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The Weekend Read✨Building Your Foundation Wardrobe

April 26, 2025

The Weekend Read✨Building Your Foundation Wardrobe

Jenny Goldsmith | Read in 9 minutes

Hello!

Let’s play a quick word association game. I say foundation, and you say…?

If your brain immediately went to building blocks, concrete, or even bricks and mortar, we’re slightly off course — but not entirely wrong. Because today we’re talking about a foundation of another kind: your make-up foundation wardrobe. That’s right — just like your clothes, your make-up deserves a curated, versatile collection tailored to your lifestyle, your colours, your skin type, and yes—your mood.

This week, we’re diving into the art (and science!) of foundation wardrobing. With our expert tips and a few tried and tested tricks from the House of Colour consultant collective, we’ll help you understand what goes where, why it matters, and how to pull together a seamless, glowing look—no matter your age or stage in life.

Ready to get glowing? Let’s start from the very beginning…

Great Skin is the Best Foundation

Before we even think about BB creams or buffing brushes, we need to talk skincare. Just like you wouldn’t paint a wall without prepping it (hello filler, sandpaper, and undercoat), your skin needs a little TLC before any makeup goes on.

Step One: Cleanse (Properly!)

Whether you're a double-cleanse devotee or more of a micellar water minimalist, make sure your skin is free from excess oil, last night’s mascara, or lingering SPF. A clean canvas is a happy canvas.

Step Two: Hydrate and Prime

Moisturiser is not optional. Hydration is what gives skin that fresh, youthful bounce and prevents foundation from clinging to dry patches or settling into fine lines. For mature skin, look for moisturisers with hyaluronic acid or peptides.

Our tip: Give your moisturiser a minute or two to sink in before applying foundation. For extra longevity, you should use a primer. The House of Colour Revelation Primer provides a flawless surface for make-up application and is loaded with ceramides, collagen and vitamins, giving you a luxurious, velvet-soft, smooth surface that blurs the appearance of fine lines, uneven texture and pores.

The Weekend Read✨Building Your Foundation Wardrobe

The Foundation Wardrobe

Now that your skin is prepped, it’s time to get dressed—make-up dressed! Think of your foundation wardrobe like your clothing one. You wouldn’t wear a velvet blazer to the beach (we hope), and the same goes for your make-up. The occasion, the lighting, the weather, and even your hormonal cycle can influence what kind of base will feel and look best.

Our philosophy? You need options. Because one size definitely doesn’t fit all when it comes to foundation.

Let’s break it down…

1. Mineral Powder Foundation: The Everyday Hero

Lightweight, breathable, and brilliant for sensitive skin, mineral powders are the jeans and t-shirt of your foundation wardrobe. They’re especially loved by oily or combination skin types, but thanks to their buildable coverage, they can work for everyone.

How to Apply:

Use a dense kabuki brush.

Swirl the brush into the product, tap the end so the minerals go deeper into the bristles, and buff it onto your skin using circular movements.

Start in the centre of your face (where most of us need a bit more coverage) and work outwards.

Our Tip: Use the House of Colour Vitamin Setting Mist afterwards to nourish and hydrate for a plump, youthful-looking glow. This mist will set and lock in your make-up for the whole day.

2. Liquid Foundation: The All-Rounder

Liquid foundations come in varying levels of coverage and finish—matte, dewy, satin, you name it. These are your foundation ‘blazers’—they polish up the look, are perfect for long days or evenings out, and can be dressed up or down.

How to Apply:

Apply with your fingertips for a natural look, a brush for precision, or a damp sponge for a flawless, blended finish.

Start at the centre of the face (cheeks, nose, chin) and blend outward.

Don’t forget your jawline and neck—no one wants a foundation tide line!

Our Tip: For Mature Skin, choose from the House of Colour Oil Base foundation range for a smooth and even coverage. This creamy, liquid foundation has a light, dewy texture without feeling heavy - and it won't sit in fine lines.

3. BB Cream: The Weekender

Short for beauty balm, BB creams combine skincare and make-up in one handy bottle. This all-in-one product is infused with a serum, moisturiser, sheer foundation and primer. This is your loungewear of foundations - comfortable, low-maintenance, and perfect for those 'I just need to look human' days.

How to Apply:

Use your fingertips for quick application—warmth from your skin helps the product melt into your skin.

Blend like a moisturiser, focusing on areas with redness or unevenness.

