Makeup Mixology; My Favorite Ways To Custom Blend Foundations

As a makeup artist, I mix products together most of the time. In fact, I don't even remember the last time I used a foundation straight out of the tube! Custom blending is great because it enables you to get the best out of products, or even create something totally new. As a consumer, mixing products is a great way to expand your makeup collection without having to break the bank. Today I'm going to take you through my favorite foundation mixes, and show you some ways you can experiment with mixing your own products like a pro.


If you're one of those people (like me) who struggle to find foundations that match your skintone, mixing up your own shade is a great technique to master. For myself, I like to use MAC's Pro Longwear Waterproof in NC15 with Illamasqua's Skin Base in shade 01. I love the long lasting and high coverage formula of Pro Longwear Waterproof, while Skin Base helps me to create the perfect shade.
If you're thinking about mixing your own foundations into the perfect shade, then I suggest going for one product a shade lighter and one a shade darker if you can. If your skintone is on the lighter or darker side of the spectrum, this is going to be harder for you (we all know how great cosmetic companies can be when it comes to diversity...) You can find shade adjusting drops at NYX and The Body Shop that might work better for you.

Another way I love to mix foundation products is by adding thinners, primers and moisturisers. Taking this approach will help you create the perfect formula to meet your skin needs.
To create a lighter coverage/tinted moisturiser I love to use the Makeup Mixer by MaqPro. It thins products to the desired consistency without changing the integrity of the original formula. It's a total must have in my pro makeup kit!
If you're somebody with oily or dry skin, then you can use primers to thin foundations while also tackling your skin's needs. I love using Illamasqua's Matte Veil and Hydra Veil primers to do this because they blend so seamlessly into base products. MAC's Matte Mixing Medium also gets an honorable mention for creating a lighter coverage and super matte finish when mixed with foundations.

And finally, I've saved my favorite combinations for last.
I completely adore mixing illuminating products into my foundations to create a beautiful natural glow. My faves for this technique are MAC's Strobe Cream, Lustre Drops and Charlotte Tilbury's Wonder Glow. Strobe is particularly amazing for creating a subtle radiance, while the golden tones in Wonder Glow give the prettiest sunkissed effect. If you haven't tried blending your foundation with a highlighter or illuminator then you definitely need to give it a try!


Do you mix any of your products together? What are your favorite combos?

This post idea was inspired by Beauty By Kelsey. You can read her post here.