Q&A for How to Apply Powder Foundation

It depends on your skin type. Powder foundations are easy to apply and less likely to clog pores, but they can emphasize dryness and flakiness when worn on dry skin or get cakey and discolored when worn on very oily skin.

Yes, pressed powder can be worn as a light foundation. It can also be layered over a light-coverage liquid foundation or used for touchups.

Yes. Just apply the concealer first. Powder foundations tend to be more translucent, so they're usually not suitable for color-correcting concealers.

Liquid and cream products should always go under powder. So if you are using liquid and powder foundation, always apply the liquid first.

It's okay for foundation to be slightly lighter. However, you should avoid using a foundation that's too warm or too cool for your undertone. Otherwise, you'll be able to see an obvious foundation line along your jawline.

The first step will be finding the right shade of foundation. I suggest you ask someone working at a makeup counter to help you find a match. This way, you can make sure the foundation looks natural before making a purchase.

Place your loose powder in a tissue, then shake the powder out. That way, you won't apply a large amount at once, so it won't look cakey.

It's not necessary, but if you're going to be out and unable to reapply for more than around 4 hours, setting powder will keep your foundation from settling into creases and coming off.

No. A q-tip would be too small to apply foundation with and wouldn't give you good coverage. For a more natural finish, a makeup brush or sponge is a much better choice.

Finish your skin care routine before you apply any makeup. Apply cream/moisturizer and give it time to soak into your skin (5-15 minutes), apply a primer, then your foundation.

Yes, you can.

Try spraying a dewy finishing matte spray after applying powder foundation and finishing powder.

If you don't have a kabuki brush, you should use a brush that is less dense than others.

The biggest difference between the different types of foundations is the level of coverage. In most cases, liquid foundation has a broader range of coverage, from low to high coverage. The choice between liquid, powder and mousse is usually based on the skin type and personal preference.

No, it isn't necessary but it will help when you apply your foundation to go on better and can blur some of those lines, if you have any.

This will work well if you reverse steps two and three, as putting liquids or creams over powders can make your foundation streaky and inconsistent.

While a bit of setting powder on bare skin can help with oiliness throughout the day, it would be best to apply powder foundation first, and then put the setting powder on top. You may find that you don't need setting powder at all with powder foundation, so experiment with a few different options!

A good rule of thumb to follow is to always put powders on top of creams. In this case, you would want to apply the under eye concealer first, and follow that by applying powder foundation.

No, but a light dusting of translucent powder will help set your makeup and help it to stay on better.

Normally with powder foundation, you want to use what's called a "light-hand", which means only using a little powder, because if you use too much, you can end up looking "odd", Also, make sure you blend it onto your neck and ears, without that, it can make you look orange.

Oil based would be the best, because while water primer is great for moisturizing your skin, powder doesn't cling to it as well as it would with oil based.

Use a setting spray with SPF included so you can just apply more of that throughout the day if necessary. If that's not available, apply a spray-on sunblock so as not to mess up the makeup. The foundation will help with protecting your skin, but don't rely on it by itself.