't like the way it felt on my skin. Besides, makeup worth wearing is very costly and I am too cheap to buy it! Now that my skin is, ahem, maturing, a touch of concealer beneath my eyes and strategically blended around areas with an uneven tone, helps to prevent scaring co-workers