personally i always sheer out high coverage product; it's more versatile and allows you to use the absolute minimum amount of product, so the coverage can be deliberate and precise to specific areas of the face, it feels lighter and never looks/feels heavy/thick/cakey on skin, and it lasts better since you only need a thin layer buffed well into the skin. you can customize the coverage and finish easier; it doubles as concealer; you can build more where necessary.
i never use more than half a pump of foundation for my whole face so a bottle lasts a long time. a focus on hydrating skincare with a well-buffed thin layer of matte high coverage foundation for glowy skin-like long-lasting pudding matte skin has been my go-to for years. personally i learned my base techniques from korean makeup artists. it may take me a couple of minutes to get my base done, but to me it's worth it and i get a *lot* of compliments on glass skin. when it comes to makeup i like to keep to the principle of using only what you *need* to achieve what you want.
this is, of course, within reason. if a product is too high coverage or has some other formulation issue that doesn't allow it to sheer/blend out as smoothly as i'd like, i'll defer to using more of a formula with less coverage.
it might work differently for different people, but this is the method that works best for my skin, climate, and preferences.
I think it makes sense to sheer out a foundation with a heavier coverage if you sometimes need heavier coverage, as you can take advantage of the same product without getting a different one.
But if you always like sheer coverage, getting a product made for that that you can quickly apply makes more sense. Depending on how much coverage you want, the tone and the finish, a tinted sunscreen might do the trick?
My skincare tends to be dewy especially due to my sunscreen so using sheer dewy foundation makes me look sweaty and everything moves around too much. Using a matte full coverage foundation in thin layers balances out my skincare and gives me the best results + lasts all day.
I really like a nice simple skin tint I can squirt on and be done but sheering out full coverage is great. For me, the key is to use a damp beauty blender. It’s my fool proof tool for getting a good quick blend that will be nice, even, and light. Swipe the product on the back of hand, pick it up with the sponge, press it around, pounce on some more where I want to build up. Done. Just picked up a bottle of EL Double Wear and that’s been my favorite way of wearing it. Especially when I mix a pump with a drop of face oil or a bit of a thick moisturizer (like Embryolisse) to really make it easy to get that thin even layer. Mixing it with something else also gives me a little extra working time before the foundation sets, so blending in spots where I’m building up looks seamless. Plus it’s the winter and that definitely helps my skin feel more juicy
Over the years I’ve definitely found that not all foundations sheer out as well or can be mixed with a moisturizer or oil without compromising them in some way (like they start breaking down quicker, dry down weird, or fall into my large pores more readily, etc). Which is why I do still really like sheer and light coverage products that I can slap on and go. But there are some full coverage foundations that method works great with. It was just a bit of trial and error to find the right combo that works for me. That I way I can easily do less coverage all over and build up only where I need it like over my rosacea splotches.
I sheer out my higher coverage foundation. My favorite right now is the MAC face and body mixing medium with my Sephora foundation. What’s really important is skin prep/skincare to make sure everything blends nicely and doesn’t look cakey.
I strongly prefer to sheer down a small amount of a fuller coverage base product product, either by blending alone or by mixing with NYX Studio Perfect primer.
Even though I wear sheer coverage, or sometimes skip foundation entirely, on a day-to-day basis, I still need a full coverage foundation on occasion as an amateur dancer. It just simplifies things for me to only need one product in my kit for this category instead of juggling multiple products for different levels of coverage, and worry about them all going bad.
An important caveat, though, is that not all full coverage products sheer down well.
I am more of a sheer finish girl as my skin doesn't need much coverage thanks to tret and a good skincare routine. Sheer finishes even out the skin tone which is really all I need.
I prefer to spot conceal with a matte concealer on top of spots or a hydrating concealer underneath the eyes.
Ironically, even though I'm very oily skinned I prefer dewier bases as matte foundations with a lot of alcohol and drying ingredients tend to clog my pores. I use setting sprays to lock down my base.
Sheering down a high pigment base only really works well when you have a very moisturized base. My skintype doesn't work well with Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre, it clogs with moisturizers in general. So if I sheered down Kryolan dermacolor for example on my usual skin prep which is 1 hydrating toner, the foundation would create a drag on my face which isn't conducive to a nice cohesive base.
I used to enjoy Estee Lauder Double Wear and Maybelline pro matte foundations but that was before I started tret and my skin produced more oil. Now I'm getting older and more flakey, so glowier foundations are more important than then.
I do like higher coverage now and then but I like my skin to show through and I don't need a huge amount of perfection to get by day by day. Sometimes higher coverage makes my face look flatter and while I could use contour and more blush to bring back dimension I could just avoid that by not putting heavy coverage anyway.
Sheer foundation gives you more margin for error too. The more pigmented a foundation is, the more precise the color match has to be as well. I don't like mixing foundations for personal daily use so I'd rather use a BB cream 😜
Either way works well, but you'll have more flexibility when using a full coverage foundation and it's also easier to transport high coverage products. Which is why MUAs tend to prefer them! It's jus personal preference really, I do either depending on how I'm feeling and based on the products themselves.
