Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that you had a fantastic weekend! I was talking to a few friends recently about what foundations we had been loving and which we maybe hadn’t been loving as much. I realized that a lot of people (myself included until I really got into the blog and YouTube scene a few years ago) will try a foundation once or just one way before giving it a yes or no verdict. Buying a foundation, especially one you’re really excited about or you’ve heard others rave about, and not having it work can be frustrating! So, today I thought I would share a few quick tips for what to do if you think a foundation isn’t living up to the hype.

TRY A DIFFERENT APPLICATION METHOD:

This is absolutely my biggest tip! I have some foundations that I apply with a makeup sponge like the Beauty Blender, I have others that I know I prefer the look when applied with a stippling brush like the Sigma F50, and others still that I apply with my fingers or other brushes. I have some foundations that I can apply any way and the look turns out pretty much the same, but a few of them I dislike one way but love the finish I get using another way to apply it.

SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE AND SOMETIMES MORE IS MORE:

For some foundations they will look and feel cakey very quickly, so I apply a very small amount. Other foundations are more buildable, so I will apply a small amount and then go back in any areas that still have redness, blemishes, or inperfections that I want to cover.

WHAT IS THE WEATHER?:

Some foundations I love on myself in the dry winter months I absolutely cannot wear in the summer, so if the foundation is an oil-slick on you, for example, in the summer, there is still a chance it could be dewy perfection on you in the winter!

GET SHADE MATCHED:

I need to follow my own advice here, but I consider myself a fairly easy shade match because I am so fair that I can usually get away with buying the lightest shade in a foundation range, but definitely go to Sephora, Ulta, or a cosmetics counter at a department store to get color matched whenever possible! If you can’t go to be color matched in person, websites like Sephora and Ulta do offer very good return policies. Drugstore makeup is tricky because here in the United States you typically cannot open the makeup, so you have to just take your best guess as far as color goes. I will say that some drugstores do have very friendly return polices as well, but be sure to check them before you purchase just incase!

WATCH FOR OXIDIZING:

Oxidizing happens when oxygen mixes with the air and this can cause you foundation to turn orange, flake off, and dry out! Sometimes, because of oxidizing, you need to be careful about the shade that you pick because it may change.

USE NATURAL LIGHTING:

Always use natural lighting whenever possible when applying your foundation! This can be tricky when being shade matched inside a store like Sephora, but you can walk outside to take a peek ; ) If you don’t have good natural lighting where you apply your makeup, get a nice makeup mirror that mimics sunlight.

I hope that you found these tips helpful! Never be afraid to ask for samples, ask questions, or return products that do not work for you! Makeup is expensive, and as long as you’re kind and follow the return policies you are absolutely fine girl! Let me know your tips for testing out new foundations in the comments! I would love to hear them : )