How To Find the Right Foundation

Now that you know how to find your undertone and color match your skin (if you don't know how, check out this article), it's time to choose the perfect foundation for your skin type and coverage needs.  Ask yourself this:

• Do you have oily or acne prone skin?  You may tend to become an oil slick, especially in your T zone, as the day wears on, and you might even have extra blackheads or pimples because of it.
• Do you have dry skin?  Those little flakes you get?  Those can be exfoliated away, but they mean you have dry skin.  More mature skin often tends to be dry, as well.
• Do you have dry patches and pimples?  There're always those of us who can't make up our minds and have dry skin with oily areas too.  Or, for many, skin type can change with the season. Like, for me, I have dryer skin in the winter, and I'm a top oil producer during the summer. 

On top of that, you also need to make some decisions:

• Do you need full coverage all over?
• Do you need fuller coverage on specific areas, but not as much everywhere else?
• Do you only need or want something that will lightly cover your skin?
• Do you only want a one (or two) step process and you'll be done, or are you willing to do whatever it takes to get that perfectly highlighted and contoured complexion?

So, here we go... a full range of foundations that can meet any of these needs.  Let's find the right one (or more) for you.

Liquid Foundation

• I like BB Flawless BB Cream from Younique.
• BB stands for Beauty Balm (or Blemish Balm, depending on who you're talking to).
• This is a very creamy foundation, but also lightweight.  It's like a close cousin to tinted moisturizers.
• It's best for normal to dry skin. Acne prone skin can tend to break out with this.
• It offers a lighter coverage.
• Can be applied using a brush, your fingers, or a Blending Bud.

Loose Powder or Mineral Powder

• I like Moodstruck Mineral Concealer from Younique.
• This is a loose mineral powder
• Although it's a powder, it's not dry or drying.
• It's great for all skin types.
• It offers a lighter coverage.
• It can be applied using a fluffy brush or a Blending Bud.

Pressed Cream

• I like Touch Mineral Cream Foundation from Younique.
• This is a pressed cream foundation.
• Although it's a cream, it still has a lightweight silky feel on the skin.
• It's best for normal to dry skin.
• It can be used for spot coverage, especially if you have oily skin.
• This offers a nice full coverage.
• Can be applied using the included sponge, a brush, or a Blending Bud.

Pressed Powder

• I like Touch Mineral Pressed Powder Foundation from Younique.
• This is my go to foundation, and my top pick for most people.
• I know what you're thinking. But, it's not your cheap powder compact. This is a pressed mineral powder that does not feel dry and does not dry out your skin.
• It's great for all skin types.
• This offers a full coverage.
• Can be applied using the included sponge, a brush, or a Blending Bud.

You can use these in combination with each other or alone (although I recommend sealing any liquid or cream in with some form of powder.  Personally, I use all of these in some form.  On an easy day, I like to use a pressed powder all over, and, if needed, a pressed cream or liquid under the powder to spot cover.  On days I really feel like being artistic with my face (ok, that's most days for me), I start with a pressed cream to spot cover, a lighter shade of BB cream to highlight, a darker shade of mineral powder to contour, and pressed powder to blend and for all over coverage.

If you're unfamiliar with the highlighting and contouring process, you can check out my tutorial here.

So, do you feel more comfortable picking out a foundation now?  If you need more help, feel free to hit me up by emailing teampirateprincess@gmail.com.  And, you can watch the video here:

Reflecting on my Leadership Retreat

A little over a week ago, I was coming home from a Younique Leadership Retreat and Certification that I earned through working my business.  I feel like it's important to share some of my experience with you, because, although you may not have been there, you may be looking for the same things I didn't even know I was looking for.  You may need what I needed deep down.

Now that I'm home, I'm a bit overwhelmed with the numerous things I have to reflect on, and the fuel that I have for my fire going forward.  I seriously don't even really know where to start with it all.

Through the weekend we had the opportunity to tour our corporate offices, like really tour and talk to the people who make things happen for us behind the scenes.  These are some amazing people who truly care about not only their jobs, but the people involved in and affected by them, as well.  After, our CEO and his beautiful wife had us all over at his home for dinner and just visiting and fun.  What CEO does that?  Not many.  But ours did.

