This post is all about customizing foundations in order to get the right color, consistency and coverage that is personally best. Topics include how to mix foundations, how to lighten and darken foundations, how to make foundations more dewy or natural and more.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I have yet to meet a foundation that I unequivocally adore. In fact, I have traveled high and low, far and wide, and all the way from Neiman Marcus to Walmart in search of “The One”. Believe you me when I say that my journey has been arduous, thorough and continues still after these many years.
The result of these travails is a drawer full of many less-than-stellar foundations. I can’t help but compare them to that BF who had a lot of potential but who couldn’t quite make that last leap to reach it. Similarly, each foundation shouldn’t have-but alas did-disappoint in one or more key attribute areas.
But, what if I told you that disappointment is not inevitable? And, you have it within your own power to improve (sometimes vastly) the product that comes out of a foundation bottle or tube.
Easy inexpensive customization is at your fingertips, and with just a little practice, it can be done by mixing foundations and other products together most of which you probably have at the ready.
In order to understand the how-to of this, it will help to first walk through the key attributes of all foundations.
Foundation Features
Over the years, I have read many articles that define foundation features. In fact, depending on how many hairs you want to split, it seems that general consensus believes there are at least 10 foundation makeup traits.
However, for our purposes, I think it is sufficient to simplify and evaluate foundation through the lens of 3 general categories. They are what I coin the “Three Cs” and more specifically:
- Color
- Consistency
- Coverage
These 3 Cs are the fundamental qualities of any kind of Foundation, BB cream, CC Cream, Tinted Moisturizer, etc.
In fact, our like or dislike of a foundation product rests on these core attributes. If one or more of them do not align with what we are seeking, in more cases than not, we will set the foundation aside.
Let’s examine each of the Cs in more detail and explore how and what may go awry in each. We will then discuss how to remediate.
Foundation Color
Even amongst the most expert, mismatched color happens probably more than we care to admit. Here are a few problematic scenarios that immediately come to mind.
- We try a foundation on in a store; it seemed to match well. Perhaps we even had a third party help us pick it out. Much to our surprise, when we get home, we discover it doesn’t match our skin and/or looks nothing like what we saw in the store.
- We have the perfect shade for summer months that just doesn’t quite match our winter (most likely) more pale skin. We rectify the problem by buying a second foundation or group of foundations (for each season). Then, well, see #1 above
- We fall in love with everything about a foundation (consistency and coverage) only to realize that the color selection is so limited that it does not and will not ever match our skin or undertone.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
Foundation Consistency
The subcategories below combine together to make up the general category of consistency.
Texture: liquid, crème, powder
Formula: water, oil, powder based
Blendability: how easily does it spread and blend into the skin
Finish: Matte, Dewy, Radiant, Natural
Consistency is as important as color when evaluating a foundation. As you can see above, it not only affects how the product looks on our skin but also how it feels. This is our intimate on the daily experience with it.
We will know if it feels too drying, oily, difficult to blend, etc., and simply put, any level of discomfort will determine whether we end up wearing it.
Foundation Coverage
Fairly self-explanatory, this refers to how much natural skin shows through the foundation. The general categories are full, medium, or light coverage. I give a little more airtime to foundation coverage in this post here if you are interested.
Some of us have multiple foundations based on the type of coverage we are wanting for a particular occasion or for daily wear. And, some of us love everything about a foundation with the exception of how it covers our skin.
Mixing Foundations Approach
We really can change each and every one of the 3 Cs. But, before we get into the brass tacks, I recommend 2 things.
Foundation Mixing Palette
First, if you are serious about trying this, invest in an (inexpensive) makeup mixing palette. While using the back of your hand to mix can suffice, there are a lot of advantages to the palette. Here is what mine looks like.
Click above to purchase from Amazon – $4.99
The two-sided spatula can grab and mix almost any type of foundation mix-in product. The palette also brings some freedom to experiment which is an important part of mastering this.
Second, informally assess the foundations that you currently own from the perspective of the 3Cs. Which has the right color, consistency and/or coverage and conversely what would you want to change? What look are you going for? This can be your jumping-off point. Remember, we are not looking to create a whole new foundation, we are merely seeking to improve upon what we already have.
Mixing Foundation How-Tos
I have created a Foundation Customization chart below that summarizes how to make each of the 3C changes and with what type of products.
