How to Apply Foundation

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PRODUCTS: As a rule of thumb, “lighter” products are best for day or casual wear, while “heavy” products are best reserved for dressier occasions. This is mainly because, while the heavier products have better coverage, they also are worse for your skin. They can get into and clog your pores, prevent your skin from breathing and cause blackheads and pimples. Once in a while when you want that flawless, heavy-duty coverage, you may want to use them, but you should steer clear from them on a daily basis.

When choosing any type of foundation or powder, always make certain that it matches your natural skin tones. Don’t use make-up to attempt to make your skin look lighter, or darker– it will only serve to look unnatural. When buying foundations and powders, it is best to go to a store where you can try on samples. Go with your face clean and ready for application. If you are already wearing make-up, it will not give you a good idea of what the product will look like on your clear skin. Always test base make-ups on your face, preferably the jaw line. Testing on your arm or hand will give you a false reading and usually result in the wrong color.

Heavier, cream foundations (which are usually oil-based) and pressed or pancake powder can give a near flawless-looking appearance on film or at night in the atmospheric lights of restaurants, theaters and clubs. However, in broad daylight, these products appear unnatural, and they only last a few hours before beginning to run, streak, or cake. They also are so heavy they can make you feel like you are wearing a mask.

Liquid, sheer, water-based foundation and loose, foundation mousse, and translucent powder qualify as lighter make-up. These give your own natural look a lift without being too dominating, and without making your face feel like it has been frosted. They are the best choice for daily use.

For heavier coverage of problem areas on a daily basis, use a cream concealer. The type of concealer you will need will depend upon the skin problem you have. For ruddiness and blemishes that are pink or red, choose a green-based concealer. Green is on the opposite end of the color wheel than red, and opposites neutralize the effect of the other. For dark, bluish circles under the eyes or bruises, use a peach (for light skin) or mauve (darker skin) color-based concealer. If you have problems with scars or a birth mark, you will want to find a concealer that is completely opaque.

PREPARE YOUR FACE: Before applying any base coverage, you should wash your face with a gentle cleanser, rinse well with water, and pat dry. Next, cleanse your face lightly with a good toner to close pores and create a nice palette for your makeup. Then, apply a water-based, light moisturizer. Preparing your skin this way will ensure the most even coverage possible, and reduce the possibility of caking as the day goes on.

APPLICATORS: For liquid, mousses, creams, and pancake make-up, applicator sponges are the best option. They help blend the product better than your fingers. For a lighter application of water-based liquid, or for heavy pancake coverage, the sponge should be damp. Wet it then ring it out well before applying. For mouses and creams, or liquids when you desire a slightly heavier coverage, leave the sponge dry.

For translucent powders, or pressed powders when going for a light, casual look, use a large, clean blush brush to apply. Don’t use a brush that has recently been used for blush, as it will tint your powder unevenly. Use a new brush, or one that was recently washed and thoroughly dried.

Concealer can be applied with a sponge applicator for wider areas (such as your cheeks, forehead, chin), or with your fingers for places that are creased or harder to get to (the corner of the eyes, the crease around the nostril).

TECHNIQUE: Begin by applying a dab of foundation in the center of the forehead. Use short, brisk strokes to draw it outward in all directions, as if creating a sunburst effect. Bring it out toward the hairline, blending well as you go along. Curve downwards around the temple, towards the cheeks. Draw down along the bridge of the nose.

Place another dab in the center of the nose, and draw that out in a similar sunburst fashion. Go up to blend with the line you left at the bridge of the nose, out under the eyes and over the cheeks, swooping up to blend at the temples. Bring it down toward the tip of the nose, over the nostrils and upper lip.

Next, put a dab at the chin with a dab at the chin, drawing it up to the lips, up the jaw line, blending upwards into the cheeks and down into the neckline. Then, go lightly and gently over your closed eyelids, blending in around the socket.

Make sure that all areas are blended well, and that the edge of the make-up line blends undetectably into your skin. The lighter the make-up, the easier it will be to blend it in. Heavier make up, such as pancake, may require extra dabs of make-up as you go along. It will take more effort to blend well and get even coverage.

Pancake powder will give strong, opaque coverage and will not require concealer. If you have problem areas and are using a water-based or mousse foundation, you may wish to apply concealer to the area after you have blended the foundation. Choose the appropriate color concealer for the job, smooth it over the area with a sponge or fingertips, and blend around the edge of the concealer with your fingers, pulling it further and further out as you blend. Do not rub or blend the concealer directly over the blemish or discoloration, as you will only serve to wipe most of it off and decrease coverage.

