Getting Rid of that Dreaded Line

Before I dive into my next post I want to just put up a little disclaimer. Girls you are beautiful! You don't need to wear makeup, God made you the way you are! You never need to doubt that you are not good enough or that you are ugly. It talks about in Ephesians 1:4 that before the foundations of the world He chose you. That is crazy to think that before anything He chose you and me! He also made us in His image. Don't you think that if God made you and chose you that you look the way you are suppose to look?! You need to be thankful to the Lord for how you are made, you are His creation, His master piece. Never doubt God on how He made you or compare yourselves to others. You are the only you that has ever been and every will be.
That being said it is okay it enhance what God has given you. In Proverbs the righteous woman was beautiful, there is nothing wrong with being pretty! In this post I want to give some tips that I have learned from others or from my own failures. I am not a makeup artists, these are just things that have helped me.Let me know some tips that you have about your foundation routine!

 So when I was sixteen I was finally allowed to wear makeup! I was so excited to be able to dress up and add a little flare to my daily routine. The problem was no told me about 'the line.' I am sure most, if not all of you have seen the line. Maybe you have even fallen victim to the line, I certainly did! Many people I know or have seen wear foundation. The problem is that they don't know how to apply it or to find the right foundation for their skin. The result is an unflattering line around the chin and the face that then becomes a different color than their body. I was a victim of the line for several years, but through that 'trial' I have been able to pick up  couple of tips and thought I would share them with you.

1. Choose a liquid foundation lighter than your actual skin color.
This may sound strange,but here is the reasoning. Makeup general goes just on your face, maybe you put a little on your neck, but the rest of your body you don't wear foundation. When you have foundation that is darker then your skin you automatically have that dreaded makeup line on your face, it also creates odd shadowing at the edges of your jaw line. If you choose foundation that is exactly the same color (which I have never been able to do) you are extremely lucky. Even with the same color of foundation as your face you have to realize that your face gets the most sun. So with foundation the same color as your face it will still make you have a line because your face is the darkest part of your body. The same color of foundation then enhances the difference from your face to your body.
If you have a liquid foundation that is a slightly lighter foundation(usually you can match the foundation to the inside of your wrist to get the correct color for you face) you will be able to match your face with your body. Your face will look light though when you put your foundation on so the next step is critical.
I am using a matte stay right now from Rimmels collection. It is a full coverage foundation and it helps if you have oily skin. You do not need to use a lot of foundation no matter what the brand. Remember you are enhancing your beauty not trying to cover it up.



2. Use a loose powder that is the same color as your face.
I am not trying to confuse you, honest! If you have a loose powder this will set your foundation so your face won't look greasy and the foundation will stay on longer. When the powder is the same color as your face(you figure out the color before you have your liquid foundation on) you are able to blend it to your neck and face which results in an even tone. The lighter foundation made your face a little to light, so when you set it with the powder you are able to come to that happy medium one desires.
Don't choose a color that is darker than your natural color. This causes you to look orange. (which I unfortunately did at sixteen and have the pictures to prove it)


                                        3. BLEND!!
I can not stress enough the importance of blending your powder foundation. The more you blend the more it becomes part of your face instead of it being this random liquid hanging from your pores. To blend you take your brush and get some of the powder in the lid of the cap. After putting your brush in it you tap off the excess powder.
Then in a circular motion you brush it on your face and upper parts of your neck. This dissolves the line of where you put your liquid foundation on and where your un-makeuped skin comes into play.
When you are brushing on (in the circular motion!) your powder foundation make sure there is no excess powder. If you look at the picture to the right there are no clumps on the brush. This is crucial to having a clean foundation look. Then after that you repeat the process until your face is completely set with the powder. The more you blend the better the results. Be careful not to over blend because eventually (after several minutes) your makeup will start to come off because of the friction you are causing.

 With your brush I would also recommend a brush that isn't stiff. When it is stiff you get many more clumps.

If you use cover-up or concealer I would recommend putting it on before the powder so it can be set. This also prevents you from having random white dots on your face.

Here is the result! I know this sounds like a lot of information, but my entire makeup routine takes about 7 to 10 minutes. Once you learn how to do it, it actually saves time. Remember God doesn't mind beauty, He celebrates it, but as girls it is very easy to get caught up in the world of beauty and fashion. Don't make makeup your idle or your identity. Your identity is in Christ, it doesn't matter if you have makeup on or not, you are His. Your heart is what matters, whats on the inside is what makes you beautiful.
I hope this was helpful! Please leave comments if you have questions or suggestions!                                                                  
                                                                                              ~Hanna D