by BR Kellie
I've been a huge fan of mixing my foundations for years. There's nothing quite like taking two mediochre foundations - perhaps one that isn't quite the right colour and another that's too heavy in coverage - and mixing them to create a foundation that sits beautifully on the skin and is so close to your tone that it looks like you were blessed with supermodel skin. So it was with great interest that I watched a YouTuber suggest we add a drop of oil to our foundation. My inner chemist was intrigued, and I decided I just had to give it a go and report back the results.
Want to know more? Read on!
Why add oil to your foundation?
Adding a drop of oil to your foundation can thin the consistency while giving your face a gorgeous glow. It's also great for making the application of a heavier foundation easier.
Will any oil do?
Skip the heavy oils. Rosehip, jojoba, maracuja, almond, marula oil and the like will do the trick.
The method?
I used the back of my left hand as my palette. On my hand palette I added a little oil and a pump of foundation, then mixed the two thorougly together before applying the mixture with my brush, followed by a bounce and blend with my sponge.
Did it work?
No! Not the first time. I used too much oil. The YouTuber recommended using just a drop of oil, but my oil comes in pump form and apparently my itty bitty pump produced too much. The result ended up being quite streaky, with not enough coverage and I had to work hard to blend it all in.
Not one to give up easily, on the second attempt I pumped out as little oil as I could then took some of that an applied it to my decollegate so as not to be wasteful. A pump of foundation later, a goodly bit of mixing and we were in business! My thick, full coverage foundation that always looked fake upon my skin looked stunning. Radiant, thin but still with great coverage, and most importantly - I didn't look like I was wearing foundation.
Will I do it again?
I've since used the method time and time again using other too-thick-for-me foundations, and I can honestly say that love it... for two reasons. One - it revives foundations I'd deemed doomed for the rubbish bin. Two - my 40+ skin has never looked better!
Do I recommend people try it?
If you like a matte finish adding oil to your foundation is not the technique for you. If your skin is oily? I'd skip this. But for those of us with drier skin or who like to get their glow on, it's totally worth giving it a go. Best of all, if you hate the look you can wash it off.
So... Have you tried putting a drop of oil in your foundation before? Did it work for you? Did it blow your mind? Or is this a trick you've yet to try... and will you?
Get chatting below!
I have never tried this. I have combination skin, and can get quite oily in summer, so maybe not right now. But it might be a good option for winter, as my skin is drier then.