As I have noted in the chart, when changing any one of the Cs, it is possible that one of the other Cs will change too. For instance, lightening a foundation with moisturizer will not only lighten the color but could possibly change the consistency/finish to a dewier finish. Be mindful if you can live with that. If not, then instead of moisturizer, add a lighter-colored foundation that is similar in consistency if you have it.
I certainly don’t want to make this more complicated than it is so I will use myself as a “case study” and will walk through the whats and whys of my own foundation mixing this morning.
How to Make Matte Foundation More Natural-A Case Study
My “jumping-off point” is a foundation that I’ve written about. It is called L’Oreal Age Perfect Radiant Serum Foundation.
It is a drugstore foundation and not perfect for my skin but for the price point ($12.99) I want to make it work!
As I assess the foundation from a 3C perspective, it has:
- Color-good color and undertone; matches me well
- Consistency-while it is marketed as radiant, it is more matte on my skin; it is drying and cakes a bit after wearing it for a few hours.
- Coverage-it is light to very light-medium coverage
I want to adjust the consistency and depending on the day, also the coverage. By mixing foundations, my goal is to create something less matte, more natural and not so drying. As I mentioned, a nice-to-have would be a bit more coverage at times as well.
And that is exactly what I did. See the photos below and I will walk you through the different mixes.
Foundation Mixing Results
Top Left Photo is me wearing only the L’Oreal foundation.
Top Right Photo I am wearing the L’Oreal foundation mixed with a dewy serum foundation called Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint. Can you tell that my skin appears more dewy and translucent? The coverage to some degree has sheered a bit and the color has shifted a bit too (just because I am combining 2 different colors). In fact, combining these 2 foundations created a very blendable consistency and moisturizing foundation.
Bottom Left Photo I am wearing L’Oreal foundation mixed with It! Cosmetics Full Coverage CC Cream. This is one of my favorite fuller coverage foundations. It is now almost full coverage but with the full coverage comes a more matte look. More matte, I know, can be a bit too drying on my already dry skin. So I changed up the formula a bit. See Bottom Right.
Bottom Right Photo I am wearing L’Oreal Foundation mixed with It! Cosmetics Full Coverage CC Cream and to this have added M-61 Hydraboost Face Oil to it to give it a more natural dewy finish which is the look (and feel!) I wanted to achieve. Adding the oil has also changed the color and sheered the coverage a bit. The look is very different from where I started in the Top Left. It is also a bit less dewy and with more coverage than the top right.
So there you have it. Goals achieved!
Mixing Foundation Product Recommendations
Here are a few of the products that I mentioned in this post and a few more that you may want to try with your own experimentation.
Foundations:
Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint
Click above to buy from Sephora – $48.00.
Other buying options include Ilia Beauty
It! CC Full Coverage Cream
Click above to buy from Ulta – $42.00
Other buying options include Sephora
L’Oreal Age Perfect Radiant Serum Foundation
Click above to buy from Target – $12.99
Other buying options include Walmart
Glowing Primers:
Rare Beauty Illuminating Primer-this is an elegant glow-up primer and was a real surprise to me; it is a great mix-in if you want a dewier look
Click above to buy from Sephora – $26.00
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter- this is another great mix-in. If you haven’t already used it, try the mini bottle first
Click above to buy from Sephora – $15.00-$44.00
Milani Supercharged Dewy Primer
Click above to buy from Ulta – $10.99
Other buying options include Target and Walmart
Oils:
M-61 Hydraboost Face Oil- this oil is great although a bit on the pricy side. M-61 is a Blue Mercury brand for those of you who have visited their stores
Click above to buy from Blue Mercury – $64.00
Other buying options include Macys and Amazon
Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Facial Oil-this oil mixes well with everything and is never “oily”
Click above to buy from Sephora – $38.00-$68.00
Other buying options include Ulta
The Ordinary Cold Pressed Rosehip Oil
Click above to buy from Sephora – $9.80
Other buying options include Ulta
SUMMARY
This post was all about mixing and customizing foundations. Topics included how to adjust each of the 3 core characteristics of foundations to create something better than what comes out of a bottle or tube. While the search for a better foundation marches on, it is comforting to know that we can create something good-maybe even great-all by ourselves in the interim.
Thank you for reading.
xO
Andrea
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Great post Andrea! I’m inspired to start mixing and matching. I had no idea this could be done. And thanks for the before and after pics. It really helps to see how different things look. And, you are still so beautiful!
Bianca-I’m so glad you found the post useful! And, thank you for the comments! They mean a lot.