There are so many makeup brands and products that it can be quite difficult to keep up with
all the latest technology and to know the difference between certain products and what they actually do.
There are BB creams,tinted moisturizers,corrector s,setting sprays and the list goes on, and you are always confused what do they all do actually. This post will help you get answers of some of the basic questions.
FACE PRIMER:
Face Primers are pre-foundation creams, they are designed to make foundation lasts longer and to perfect the skin for any sort of discolorations, minimize pores,and create a smooth canvas for the foundation
BB CREAM & TINTED MOISTURIZER
TINTED MOISTURIZERS
They are not anything complex.Its simply a blend of foundation,moisturizer and majority of them
provide a light hydrating coverage. They don't have high claims to perfect pores,correct skin tone, or act as primers.They are simple moisturizers with a hint of color to even out skin.
BB CREAM
BB CREAM stands for Beauty (or Blemish) Balm. There are also CC (Color Correcting) and DD (Dynamic Do-All or Daily Defense) versions.For this post just focusing on the BB creams.
BB creams include vitamins and nutrients and they claim to combine skin care with the hint of coverage. The western bb creams marketed are just advanced versions of tinted moisturizer. They do deliver the promise of evening out and pore coverage but about the benefits . I haven't seen any prominent results with the most of them. I prefer Asian BB creams more as they are quite promising compared in-terms of skin benefits.
You can read the detail article about BB creams here.
And if you want to know the difference between BB and CC cream you can check it out here.
FOUNDATIONS
Foundations are advance forms of BB creams and tinted moisturizers and they are designed to provide more coverage in order to smoothen out the skin.You can see the detailed post on different forms of foundations here.
I m often asked the difference between powder and powder foundation, and the answer simply lies in coverage.
POWDERS -whether its in pressed or loose form,they are designed to set cream products, such as foundations and concealers. Powders form a light almost invisible layer over the cream/liquid products so the makeup sets in and doesn't moves or melt away.
POWDER FOUNDATIONS- unlike powders are designed to provide coverage. Its just like another form of foundation as like liquid. The coverage can range from light to full coverage. Mineral makeup is a very good example for powder foundations.
As the name says ,Highlighters /Luminzers are designed to drag light and attention to certain parts of the face,which you may want to brighten up. A makeup highlighter is not something you put all over your skin. You should only wear it around or under your eye for a subtle glow/pop. Highlighters are applied where the light may hit the face naturally. is used for high lighting your cheek bones eyebrow bones your tear duct also you can highlight your chin nose and a bit of your forehead ,they are either matte or shimmery in texture depending on your preference that either you want a glow or just want to brighten up a certain areas.
Bronzers are typically used to tint your skin into a darker shade without looking fake. a good idea is to choose the shade that is the back of your hand or darker
A Bronzer can be used two ways
1)to give an all over healthy glow. apply where sun would naturally hit you (forehead, cheeks, nose, chin) but be sure to apply w/ a light hand so it doesn't look muddy
2)to contour/slim out your face. put it where you want your face to look slimmer, like under your cheekbones, under your jawline, and on your temples, and side of your nose (I'll do a detail post on contouring)
Many people still buy MAC fix + as a fixing spray and then get disappointed, that the product wasn't doing what it was designed to do so. Well, fix+ was never designed to set up,its a makeup fixant rather than setting spray. There is a difference between fixing & Setting spray.
FIXING SPRAYS are designed to bind the products applied to the face. The best way to describe it,when you apply foundation and then a apply powder and blush and the products over it ,the whole appear quite powdery for a while,but as soon as your face starts to product natural oils and the powders start to mix with it,all the products blend in and the look starts to appear look better.
Fixing sprays play the same role they help the products to adhere better. Fixing sprays take a makeup from a fresh powdery look to a natural glowing skin look.
They don't extend the makeup wear nor they make it last longer,they just help to blend all of them together.Fixing sprays can also be used to increase eye shadow and all powder products vibrancy.