Take the translucent or pressed powder and your large blush brush. Load the brush with powder, then tap onto a tissue to remove excess. Close your eyes and gently brush the powder across your entire face. Do not press the brush into your skin, or scrub it back and forth. Simply allow the soft hairs to sweep across the flesh.

For a heavier coverage with pressed powder, use the powder puff that usually comes in the compact. Rub the powder into the puff, then dab and use brisk, short strokes to cover your face. Adhere to the contours of your face as you work it in. This will give a more opaque coating, however will feel heavier and has a tendency to cake, or streak with perspiration. This technique is fine for use in indoor, cool places, but if you are going to be outdoors in natural daylight, heavy pressed powder application can take on a slightly orange tone.

Now your canvass is ready for you to apply your colors.

Choosing a Foundation

Excerpted from The Complete Beauty Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Smart Beauty (Rodale Inc., 2004) by Paula Begoun

Finding the Perfect Color

Whether you have red hair and fair skin or black hair and dark ebony skin, the foundation must match your underlying skin color exactly. Do not buy a foundation that will make your face look even a shade or two darker or lighter or change its underlying color in any manner. Find a foundation that matches your skin perfectly and goes on softly and smoothly.

Traditionally, skin color has been defined by the basic underlying tone, described as olive, when the skin appears ashen or green in color; sallow, when the skin has a yellow or golden shade; and ruddy, when the skin has overtones of pink or red. These categories hold true for all women, including women of color; your underlying skin color will always relate to one of those skin tones.

When you're purchasing a foundation, it is important to identify your overall, exact skin color and find a foundation that matches it, regardless of the underlying tone. For the most part, regardless of your race, nationality, or age, your foundation should be some shade of neutral ivory, neutral beige, tan, dark brown, bronze brown, or ebony, with a slight, and I mean very slight, undertone of yellow.

Why a slightly yellow undertone? Because skin color, more often than not, has a yellow undertone: That's just what the natural color of melanin (the pigment in the skin) tends to be. There are a few exceptions to this rule. Native North American or South American women, a tiny percentage of African-American women, and some Polynesian women do indeed have a red cast to their skin. They need to look for foundations that have a slightly reddish cast to them--but that's only a hint of brownish red, and not copper, orange, or peach.

Although you are attempting to exactly match the skin color of your face when you choose a foundation, in some cases it is more important to match the foundation to the color of your neck. If your face is darker than your neck and your foundation matches the face, it will look like a mask because of the difference in color. The opposite is also true. If your face is lighter than your neck and you put on a foundation that matches the face, it will still look like a mask because of the difference in color. In situations like this, match the foundation more to the neck color or to a color in between the color of the neck and the face.

Once you have selected a foundation color, there is only one way to be absolutely sure it is right for you: Apply the color all over your face and check it outside in the daylight. Check it from all angles and decide if it matches your skin exactly. If you applied it carefully but there are lines of demarcation at the jaw area; or if it looks too thick or too greasy, or gives the face an orange, pink, rose, or ashen tint; or if it looks heavy and opaque instead of sheer and light, go back to the testers. In fact, you may need to test several types before you find the right foundation.

One practical guideline to narrow down your choices is to test many different colors at once. Begin with several that look like good possibilities and place stripes of each one in a row over the cheek area. The best choice is the one that blends almost perfectly with your skin color. The wrong choices will stand out, with obvious edges that don't disappear into your skin.

This technique is a reliable way to eliminate some choices, but use it only as an elimination process. Still check out the color on your face in the daylight, and blend the foundation shade over a larger area of your face.

Keep trying on foundations until you find the best one. Once you've made a selection you feel good about, apply it all over your face, wait at least two hours, and check it again in the daylight.

If you prefer to wear a sheer, thin layer of foundation or don't want to wear foundation all over your face, then a moisturizer with sunscreen must be worn underneath. To ensure your foundation with sunscreen is protecting you all day, consider setting your makeup or touching up your makeup during the day with a makeup setting spray.