 

 

I don't want to go into too much detail where the bulk of the retreat is concerned, because I would love for every woman to get to experience this for herself.  But, in a gorgeous lodge in a snowy setting, I bonded with 25 other women and I really got to know the heart of this company.  Our CEO, Derek, and his sister, Melanie, who cofounded the company, shared their personal trials and triumphs with us, as well as their vision for why they started this company. 

 

 

I know we hear fluff talk all the time, but trust me when I say, this is not fluff.  I don't do fluff, I don't sugar coat things.  I now know that these are truly the most genuine people with their hearts in the exact right place.  They are not here for the money; they don't need it.  This was started to help women like their sister who needed to earn money but weren't able to, and needed something to validate them.  This was started to help fund a foundation for women who have been dragged down by life in the most horrible ways so that they may be lifted up again.  I now have an absolute belief in this company and the people involved.

 

 

I know I needed this as a woman, a wife, a mom, and leader.  I needed to be given perspective on all the hats I wear in my life, and to be given permission to put my priorities in the right order.  But mostly, I needed to understand that I am in the right place now and this company is right for me.  With Younique I have gained something I didn't know I was looking for.  I have my confidence back, I have to tools to be the person I need to be, I have a business I have always wanted, and I have a family made up of fellow presenters, amazing support staff, and founders who truly strive to uplift women everywhere.

If this sounds like you, if this is something you need for yourself, I am going to ask you to trust me.  We are going places, as a company and , more importantly, as individual women, all with our own story.  This company has the ability to change lives.  Let yours be one of them.

 

 

How To Find Your Undertone to Color Match Your Foundation

With the advent of mineral based foundations, color matching is easier, as they tend to blend to your skin easier.  Still, determining what foundation color to purchase seems to be a mystery to so many.  So, here we go, some easy tricks to figure out what color of foundation you need.  By the way, if you'd rather watch a video than read this, here you go...

First, let's talk terms.  We constantly hear the terms Warm, Cool, and Neutral, as this is what many cosmetic companies use.  I personally prefer the terms Yellow, Pink (or Red), and Neutral.  It just makes more sense to me.  Need a translation between the two?  Your skin has a mix of Pink and Yellow pigments in it, at varying levels for different women. Warm just means you have more Yellow in your undertone of your skin, Cool means you have more Pink in your undertone, and Neutral means you have a closer to equal balance of the two.

How do you tell what undertone your skin has?  There are tests for that.  Lots of them.  Here are my 3 favorites.

• Start with some natural light (meaning outside, go get some Vitamin D). Hold a white paper up to your wrist.  What color are the veins in your wrist?  If they appear more green, you have a Yellow undertone.  If they appear more blue/purple, you have a Pink undertone.  And if you are having a hard time telling, you may be Neutral.
• What color jewelry looks best with your skin?  If you love that gold necklace against your chest, you may have more Yellow in your undertone.  Is silver jewelry more becoming on you?  You might have a Pink undertone.  And, if you rock both equally well, you're probably Neutral.
• How about when you're really soaking up the Vitamin D?  Does your skin tan easily and rarely burn?  You most likely have a Yellow undertone.  Do you burn like nobody's business and can't seem to get a tan for the life of you?  You've probably got a pink undertone (even without the pink sunburn).  Do you burn a little, but it turns into a tan really easily?  I bet you're neutral.

Great, now you know your undertone!  Be careful to not think that your overtone (say you have some ruddiness after washing your face) is your undertone.  That's not necessarily the case.  It's all about your undertone.  Also, I want to caution you not to try to cancel out your undertone by using a foundation that is the opposite. That's not how this works.  It just looks bad.  Match your undertone.

Most cosmetic companies have Yellow, Pink, and Neutral (Warm, Cool, and Neutral) foundations in varying shades of Light, Medium, Dark, and Deep.  Once you have your undertone nailed down, you can pretty easily determine which shade you need. Sometimes, if you tan during the summer, you might need to move up a shade (say from light to medium), but be careful doing that, you don't want those awful lines at your jaw.  The point here is always to match your skin.

As always, if you want to check out my favorite foundations (incidentally categorized as Yellow, Pink, and Neutral), click here.  If you need more help finding your color match, contact me at teampirateprincess@gmail.com.