SETTING SPRAYS though, just as the name suggests, it is designed to set or seal the makeup so it doesn't budge or move. Infact you can say its the advanced version of the fixing sprays as they also poses the binding properties as the fixing spray with added bonus of locking in any any products you apply over you skin,no matter if its liquid,powder or cream. Settings sprays can be great particularly special occasions such as weddings and summer or humid months when you want you makeup to stay fresh for long hours and in heat. They still have the binding properties of a fixing spray.
CONCEALERS – are full coverage,and concentrated versions of foundations. They are tiny magic potions to make your skin appear flawless when you skin may not be behaving well. Concealers help you conceal any sort of blemishes,marks,scars,and they can also be used to brighten up certain areas of teh face which may have a dull look.such as under eye area to give the illusion of a brighter and healthier look. A concealer a few shades lighter than skin tone should be used under the eye to brighten it ,while for the rest concealing job the tone should match your regular foundation shade or your skin tone ,if you are not pairing it with a foundation.
CORRECTORS -Now these are used for the same purpose (to make the skin appear flawless) .Even though they are of same purpose but they work in a entirely different way. they are designed on color therapy, and to counteract and correct color imbalances through out the skin. Correctors are used in the place of concealers when the flaw intensity is more than a concealer can handle.
Generally the area that needs most color correcting is the under eye area handling the most common issue of dark circles. Dark circles formed under the eye tend to carry shades of blue,greens and greys and when intensity of darkness is too much then applying concealer will just transform them into a lighter shade of green,blue or grey . this is where the color therapy walks in.Opposing colors counteracting each other to neutralize the color of that particular area.
Corrector colors such as light orange,salmon or peach (depending on you skin tone and the intensity of the darkness),will help to cancel out the green and blue tones under the eyes.
I will talk more about corrector s in a much detailed post later on.
POWDER & POWDER FOUNDATION
POWDERS -whether its in pressed or loose form,they are designed to set cream products, such as foundations and concealers. Powders form a light almost invisible layer over the cream/liquid products so the makeup sets in and doesn't moves or melt away.
POWDER FOUNDATIONS- unlike powders are designed to provide coverage. Its just like another form of foundation as like liquid. The coverage can range from light to full coverage. Mineral makeup is a very good example for powder foundations.
HIGHLIGHTERS/LUMINZERS
As the name says ,Highlighters /Luminzers are designed to drag light and attention to certain parts of the face,which you may want to brighten up. A makeup highlighter is not something you put all over your skin. You should only wear it around or under your eye for a subtle glow/pop. Highlighters are applied where the light may hit the face naturally. is used for high lighting your cheek bones eyebrow bones your tear duct also you can highlight your chin nose and a bit of your forehead ,they are either matte or shimmery in texture depending on your preference that either you want a glow or just want to brighten up a certain areas.
BRONZERS
Bronzers are typically used to tint your skin into a darker shade without looking fake. a good idea is to choose the shade that is the back of your hand or darker
A Bronzer can be used two ways
1)to give an all over healthy glow. apply where sun would naturally hit you (forehead, cheeks, nose, chin) but be sure to apply w/ a light hand so it doesn't look muddy
2)to contour/slim out your face. put it where you want your face to look slimmer, like under your cheekbones, under your jawline, and on your temples, and side of your nose (I'll do a detail post on contouring)
FIXING SPRAY & SETTING SPRAY
Many people still buy MAC fix + as a fixing spray and then get disappointed, that the product wasn't doing what it was designed to do so. Well, fix+ was never designed to set up,its a makeup fixant rather than setting spray. There is a difference between fixing & Setting spray.
FIXING SPRAYS are designed to bind the products applied to the face. The best way to describe it,when you apply foundation and then a apply powder and blush and the products over it ,the whole appear quite powdery for a while,but as soon as your face starts to product natural oils and the powders start to mix with it,all the products blend in and the look starts to appear look better.
Fixing sprays play the same role they help the products to adhere better. Fixing sprays take a makeup from a fresh powdery look to a natural glowing skin look.
They don't extend the makeup wear nor they make it last longer,they just help to blend all of them together.Fixing sprays can also be used to increase eye shadow and all powder products vibrancy.