• Look at the natural color of your skin. Even if you dislike its shade, working with it by choosing a color that matches will look better than trying to lighten or darker it.
• Consider buying two shades, so that you can use a slightly darker color in the summertime if you tan easily.
• Choose a foundation with undertones in the shade that matches the undertones of your skin. For most people, this is either yellow or pink.
• Test the foundation on your forearm. The makeup should basically disappear, while working to cover slight blemishes.
• Choose a foundation and concealer from the same product line to make sure they match perfectly.
• Remember that liquid foundation usually looks darker in the bottle than on the skin.
• Test the foundation on your face at a makeup counter if possible.

Mineral Makeup

During the month of November, we will focus on mineral makeup, application, colors and more. Today, we will go over the basics...

Do you have sensitive skin? Do you tend to have reactions to the chemicals in your regular make-up? Many make-up companies use fillers and talc, along with fragrances. Maybe it’s time to try something new. Mineral make-up is creating a beauty revolution. Mineral make-up is so gentle you can even sleep in it and not worry about damage to your skin. Mineral make-up is non-comedogenic and won’t block pores. The product is inert so that means it won’t harbor bacteria if kept dry in the container.

If you have a daughter who is just starting to experiment with make-up, a wise investment would be to start her with a product that won’t aggravate her skin. Mineral make-up is dermatologist and plastic surgeon recommended. Mineral make-up has a natural sun protection factor in it.

One of the things that people love is the lightweight feel of the make-up. You don’t feel like you are wearing make-up. With foundations, they can feel caked or heavy on the skin, where as mineral make-up is practically weightless. You can easily forget you are wearing it.

Mineral make-up is concentrated pigment, often being iron oxides. It is crushed very finely and you only need a little bit. It will appear like a powder, but it is not powder or talc. It is crushed minerals. The colors can be as sheer or intense as you like, and because there is such variety, perfect shading can be found for all skin types.

Mineral make-up can be used for corrective purposes as well. It easily covers redness or can help with discoloration. Clients suffering from rosacea can use these products to even out their skin tone or lessen the redness in their skin.

Mineral make-up is easy to apply and is a very quick process. You can have perfectly applied make-up in minutes. You don’t need to be a make-up artist to learn this! With so many colors from nature, you won’t have problems choosing colors, and they will appear natural. Again, because of the concentrated pigmentation of the product, it’s up to you to apply as little as you want, and you can reapply over the area for a more intense look.

A quick tip is to invest in the brushes that are sold with the product. A good quality brush that isn’t synthetic can make the difference between a good application and a better one.

Golden Goat has a wide selection of mineral makeup and brushes to choose from to make sure you get colors that complement you. Stop in to try it on in person or order a sample size, enough for one use to try the colors out in person.

Golden Goat has mineral liquid foundation, pressed mineral foundation, and powder mineral makeup. We have over ten foundation shades to chose from to give you the best match to your skin.

New in Stock baby gifts

Do you need a baby gift for someone? We have some neat products that any mom would love. We even have nice boxes to put it in so you don't even have to wrap it.

Pick up a bar of Baby Soap or a bottle of Organic Baby Wash, and pair it with our Bun Balm or Baby Lotion. To complement the whole package, add in a Lullaby CD. We will soon be adding embroidered bibs, and receiving blankets to our lineup, so watch for those, too. So before your next baby shower, stop in and get a basket of naturally healthy products that moms and babies can use.


We also have bubble bath in stock. It contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate (Derived From Coconut), which is not SLS (Sodium LAURYL Sulfate), a commonly known irritant to the skin. It is similar and creates the bubbles for the product. We tell you this so that you know that this product is not natural, but we have so many requests for bubble bath that we started carrying this product in our store.

Acne and Rosacea – Why It's Important You Know the Difference

Hannah Clapham

Hannah Clapham is the author of the Acne Skin Care Center website, a complete online resource for all your Acne and Rosacea questions

Acne and Rosacea are very difficult condition for anyone, young or old. But of course acne and rosacea are not the only problems that you can have with your skin, whether it's the skin on your face or anywhere else. Cysts, moles, and blackheads are also very common problem that many people have, and what is unfortunate is that many people just don't know the difference. They put acne medication on their cysts or think that moles are blackheads, and so on.

One of the easiest mistakes to make is confusing rosacea for acne itself. If you don't have a proper understanding of what the difference is between these conditions it's very possible to not only ignore acne at the source but to actually make the condition even worse; especially with rosacea as the skin become inflamed and irritated if it's not treated properly. But how is rosacea different from acne?