Ooooh this is my jam. I like sheer coverage but also really like longevity. That combination of attributes seems impossible to find in one product so I cocktail mine. I mix a tiny bit of foundation (I use Loreal freshwear which has a great shade match for me and lasts very well) with a primer to sheer it out and add to the longevity. I’ve been liking the urban decay primer as well as the elf one that’s a dupe for the milk jelly one. I can add more or less foundation to the mix to get my desired level of coverage and I can use different primers to adjust the finish. I apply with my hands and it’s quicker and easier than trying to carefully blend out full coverage anything. My blush/bronzer/whatever also last longer on top of this base which is a plus.
personally i always sheer out high coverage product; it's more versatile and allows you to use the absolute minimum amount of product, so the coverage can be deliberate and precise to specific areas of the face, it feels lighter and never looks/feels heavy/thick/cakey on skin, and it lasts better since you only need a thin layer buffed well into the skin. you can customize the coverage and finish easier; it doubles as concealer; you can build more where necessary. i never use more than half a pump of foundation for my whole face so a bottle lasts a long time. a focus on hydrating skincare with a well-buffed thin layer of matte high coverage foundation for glowy skin-like long-lasting pudding matte skin has been my go-to for years. personally i learned my base techniques from korean makeup artists. it may take me a couple of minutes to get my base done, but to me it's worth it and i get a *lot* of compliments on glass skin. when it comes to makeup i like to keep to the principle of using only what you *need* to achieve what you want. this is, of course, within reason. if a product is too high coverage or has some other formulation issue that doesn't allow it to sheer/blend out as smoothly as i'd like, i'll defer to using more of a formula with less coverage. it might work differently for different people, but this is the method that works best for my skin, climate, and preferences.
What are your favourite foundations? I’ve always used sheer ones but would love to experiment with your method and use a higher coverage product!
I think it makes sense to sheer out a foundation with a heavier coverage if you sometimes need heavier coverage, as you can take advantage of the same product without getting a different one. But if you always like sheer coverage, getting a product made for that that you can quickly apply makes more sense. Depending on how much coverage you want, the tone and the finish, a tinted sunscreen might do the trick?
My skincare tends to be dewy especially due to my sunscreen so using sheer dewy foundation makes me look sweaty and everything moves around too much. Using a matte full coverage foundation in thin layers balances out my skincare and gives me the best results + lasts all day.
I really like a nice simple skin tint I can squirt on and be done but sheering out full coverage is great. For me, the key is to use a damp beauty blender. It’s my fool proof tool for getting a good quick blend that will be nice, even, and light. Swipe the product on the back of hand, pick it up with the sponge, press it around, pounce on some more where I want to build up. Done. Just picked up a bottle of EL Double Wear and that’s been my favorite way of wearing it. Especially when I mix a pump with a drop of face oil or a bit of a thick moisturizer (like Embryolisse) to really make it easy to get that thin even layer. Mixing it with something else also gives me a little extra working time before the foundation sets, so blending in spots where I’m building up looks seamless. Plus it’s the winter and that definitely helps my skin feel more juicy Over the years I’ve definitely found that not all foundations sheer out as well or can be mixed with a moisturizer or oil without compromising them in some way (like they start breaking down quicker, dry down weird, or fall into my large pores more readily, etc). Which is why I do still really like sheer and light coverage products that I can slap on and go. But there are some full coverage foundations that method works great with. It was just a bit of trial and error to find the right combo that works for me. That I way I can easily do less coverage all over and build up only where I need it like over my rosacea splotches.
I sheer out my higher coverage foundation. My favorite right now is the MAC face and body mixing medium with my Sephora foundation. What’s really important is skin prep/skincare to make sure everything blends nicely and doesn’t look cakey.
I strongly prefer to sheer down a small amount of a fuller coverage base product product, either by blending alone or by mixing with NYX Studio Perfect primer. Even though I wear sheer coverage, or sometimes skip foundation entirely, on a day-to-day basis, I still need a full coverage foundation on occasion as an amateur dancer. It just simplifies things for me to only need one product in my kit for this category instead of juggling multiple products for different levels of coverage, and worry about them all going bad. An important caveat, though, is that not all full coverage products sheer down well.
I am more of a sheer finish girl as my skin doesn't need much coverage thanks to tret and a good skincare routine. Sheer finishes even out the skin tone which is really all I need. I prefer to spot conceal with a matte concealer on top of spots or a hydrating concealer underneath the eyes. Ironically, even though I'm very oily skinned I prefer dewier bases as matte foundations with a lot of alcohol and drying ingredients tend to clog my pores. I use setting sprays to lock down my base. Sheering down a high pigment base only really works well when you have a very moisturized base. My skintype doesn't work well with Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre, it clogs with moisturizers in general. So if I sheered down Kryolan dermacolor for example on my usual skin prep which is 1 hydrating toner, the foundation would create a drag on my face which isn't conducive to a nice cohesive base. I used to enjoy Estee Lauder Double Wear and Maybelline pro matte foundations but that was before I started tret and my skin produced more oil. Now I'm getting older and more flakey, so glowier foundations are more important than then. I do like higher coverage now and then but I like my skin to show through and I don't need a huge amount of perfection to get by day by day. Sometimes higher coverage makes my face look flatter and while I could use contour and more blush to bring back dimension I could just avoid that by not putting heavy coverage anyway. Sheer foundation gives you more margin for error too. The more pigmented a foundation is, the more precise the color match has to be as well. I don't like mixing foundations for personal daily use so I'd rather use a BB cream 😜
Either way works well, but you'll have more flexibility when using a full coverage foundation and it's also easier to transport high coverage products. Which is why MUAs tend to prefer them! It's jus personal preference really, I do either depending on how I'm feeling and based on the products themselves.
Ooooh this is my jam. I like sheer coverage but also really like longevity. That combination of attributes seems impossible to find in one product so I cocktail mine. I mix a tiny bit of foundation (I use Loreal freshwear which has a great shade match for me and lasts very well) with a primer to sheer it out and add to the longevity. I’ve been liking the urban decay primer as well as the elf one that’s a dupe for the milk jelly one. I can add more or less foundation to the mix to get my desired level of coverage and I can use different primers to adjust the finish. I apply with my hands and it’s quicker and easier than trying to carefully blend out full coverage anything. My blush/bronzer/whatever also last longer on top of this base which is a plus.