Custom-made foundation

By Milly Nolan

Not quite sure what foundation to buy? Try the Prescriptives Custom Blend service for the perfect skin and make-up match, MiNDFOOD blog.

The reason you see so many women sporting a frightful foundation
application is because they are wearing the wrong shade and wrong
formula for their skin tone and type says Tony Bauman, guru make-up artist and Head of Colour at Mecca Cosmetica.

The key to a perfect foundation is one that blends seamlessly with your skin tone, is the right formula for your skin type (dry, oily, combination or mature) and provides the type of coverage you desire. Worn correctly, foundation should create a flawless complexion in which your natural skin tone should shine through. Foundation should not be worn to mask imperfections but to provide a base for the rest of your make-up.

I had the pleasure of meeting Melbourne-based Bauman when he was in Auckland last week to launch the new Prescriptives Custom Blend service at Mecca Cosmetica, where I quizzed him on why so many women fail to get it right when it comes to foundation.

“The reason,” says Bauman, “is that the majority of women fall between the base shades that most beauty companies offer in their foundation range.” This means that they are either wearing a foundation that is too light or dark for them or perhaps is too pink or yellow in tone, resulting in an application that stands out and begs for the wrong kind of attention. The perfect match should look barely visible.

For women that have this problem, the Prescriptives Custom Blend service, available at Mecca Cosmetica stores around the world, is a godsend. Consultants can create a shade that perfectly complements any skin tone from pale ivory to deep ebony.

Even your preferred coverage, finish and specific visible skin needs such as oil control, moisturising, brightening and firming can be taken into consideration. And it doesn’t stop there. All the Prescriptives foundation formulas are oil-free, fragrance-free or non-acnegenic, as well as containing light reflecting particles to diminish the appearance of flaws and antioxidants to protect the skin.

At the end of the one-hour service, you walk out the door with a bottle of liquid foundation and a pot of loose powder – both of which look so natural that you wouldn’t even know you were wearing foundation. What more could you ask for?

THE STEP-BY-STEP PRESCRIPTIVES CUSTOM BLEND SERVICE

1 The consultant removes your make-up and cleanses the skin so they can analyse your skin type and skin tone.

  • I was told I had a fairly even skin tone with the exception of a few freckles and sunspots that were a result of sunbathing.
  • My skin type was diagnosed as normal, with a tendency for dryness.
  • Bauman decided a sheer coverage would suit my skin best.

2 The consultant determines your skin undertone using the Precsriptives Colorprint service. While it is more technical than it looks, in laymen terms, this involves a series of coloured stripes being painted on your lower cheeks to find the most perfect match. Common skin undertones are golden, warm peach, cool pink and cool rose.

  • I was told I had a golden undertone, which means my complementary tones are yellow/orange shades.

3 Based on the Colorprint, the consultant goes about finding your exact foundation shade match, again by painting stripes of colour on your lower cheeks. A process of elimination helps find the shade that suits the skin tone the best. That being the shade that is less visible on the skin. Depending on your skin analysis, the consultant will decide what type of finish or needs your skin requires.

  • I had both Candlelight and Radiance added to my formula. The former provides a soft glow and the latter provides an instant luminous sheen for brighter more vibrant skin.

4 The consultant gets mixing and blending producing a bespoke combination of liquid foundation and loose powder.

As Bauman says, “it is just like making a cake mix, just with make-up.”

THE RESULT

With the knowledge that the foundation was made specifically for me, I feel very confident putting it on each morning and I’m loving the result. While the formula is much more sheer than what I would normally wear, the finish is very natural and gives my skin a luminous glow. For women that have trouble finding the right foundation, the Precriptives Custom Blend service is the perfect solution.

www.meccacosmetica.co.nz

www.meccacosmetica.com.au

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