Acne is a very unique condition of the skin wherein dirt, oil and bacteria get trapped in hair follicles or pores and a thin layer of skin or a skin cell forms over it so that it can't be washed away. This then grows into what we call a pimple. Because pimples are usually red and the area around these breakouts is typically also red, itchy, and inflamed, it's easy to see how it can be confused with rosacea and vice versa.

But it's important to understand that it is not acne because it is not a collection of dirt, oil and bacteria. Instead, rosacea is a condition wherein the skin becomes red, irritated and inflamed. It can also be somewhat dry and scaly. You can have small bumps with this condition, but these pustules are not the same as acne. As a matter of fact, using acne medication on rosacea can actually make the condition worse, since most topical treatment options for acne are very drying and contain harsh ingredient such as peroxide and alcohol. Imagine adding any of these to an open wound or scrape you have on your skin!

The best way to understand rosacea is to compare it to a skin rash. There are many reasons for rashes, and those with rosacea can inherit it from their parents or it just may develop over time. While sadly there is no overnight or quick cure for rosacea, it can be successfully treated and treatment is important as it does seem to get worse if ignored. Sufferers will be well aware that it's difficult to cover or hide rosacea, but with the right treatment options its impact can be lessened.

Rosacea Skin Condition and Mineral Makeup

Rena Sperling

Rena Sperling is a natural health and mineral makeup enthusiast who lives in California.

What is Rosacea?

Rosacea is a chronic skin disorder that causes redness and swelling primarily in the face. Other areas that can be affected are the scalp, neck, ears, chest, and back. Rosacea can progress from frequent flushing of the skin to persistent redness, pimples, and visible blood vessels in the face.

What type of cosmetics are recommended for a Rosacea skin condition?

Many people prefer to use natural products on their sensitive skin to prevent flair ups and treat Rosacea. Natural products are gentle on the skin and do not carry the risk of side affects. The best approach for treating Rosacea starts with using safe natural products with herbs and botanicals, rather than synthetics and chemicals. Cosmetics having synthetic ingredients are far more likely to irritate your sensitive skin. It is recommended to try a natural product for more than 3 months. You will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the product and the number of flair ups. During this time period, take the time to journal and record flair ups, skin sensitivity, and skin appearance.

What irritating ingredients should be avoided that are found in some cosmetics?

Cosmetics that are natural mineral based or water based and oil free are highly recommended for Rosacea. However, be careful in selecting your product because the majority of mineral products on the market are still loaded with preservatives like parabens; they also use dyes and fillers. Ingredients can be evaluated at the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Report. Do your research to become knowledgeable about what ingredients are in your cosmetics and products.

Some of the ingredients to look out for that may irritate your sensitive skin:

alcohol, fragrance, menthol, talc, fragrance, petrochemicals, peppermint, eucalyptus, GMO , gluten, parabens, dyes, bismuth oxychloride

Quality mineral based cosmetics nourish the skin with certified organic antioxidants. Some of the organic antioxidants include grape seed extract and pomegranate extract.

How do I use mineral based products?

Select a mineral based foundation that matches your skin tone and doesn't irritate it. To cover up blemishes, apply mineral based foundation sparingly with a small tipped brush. Apply again if needed. Apply the foundation again with a larger kabuki brush. If you would like a bit more coverage, add a translucent powder/mineral veil over this. Finish with a beautiful blush. Make sure to brush, brush, brush to polish and achieve a lovely glowing complexion.

A few other tips:

Apply mineral based cosmetics over dry skin. If you use a moisturizer, allow it to dry. Mineral based cosmetics are highly concentrated and should be applied sparingly to prevent caking. Less is More. Ample brushing brings out the beautiful glow. Cosmetics with a green or yellow base are good for redness issues. Bronzers can take away reddish tones and help your make-up last longer.

Rosacea: Fight Flushing and Blushing

From the Rodale book, The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Women:

Elizabeth has fair, almost translucent skin that turns a glowing pink whenever she's hot, angry, embarrassed or somewhat tipsy.

But now, barely into her thirties, the pink is changing to red, the red is coming more often and small bumps, pimples and tiny broken blood vessels are appearing around Elizabeth's nose.

Elizabeth's doctor says that all the flushing she experienced was actually a prelude to rosacea, a skin condition in which blood vessels in the face tend to widen, engorge with blood and can turn your face red as a fire truck.

