From blush blindness to foundation, how to get beauty right

Launching a wide range of 36 shades for its skin illusions foundation, Clarins recently held a beauty event celebrating the South African faces of the new range.

As part of embracing an inclusive makeup offering, the faces included stars such as reigning Mr Supranational Fezile Mkhize and entrepreneur and sustainability activist Margo Fargo. We spoke to Clarins training manager Lebogang Ngwenya about some common makeup mistakes and how to remedy them.

THREE FACTORS TO KNOW BEFORE USING A FOUNDATION

1. Undertone: it's tricky but it's something you are born with. There are three classifications to it. It's warm, cool or neutral. How you identify each one is by seeing how your skin reacts when sitting in the sun.
   If you can handle the sunlight and get a good tan without burning too quickly then you have a warm undertone, also known as a yellow undertone. A neutral undertone is one who can sit in the sun and go darker. However, sitting in the sun over extended periods causes a burn. People with a cool or pink undertone tend to quickly burn. This is someone who is typically photosensitive.
2. Skin tone: This is what we see on the surface of the skin. It's fair, light, medium or dark. Your skin tone can change between seasons. For example, in the warmer months in the summer your skin can get darker so you will need to change your foundation. 
3. Finish: This can vary between full, medium or light coverage. Someone with few skin imperfections will need light coverage but someone who is looking to hide them or even out their skin tone will have to look at full coverage.

How should we approach skin care in makeup usage?

You can have the most incredible and expensive foundation but your skin prep is key. Your skin will not love the foundation if it is not prepped correctly. So what am I talking about when it comes to skin prep? You need to moisturise your skin and ensure you use a primer because it ensures it can give your skin longevity so your makeup can be applied more evenly. 

Most people have to get out their house quickly without wasting time. What tips can you give to master a quick face beat?

It depends. If you are someone who does not have a lot of imperfections to hide you do not need to use a lot of foundation. What you will need is a concealer which will work perfectly to hide and disguise those minor imperfections. Alternatively, if you want a flawless made up look, you can go for the flawless skin illusion. With Clarins we've got three.

For quick steps you can use your foundation, a lip product as a blush for a 2-in-1 hack and mascara to help open your eyes to give you a revitalised look.

A lot of people struggle with blush blindness, any tips to help them perfect it?

Gone are the days where you've got to smile and find the cheek because now all it does is give you a blob on your face. What you want to do is take your blush to where the cheekbone starts and close to your eye. Always remember to apply up to help you lift your skin so you won't need to smile to avoid the blob effect. The trick with blush is in the technique. And don't forget to blend.