A great tool to have is a light reflecting pencil. It works great for the under eye dark circles. It adds light to the area under the eye and lifts the area up a bit. It is great for people over the age of forty. It can be applied right on top of a tinted moisturizer or foundation. Be sure to blend it in well. You can use your smaller blending brush to make sure that it blends in properly. Use twirling motions until the harsh lines are buffed away. A Q-tip can also be used to blend it effectively. A light powder can be applied to the face, to make sure that it isn’t too oily or shiny looking. Powders are one of the highest selling cosmetic items on the market and one of the oldest beauty products out there. That is because it creates a matte finish and allows the rest of the makeup to settle nicely on the face. It is also perfect for those who have oily or combination skin. The most important aspect is that the right colour is chosen. You want to find a powder that matches your client’s skin tone almost perfectly. That means that you should have a wide selection of various shades to make the perfect match. The powder should match the foundation. If you are dealing with a client with dry skin, just use a liquid foundation and hardly any powder. When clients have oilier skin in the T Zone, this is the area where the powder should be used. Clients with oily skin will need it applied to the entire face. Oily skin looks dirty in most cases and therefore the use of powder is important. For women over the age of forty, you will need to watch applying the powder to the drier areas of the face, such as around the eyes. Too much powder will accentuate the fine lines and wrinkles, instead of masking them. When applying powder, you can use a powder puff because it allows you to be able to really push the powder into the skin. Some powders come right using the puff for application. However, to properly apply the powder, you will need to take some powder and then put it in your hand. Swirl the brush tip around in it and then tap it, to release the excess powder. Now, tap it all over the face. This should be done lightly, so that just small amounts of powder are kept on the face. This technique works perfect for dry skin. The key to successfully applying your base is to match the client’s skin tone. If you choose a foundation, concealer, or powder that is too dark or too light, it will be so much easier to see that the client is wearing makeup and that defeats the purpose. You want a natural look for the base or canvas. If you are unsure which one to use, apply the closest foundations on the cheeks in a streak. That way you can see which one is the closest to the right colour. Then match the foundation with the powder. Make sure to clean the face after this procedure. Select the foundation before starting anything. If you can’t tell just by looking, use the method above as your first step. The client won’t think anything of it and you can make sure that you are choosing the right foundation before you have already cleansed the face and applied the primer. It is just less corrective work that way. You will be able to create a seamless process that works well and ensures that you choose the foundation colour that matches the client’s skin tone the best. Make sure to mark your client’s consolation card with the right colour foundation, so that you don’t have to test it every time. The same applies for the concealer and primer. It is a good idea to note these so that you can just get down to business. Plus, if your client realizes what you are doing, they may wonder why you are doing it so often. However, if you only see this client every few months or only once and a while, this method should be done every time. Start by applying the one on your card in this case and then use a shade up or down if it doesn’t look right. You will be able to know your makeup and the various skin tones well enough in time, just by looking at them. That way you won’t have to perform this little test every time. It will really make a big difference to the final product. You will have to blend the colour into the neckline, so you don’t want to have a darker toned facial area with a lighter neck. It will really make the makeup stand out and instead you want to create a natural base.