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Building the proper foundation - part 1

A noted trend in Orlando is wearing the wrong shade of foundation. Many people overcompensate for when they think they will be tan due to the Orlando sun, and they wear colors that are either too pink or too yellow.  Finding the right foundation shade is very tricky, but the best thing to do is to purchase a few different shades to make sure you are covered.

I am NC 42 (nose bridge to cheeks), NC 43 (sides of face), NC 44 (temples), and NC 45 (forehead) in Mac Cosmetics Studio Fix Fluid and those colors can tend to look too orange on me. It is easier to start with a shade that may be too light (NC 42) for my entire face and layer a corrective colored powder over it than to start off too dark (NC 44) and look orange. Using an NW 30 or NW 35, I can balance out the yellow tones with red and adjust accordingly with changes in my skin color and seasons.

Many people are used to getting tan, so they wear the same shades year round. Most of the people with whom I have worked in Orlando have yellow based tones, but I have seen them wearing red based. Foundations such as Urban Decay and Clinique usually have more red based tones and cannot accommodate us Floridians.  While you may feel out of your comfort level by using different brands, it would behoove you to be more venturous to find what really looks and feels best for your skin.

If you are having difficulties determining which color family is right, you can schedule an appointment with an Orlando makeup artist. Getting color matched at the mall seems easy, but it can provide erroneous results due to lighting and other issues.  A good rule of thumb is to check what color is predominant on your neck.  Most of our faces are different shades than our necks, but rarely are they so drastic that one is pink and the other is orange.

Another important thing is blending.  There are many different brushes that you can use for applying foundation.  It really depends on preference and product consistency.  If you have clearer skin, it is best to use a tinted moisturizer to avoid many of these color issues. Tinted moisturizers give a sheer veil of color without being heavy.

Skin tone is also dependent on diet and skincare products used.  Foods and products may have acids that react differently to your skin and adversely to the chemicals or makeup of the foundation you select. When you make drastic changes in your diet, test foundations to see which ones still work best for you!

Mireya Oyola spring 2011 fashion week inspired makeup look


In my last installment of spring 2011 fashion week inspired looks, Orlando model, Mireya Oyola, posed as my model. Some of you may remember her from two other articles - one about etiquette and one with a Valentine's day makeup look. As always, Mireya was a wonderful model. We did five looks that day, but only two of them were notably different enough to make the cut. The other three were practice and for fun.
As a makeup artist in Orlando, cosmetics are my toys! Although, we did not use many toys for this look. It was quite simple. Due to the amount of looks we tried that day, we did not use primer. Primer is good for staying power, which we did not want at the time. The only moisturizer Mireya had was the creamy texture from the Ponds Cold Cream she used to remove the previous look.
Prep:
  • moisturizer: none
  • primer: none
  • concealer: MAC Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer in NC20
  • foundation: MAC Prolongwear Concealer in NC20
  • powder: generic loose powder
  • lip conditioner: MAC Lip Conditioner
 Eyes:
  • Shadows: two different aqua colors from MAC (not sure which one as I did not have access to the labels). One was a deeper matte (outer corners). The other was a lighter shimmer (inner corners).
  • Eyeliner: Black pencil eyeliner (winged out on upper and lower with a space between the lines)
  • Mascara: none
Cheeks:
  • Blush: MAC Powder Blush in Style
  • Bronzer: none
  • Highlighter: none
 Lips:
  • Liner: none
  • Lipstick: generic orange 
  • Gloss: none
This look is fun, easy to wear, and great for Orlandoans. Wear this look to work, school, or a night out on the Church Street. Keep checking this site often for more looks created by Orlando makeup artists. Mac cosmetics is available online, in most major department stores in Orlando, and at the Mac Store in Florida Mall and Mall at Millenia.
Other fascinating Orlando makeup links: