FOUNDATION: COVERAGE

I suppose the first thing to note about a foundation is that it’s not intended to cover every imperfections. If that’s what you're hoping for I think it can be hard not to end up with a cakey face. Foundation works best for a general evening of skin tone. If you’ve still got spots that need covering or discoloured patches after the foundation that’s where concealor comes in handy.

If your skin is really clear and even toned, but you feel it looks a bit lack luster then just a bit of a tint might do the trick. There are lots of good products out there that are designed to provide essentially no coverage, but bring a bit of life and a nice glow to your skin.

Examples:

OriginsVitazing Moisturizer and This Works Perfect Look Skin Miracle.

If you’ve got just a touch of discolouration then you’re onto the next step up. Best bet would be to head for a light coverage foundation, a tinted moisturizer or a lightweight BB cream. They cover just enough without much risk of looking cakey.

Examples: Makeup Forever Face and Body, Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, L’oreal Magic Skin Beautifier B.B. Cream.

Finally, the last couple of categories are medium and full coverage. These foundations are the hardest to get looking good. The temptation when you have discolouration in your skin is to use a full coverage foundation. That can look nice, but I find what often looks nicer is using a medium coverage foundation and taking the time to spot conceal after. As Lisa Eldridge pointed out in her acne covering video (one of the best videos ever to watch if you have acne or discoloured areas of skin) people have a tendency to think that their skin is much worse than it is and pile loads of high coverage foundation on every bit of skin to remedy it. But, in truth, most people really do only have certain areas of their face that might need a heavier coverage, while the rest of their skin is lovely and healthy. Keeping the healthy areas of your skin free of too much makeup is the best way to stay looking natural.  

Using a sheered out high coverage foundation can look good too. It allows you to correct discolouration with only a very thin layer of product on the skin. Dampening a sponge, such as the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge or a brush first can help to make sure the foundation doesn't go on too thick. 

*For anyone who really does have a lot of trouble with large areas of intense discolouration Dermablend and Cover FX are two really great brands to look into.

Examples of medium coverage foundation: Nars Sheer Glow, Clinique AcneSolutions, L’oreal True Match

Examples of high coverage foundation: Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation, Vichy DermablendCorrective Foundation, Estee Lauder Double Wear, MakeupForever HD, Kevin Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer, Revlon Colorstay