Cassandra Bankson rocked the
YouTube beauty world when she posted a start-to-finish video of her foundation
and concealer routine—also revealing her battle with severe acne (and the
self-esteem issues it caused).
But the Cali teen didn’t let the
skin sitch faze her. As she shot to beauty vlogger stardom, Cass made it her
mission to help other girls who shared her prob. We teamed up with Cass for
April/May’s Get the Look beauty tutorial (you can find “Flawless in six: Your
full-face fix” on page 34 of the issue).
Whether you’ve got a bad
breakout, all-nighter under-eye circles or just need a little camouflage, Cass
reveals the tricks to faking a flawless face. Plus, watch the video that
started it all—just remember that the full routine is extreme, and you won’t
need to follow every step unless you’re battling a major acne breakout. But if
ya need a little help nailing a fab foundation routine, read on.
Tip 1: Primer makes
perfect
Prep clean skin with a thin
layer of primer that’s geared for your skin type. “It will not only help your
foundation last all day and look natural, but will keep your skin in balance,”
says Cassandra.
• If you're oily, try a
mattifying primer
• If you’re dry, try a
luminous primer
• If you're acne prone,
try a blemish-fighting primer that contains salicylic acid
Tip 2: Get real and
conceal
Spot-treat problem areas with
a great concealer—which means your foundation will have less work to do (always
a bonus for lookin’ natural). “I prefer to apply my concealer under my
foundation,” says Cass. “As long as you apply your foundation gently, it
doesn't rub the concealer off.” Pick a concealer that’s one or two shades
lighter than your foundation, then warm it up with your fingers before tapping
on.
• If you have undereye
circles…try a yellow-toned concealer
• If you have redness…try
a green concealer
• If you have very dark
skin…try an orange-based concealer
Tip 3: Find a fab
foundation
There are a million foundation
formulas out there, but Cassandra points out two of the most important factors:
First, pick a foundation that works with your skin type…
• Dry skin: Try a creamy,
dewy foundation or tinted moisturizer
• Oily skin: Try an
oil-free foundation
• Problem skin: Try a
full-coverage foundation
Next, make your foundation
work for you. “If your makeup is going to be on your face all day, why not make
it work for your skin?” says Cass.
• If you have acne, avoid
silicone foundations and look for something with salicylic acid or blemish
control
• Skip a step in your
beauty routine by using a foundation with sunscreen
• Try a BB cream—they’re
designed to hydrate, prime, conceal, treat and protect all in one product
Tip 4: Pick your tools of
the trade
After you’ve picked a
foundation, experiment with tools to figure out what works best—try a brush,
sponge and your fingers. “I prefer to apply my foundation with clean hands,
says Cass. “Hands and fingers are much easier to clean than brushes and sponges
are, so it helps stop the transfer of breakout-causing bacteria.” She
recommends tapping on foundation with fingertips (“gently but quickly, like
playing the piano”) to get smooth coverage that looks natural.
Tip 5: Set it and forget
it (for a few minutes)
“Once your foundation is on,
let it sit and set,” says Cass. If you apply powder immediately, you can get
cakey patches. Stay still for five minutes—try not to talk, eat or make crazy
facial expressions—as the foundation sets evenly.
Tip 6: Get powder-perfect
“Powder is wonderful and can
help us look amazing all day, but don’t overdo it,” says Cass. “I and many
others are prone to packing it on.” Instead, Cass recommends skipping
foundation powder (with coverage) and trying a translucent setting powder
instead. “If you have a regular foundation on, you don’t need the extra pigment
in the powder.” Then, follow these steps…
• Swirl a fluffy powder
brush in loose setting powder (or a compact powder)
• Firmly tap the handle
of the brush once or twice to remove excess powder from the bristles
• Start at your oiliest
spot (as the brush will apply the most powder to where you first place it)
• Slowly use gentle,
circular motions to buff it into your skin
Tip 7: Spray for stay
This last step is optional,
and we’d reserve it for a night like prom (where you’ll be taking TONS of
pictures + sweating profusely + too busy to touch up your makeup frequently). Introducing
the setting spray: “Setting sprays are one of my favorites since they add a bit
of glow to the skin and set the powder without causing an oily look,” says
Cass. There are options available for regular, oily and dry skin—pick one that
works for you, then hold a few inches away from your face and give it a quick
mist.
So did you watch Cassandra’s
video? What do you think of her brave beauty tutorial? Tell us in the comments
or tweet me at @GLBeautyBabe.
Follow Cass
YouTube: DiamondsAndHeels14
Twitter: SincerelyCass11
BY KELSEY HAYWOOD ON 3/4/2013 12:00:00 AM
POSTED IN skin problems, get rid of acne, watch this, beauty, how to, tips, make-up, skin, best products, saver, In the mag, April/May 2013