If needed, add a dab of concealer where extra coverage is needed.

Getting the Shade Right

Finding the right foundation shade is a little like dating—it takes time, a bit of trial and error, and sometimes it just doesn’t work out. But when it’s right, you know.

House of Colour clients have the edge here because our foundation shades are chosen to match your unique skin tone. Whether you’re a Cool Summer or a Warm Autumn, House of Colour has a foundation to match.

Shade Matching Tips:

Always test on your jawline—not your hand.

Always match your colour in natural daylight.

Your perfect match should disappear into your skin - if you can see it, it's the wrong shade for you.

Our Tip: If you tan well, you will need a second foundation colour. Using a deeper shade in the warmer months will look better on tanned skin, otherwise you risk looking pale and washed out.

Concealer: Your Secret Weapon

Think of concealer as your Spanx—it goes underneath, smooths things out, and supports your foundation in all the right places!

Where to Apply:

Under the eyes - dab in the corner of your eye where the skin is bluer, and blend out under the eye and over the lid if you have red pigmentation. There is no need to sweep your concealer under the whole eye - it will sit in any fine lines and look cakey if you use too much product.

Around the nose to cancel out redness.

On blemishes or pigmentation - dab with a clean finger or small brush, and let it set before blending foundation on top.

Our Tip: Less is more. Apply thin layers and build up only where needed. Concealer is used to brighten the eye area, so always use either the same shade as your foundation , or one shade lighter.

Bronzer & Illuminator: Glow, Not Oompa Loompa!

Let’s clear one thing up - bronzer is not fake tan. It’s not supposed to change your skin tone, it’s to add a healthy glow and subtle definition — think 'just got back from a gentle stroll in the sun', not 'accidental spray tan disaster'!

Where to Apply:

Sweep lightly across the top of your forehead, cheekbones, and jawline — the places the sun would naturally hit.

A little on the bridge of your nose adds that sun-kissed effect.

Our Tip: Use a fluffy, angled brush and always tap off excess before applying.

Remember, less is more, and blend, blend, blend.

For those of you that prefer an all over glow, the House of Colour Illuminator provides a lit-from-within radiance.

How to Apply:

For an all over, natural base glow, add a pump to your liquid foundation or BB cream. Mix together and apply to your face as recommended above.

To highlight facial features, apply after your foundation to the high points of your face where you would naturally catch the sun - your forehead, the tops of your cheekbones, brow bones and bridge of your nose.

Our Tip: Apply to your shoulders, collarbones, chest or legs for bright and healthy-looking skin - perfect for holidays, weddings and special occasions.

Blusher: The Youth Maker

We could write an entire The Weekend Read on the power of blusher (and maybe we will). But for now, here’s the deal: blusher is not optional. It gives dimension, health, and that all-important freshness to your face.

Choosing the Right Shade:

During your House of Colour Colour Analysis session, we choose the perfect colour-matched blusher uniquely suited to your skin tone. It's all very well having the best blusher colour, but knowing where to apply it is the difference between a face lift and a face drop.

Where to Apply:

Using a fluffy blusher brush, blend your blusher upwards along your cheekbones towards the temples in soft sweeping motions.

To give yourself an instant eye lift, apply a small amount of blusher along your brow bone using an eyeshadow brush.

Our Tip: Try mixing a little of your blusher to a clear balm to create a lip tint, eyeshadow and cream blusher for that extra dewiness.

Putting It All Together: The Two-Minute Face

For busy mornings or those 'Zoom call in ten minutes' days, here’s our signature five-step routine using your foundation wardrobe:

BB Cream or mineral foundation, applied with fingers or a kabuki brush.

Concealer where needed—under eyes and around your nose.

Blusher to brighten your complexion and lift your features.

Bronzer if you need a little extra glow.

Lip colour in your WOW shade.

Add mascara and brow gel if you’ve got 60 seconds more.

Final Thoughts: Unleash Your Inner Glow

So there you have it: the secret’s out. Foundation wardrobing isn’t about having more, it’s about having the right options for the right moment—and knowing how to use them.

Make-up is not a mask. It’s an enhancer, a confidence booster and a glow-giver. With the right foundation wardrobe, your skin (and you) can shine through beautifully, authentically, and effortlessly.

Click here for your Foundation Wardrobe Essentials

Enjoy your weekend! Next week, The Weekend Read is all about denim. Look out for that next Saturday!

Best wishes,

Jenny & Judi x