makeup Archives

Corinna B August 20, 2017

How To Choose The Best Foundation For Your Skin

image by Kelly Cappelli
Makeup by Corinna Cooke

As a makeup artist I get asked all the time which foundations I like best, how to make foundation last all day, how to choose the right foundation.

Walk into any department store / Sephora / makeup emporium and the list of options can be overwhelming.
Half the time the people charged with helping you make the choice are so overly made-up they look like caricatures of themselves, which hardly inspires confidence. If you look to you tube and Instagram you will find the “beauty experts” favor obliterating any concept of skin by slamming so much makeup on the face it almost looks plastic.
And maybe you just want to look like a lovely, pretty, normal girl.

I use these same 4 steps to choose a model’s foundation as I do to choose and every day foundation.

Whether I’m getting a model or a movie star ready for a shoot, or whether I’m just shopping for myself, here are the criteria I look for, and that you need to look for to choose the best foundation for your skin:

1. WHAT FINISH DO YOU NEED?

image via makeupandbeauty.com

What type of skin do you have? If you are oily you will want a slightly more matte finish or a water based foundation to offset some of the shine you are battling.
If you have dry skin you need a foundation with a glowing, dewy finish to make the skin look luminous.

2. HOW MUCH COVERAGE DO YOU NEED?

Rather than hijacking the face and holding your skin hostage, foundation is supposed to create the illusion of a beautiful, radiant complexion.
If your skin is clear you only need a sheer cover foundation. If you have scarring, uneven skin tone, blemishes that need disappearing then you should opt for a more full cover foundation. If your skin falls somewhere in the middle, you need coverage that falls somewhere in the middle.
The worst thing you can do is overload the skin with a foundation that is far too heavy. Instead of hiding your skin, make creating lovely looking skin your goal. This is so important when choosing the best foundation for your skin.

3. WHAT IS YOUR UNDERTONE?

Basically foundations come in two color groupings. There are cool toned foundations, which cover ivory, porcelain and pinky undertoned skins, and then there are your warm tones for girls with a yellow or olive undertone.
If you have a cool toned skin and wear a yellow based foundation it will look awful. The same applies to a warm toned girl wearing a pink based foundation. This is the absolute worst foundation violation! On more than one occasion I’ve had girls in makeup shops try to tell me that my cool toned skin needs a yellow based foundation to correct out the coolness. They could not be more wrong! The only people who should wear warm or yellow toned foundation are girls with warm or yellow undertoned skin. If you get this mixed up then your foundation will never look right.

4. FIND YOUR SHADE

Rather than testing your color on some remote corner of your jawline, test it somewhere where you can clearly see whats going on, such as your forehead or the front of your cheek.
You should be the same color from your hairline to your chest, and your face shouldn’t be any darker or any lighter than the rest of your upper body.

If you follow these four steps you will always choose the best foundation for your skin!

Corinna B June 23, 2017

Summer Beauty Essential ~ Liquid Metallic Eye Shadow

Need a quick makeup pick me up to get you feeling gorgeous on your way out the office door to happy hour?

I have a plan for you! I originally shot this story for the Summer 2017 issue of Luca Magazine, and now that it’s on the newsstands I can share it with you here. This post contains affiliate links.

Stila Magnificent Metallic Liquid Eye Shadow

image by Brad Olson for Luca Magazine. Makeup by Corinna Cooke

Set the night on fire this summer with molten metallic liquid eyeshadows from Stila.

For a fabulous in less than 5 minutes work to soiree transition you can swipe a Stila Magnificent Metals Liquid Eye Shadow across the lid, no need to try and make it perfect, just pat the edges with your finger. Let your eyes steal the show by balancing the act with a soft lip. Keep your cheeks glowing with a creamy blush, and avoid any sparkly highlighter.

Get Stila’s new Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow at StilaCosmetics.com! This brilliantly long-wearing sparkle eye shadow combines the perfect mix of pearl and glitter.

Corinna B May 4, 2017

Get Jessica Chastain’s Look From The Met Gala Red Carpet

Did you love Jessica Chastain’s look on the 2017 Met Gala Red Carpet? She always gives good red carpet – I love her!

Here is a breakdown on which Charlotte Tilbury products were used to create this gorgeous look.

Jessica Chastain hit the carpet in an enchanting, pale yellow gown with a classic makeup look created by makeup artist Tyron Machhausen for Charlotte Tilbury Beauty.

1. Jessica’s skin was prepped with Charlotte’s Magic Cream, to the entire face to create the perfect canvas, which acted as the perfect base to the Light Wonder Foundation in Shade 2. Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder in 1 Fair was lightly dusted across Jessica’s T-zone to control shine and set the face.

2. To create the mesmerising eye look, Luxury Palette in The Sophisticate was applied across the lids and underneath the eye. Rock ‘N’ Kohl in Bedroom Black was applied along the upper lash line, and topped off with two coats of Full Fat Lashes to the top and bottom lashes.

3. Followed by Beach Stick in Las Salinas across Jessica’s cheekbones for a pretty pink, healthy, youthful glow.

4. Jessica’s look was completed with a matte lip, created by applying Matte Revolution Lipstick in Lost Cherry. The lipstick was applied using a finger instead of a brush for a softer, just kissed finish.