#3 White Bases

Our next technical lesson looked at testing out the white base products in our kit.

- Illamasqua skin base

- White supra colour

- White aqua colour  

- foundation brush

- buffing brush

We were told to experiment with all three of the products and see how they looked when applied on the skin and how we found the product. I wrote down notes for each product and how I found it as well as asking my client how it felt on the skin. To see how all three products compared I applied all of them onto the face in three different sections. 

Photo 1 - Before any product on the face, Photo 2 - profile photo of all three products, Photo 3 - a photo from in the mirror. 
Image Below - Elizabethan portrait showing the complexion of the skin that Elizabethan women were seen wearing. 

Illamasqua skin base
I applied the Illamasqua skin base around the mouth and on the lips. I placed the product on the back of my hand and used the flat foundation brush to apply. I found that this product was easy to apply as it was creamier in consistency due to its liquid formula. My client said that it was soft on the skin and when applying it went on easily. To create a finished look, I buffed the base which gave a softer finish. If you want a more natural look then I think this product works best, however the colour is not as intense as the supra colour. (photo 2 - right hand side) I really enjoyed working with this product and if you didn't want a bright white base then it would be perfect. It also worked well at covering the lips. 

White supra colour

The white supra colour is oil based, therefore it has a creamy texture when applied and feel when on the skin. If you want an intense white colour then you need to layer the product. The intense colour that it is capable of achieving means you can cover the clients eyebrows. During the Elizabethan era, women had overly plucked eyebrows that were either thin or barely there, therefore if you want your make-up look to feature no eyebrows this product would work well. To apply, the supra colour comes across more as a paint rather than a foundation. It looked streaky on the skin to begin with however, I buffed the product after I had applied it all on the face and it looked a lot softer (photo 2 - right hand side).  When taking off the product, I had to be persistent as it seemed to move around the skin. I found it was easier to let my client take off the product nearer her eyes as it was harder to remove. 

White aqua colour

The aqua colour is water based, therefore you need to mix with water so you can apply. When removing the product from the palette I immediately saw that it was more like a paste and thicker in consistency. You needed to apply a lot of water to the product for it to be a liquid consistency. It also dried very quickly on the hand so before I applied more product I had to keep adding water to the back of my hand and thoroughly mix. It was harder to move around the face than the supra colour and you can't smooth it out as well. I decided to add more water and I found this made it easier to apply as it went into a liquid formula. It gave good coverage, however it felt hard on the skin when it dried. Similarly to the other two products, I buffed out the product. This was not as successful, as it did leave some parts looking patchy. If you wanted a more unfinished look then this would work well. I did however like the intensity of the colour. The aqua colour was also easier to remove and came off a lot quicker than the other two. 

Overall, I really enjoyed testing out the three products as I now have a better understanding of how to apply them and how they work. Each one has positives and negatives that could be worked around. I like the consistency of the skin base and the natural white look it gives, however if I wanted an intense white face then the supra colour would work better. I want to work with the aqua colour again to see if it becomes easier to use. I also want to try using different brushes and to see if this changes the way the product comes across. After using these products I now feel more confident in using them and deciding what would work best for the brief. I now know how much pressure to use when applying the bases onto the skin through communication with my client as well as what the pressure feels like when applied onto my own skin.