6 Fantastic Full-Coverage Foundations For Flawless Skin

By Charlie Colville

9 months ago

Plus, how to find the perfect shade


As its name implies, foundation is one of the key building blocks of a makeup look – making it a really important part of the process to nail both in terms of shade and consistency. If you’re on the hunt for a full-coverage foundation, whether you’ve fallen out of love with your usual hero or are starting from the very beginning, then your search ends here. We’ve asked the experts what to look out for in a good foundation, and rounded up the best all-rounders.

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What Is Full-Coverage Foundation?

‘This is basically foundation that gives you a smooth and even coverage,’ says Jaimie Attfield, makeup artist and LOOKFANTASTIC Beauty Pro. ‘It’s normally buildable and good at concealing and covering any problematic areas you may have.’

What Should We Look Out For In A Good Full-Coverage Foundation?

‘With a full-coverage foundation, it’s good to look for something that has a strong transfer resistance,’ suggests Jaimie. ‘There’s nothing worse than using foundation and finding a fingerprint or phone mark on your face halfway through the day.

‘You also need something with great blend ability,’ she adds. ‘You’re after that gorgeous full coverage, but you still want the skin to look like skin.’

Woman stood in front of grey background

Ziphaus, Unsplash

Tips For Colour Matching

With that in mind, it’s time to find your product. Jaimie shares some of her tips for colour matching the right shade of foundation for you:

  1. Always assess foundation in a natural light: ‘Often in shops there is a lot of artificial light,’ says Jaimie. ‘I always think it’s great to try the foundation in the shop, but you should also walk away and wear the product in for an hour or two and look at it in different and natural light before you purchase.’
  2. Pick three shades that are similar to your skin tone: ‘When I am trying to determine a new foundation shade I always try the three I think are closest to my skin tone by my jawline,’ she adds. ‘The one that almost disappears and blends in most is the one to go for.’
  3. Check your chest: ‘It’s always a good idea to look at your chest area when you’re matching, too, as the last thing you want is for your face to turn up a wildly different colour than the skin around it,’ emphasises Jaimie.

How Do You Prep Skin Beforehand?

Once you’ve found your shade, it’s only a matter of applying it. But first, you need to prep your skin. ‘Skin prep is key when you are using a full-coverage foundation,’ explains Jaimie. ‘It’s based on your current skin type – so if you are oily, you’d want to be using an oil-control primer, and if you’re normal or dry, a nice hydrating primer. This’ll keep the skin looking flawless and radiant when you’re applying your full coverage foundation. No cakey looking skin here!’

How Do You Apply Full-Coverage Foundation?

‘I find the best way to apply full coverage foundation is by using a round brush,’ advises Jaimie. ‘The key is buffing into the skin, not painting. I also like to start at the centre of the face with the product and work my way out; this is to help avoid a build-up of product in any hair we have on and surrounding our faces. I find brushing downwards on the face after I’ve applied the makeup is key to making sure all hair on the face is flattened down too.

‘If you have any large spots or areas of high redness, a damp sponge is a great way of concealing,’ she adds. ‘You can use a “bouncing” technique with the sponge to apply your full-coverage foundation.’

Fantastic Full-Coverage Foundations For Flawless Skin

Foundation

Featured image: Amir Seilsepour, Unsplash