No one knows what really causes rosacea, although doctors have noticed that fair-skinned women of Irish or Celtic ancestry are genetically predisposed, says Karen S. Harkaway, M.D., clinical instructor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and a dermatologist at Pennsylvania Hospital, both in Philadelphia.

What triggers the flush to begin with? "The big five are spicy foods, alcohol, emotional stress, heat and humidity," says Mary Lupo, M.D., associate clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

Unfortunately, rosacea is a chronic condition that comes and goes, says Deborah S. Sarnoff, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at New York University in New York City. Doctors frequently treat rosacea with prescription antibiotics such as tetracycline, or Metrogel, a topical medication originally developed for parasitic infections.

STOP FLUSHING COLD

Sometimes medicaitions don't work, says Dr. Sarnoff. So here's what you can do when the flush hits.

Apply a cold compress. Soak a cloth or paper towel in ice-cold water and apply it to the flushed areas of your face, says Dr. Harkaway. The cold will constrict the dilated blood vessels and halt the inflammatory process.

Use tinted makeup. If you're prone to frequent flare-ups, use a green-tinted under-foundation cover, for everyday wear, says Dr. Harkaway. The green combines with any red in your face and neutralizes it completely.

PREVENT FUTURE FLARE-UPS

Fortunately, keeping rosacea under control is frequently as simple as treating your skin gently and avoiding anything that's known to trigger a flush, doctors agree. Here's what women doctors suggest.

Soothe your skin with chamomile. Since chamomile is known to soothe rosacea-prone skin, Dr. Lupo suggests using cleansers, soaps and moisturizers containing chamomile, an herb related to the ragweed family. One caution though: If you are allergic to ragweed, you should avoid these cleansers.

Avoid abrasives. Any type of abrasion can cause a flush, says Dr. Lupo. So leave abrasive products such as scrubs, buff puffs or cleansing powders to others.

Keep wrinkle creams to a minimum. If you have rosacea and want to use an anti-aging cream that contains alpha hydroxy acids to prevent wrinkles, proceed cautiously, says Dr. Lupo. Read product labels carefully and only buy creams that keep the percentage of acid under 2.5 percent, she says. If package directions urge you to use the cream twice a day, don't push your luck. Use it once a day, tops. If there is any redness at all, discontinue using the product.

Gently apply a cucumber moisturizer. After you cleanse your skin (and also if you apply an alpha hydroxy acid preparation), smooth on moisturizers that contain cucumber extracts, says Dr. Lupo. Although no one knows why, cucumber lotions soothe rosacea-prone skin.

Select cosmetics for sensitive skin. Since the chemicals used in most cosmetics will irritate rosacea-prone skin, use only cosmetics that are labeled "for sensitive skin," says Dr. Lupo. Although not chemical-free, they usually have fewer and less-irritating chemicals than regular makeup.

Stay in the shade. "Stay out of the sun, period," says Dr. Lupo. "The sun will set off a flare-up"--and no cover-up or sunscreen will prevent it.

Use only a titanium dioxide sunscreen. Even in the shade, you're exposed to indirect sunlight, so use a sunscreen whenever you go outside, says Dr. Lupo. Avoid all the chemical sunscreens and stick to a sunscreen that lists titanium dioxide as its major ingredient. It's less irritating to rosacea-prone skin.

Stay cool. Since heat is a major cause of flare-ups, dress in layers of light clothes that you can peel off to keep your body cool, no matter where you are, says Dr. Lupo. And take tepid (not hot) baths and showers.

Avoid wool. If you have rosacea, says Dr. Lupo, you're better off avoiding wool--it tends to keep you too warm and seems to cause redness and rashes in those who have rosacea.

Choose cool food. Spicy food is known to make those with rosacea flush, so Dr. Lupo recommends that women with rosacea avoid it as much as possible. Avoid foods prepared with chili peppers, Tabasco sauce, horseradish and the like.

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Now for the good news...

We have developed a specially formulated cucumber lotion with additives for sensitive skin. We would like to test the lotion on a few lucky readers that have rosacea or eczema on their faces. We will provide you with a 1 ounce sized bottle of cucumber lotion for you to use, in return for your thoughts and experience with the lotion. The sample can be picked up in the store or can be mailed to you for a $3 shipping fee.

The first 5 readers to contact us at pam@thegoldengoatllc.com will get the samples. After that, we will be making the lotion available for sale in our store and online.