SETTING SPRAYS though, just as the name suggests, it is designed to set or seal the makeup so it doesn't budge or move. Infact you can say its the advanced version of the fixing sprays as they also poses the binding properties as the fixing spray with added bonus of locking in any any products you apply over you skin,no matter if its liquid,powder or cream. Settings sprays can be great particularly special occasions such as weddings and summer or humid months when you want you makeup to stay fresh for long hours and in heat. They still have the binding properties of a fixing spray.
CONCEALER & CORRECTOR
CONCEALERS – are full coverage,and concentrated versions of foundations. They are tiny magic potions to make your skin appear flawless when you skin may not be behaving well. Concealers help you conceal any sort of blemishes,marks,scars,and they can also be used to brighten up certain areas of teh face which may have a dull look.such as under eye area to give the illusion of a brighter and healthier look. A concealer a few shades lighter than skin tone should be used under the eye to brighten it ,while for the rest concealing job the tone should match your regular foundation shade or your skin tone ,if you are not pairing it with a foundation.
CORRECTORS -Now these are used for the same purpose (to make the skin appear flawless) .Even though they are of same purpose but they work in a entirely different way. they are designed on color therapy, and to counteract and correct color imbalances through out the skin. Correctors are used in the place of concealers when the flaw intensity is more than a concealer can handle.
Generally the area that needs most color correcting is the under eye area handling the most common issue of dark circles. Dark circles formed under the eye tend to carry shades of blue,greens and greys and when intensity of darkness is too much then applying concealer will just transform them into a lighter shade of green,blue or grey . this is where the color therapy walks in.Opposing colors counteracting each other to neutralize the color of that particular area.
Corrector colors such as light orange,salmon or peach (depending on you skin tone and the intensity of the darkness),will help to cancel out the green and blue tones under the eyes.
I will talk more about corrector s in a much detailed post later on.
EYE PRIMER & EYE BASE
EYE PRIMERS - are a really important part when talking about eye makeup. They help to prime you eye area, make them long wearing ,so that the products don't crease ,melt or smudge away. They also help the eye shadows to provide good color pay off regardless of the medium from powder to cream. They are usually in a thin concealer tendency and dry to a clear finish.There main job is to extend the wear time.
EYE BASES are designed to make eye shadow colors to stand out more and to help them adhere to the skin more.They are mostly in cream formulations. They range from matte to shimmer shades, unlike the eye primers they come in a great variety of colors.You can either wear these on their own, or you can pair them with eye shadows to create unlimited look.
The answer is yes
WATERPROOF is literally what it states, a fool proof formula against water. the makeup you apply until your makeup says "waterproof" ,no matter you can swim,shower or sweat, cry watching dramas,the makeup will say put, completely fool-proof.
EYE BASES are designed to make eye shadow colors to stand out more and to help them adhere to the skin more.They are mostly in cream formulations. They range from matte to shimmer shades, unlike the eye primers they come in a great variety of colors.You can either wear these on their own, or you can pair them with eye shadows to create unlimited look.
WATER RESISTANT & WATERPROOF
Lastly, two terms which you always thought mean the same while they done. Does water resistant and waterproof have different meanings?The answer is yes
WATERPROOF is literally what it states, a fool proof formula against water. the makeup you apply until your makeup says "waterproof" ,no matter you can swim,shower or sweat, cry watching dramas,the makeup will say put, completely fool-proof.
WATER RESISTANT makeup is great for hot and humid weather conditions and for anyone who doesn't like the adhering waterproof formula yet still wants some barrier ,water resistant is the pick for those.It is also great for photo shoots as the mists and sprays are applied over the skin occasionally...
So, here we are are, there;s still even so much more to cover and I can go on writing and writing on the about products pages.In this post I just covered the very basic ones on which I see most people to get confused the most. If you have any questions,or if there are any other products that you dont know what it is about or how is it used for,just leave me a message in the comment below,
I'll help you out.
So, here we are are, there;s still even so much more to cover and I can go on writing and writing on the about products pages.In this post I just covered the very basic ones on which I see most people to get confused the most. If you have any questions,or if there are any other products that you dont know what it is about or how is it used for,just leave me a message in the comment below,
I'll help you out.
Stay Gorgeous,