Choosing the perfect foundation cream can be a game-changer for your makeup routine, but it’s important to find one that suits your skin type and complexion. Here's how to select the best face foundation cream and some top recommendations with their prices.

1. Identify Your Skin Type

Understanding your skin type is the first step. There are four major types:

Oily: If your skin produces excess oil, you need a foundation that controls shine.

Dry: Dry skin needs hydrating and nourishing formulas.

Combination: You may need a foundation that balances oiliness in certain areas and dryness in others.

Normal: Most foundations will work, but it's still crucial to choose one that enhances your skin’s natural texture.

Each foundation formula serves a different purpose:

Liquid Foundation: Ideal for most skin types and offers buildable coverage.

Powder Foundation: Best for oily or combination skin as it helps absorb excess oil.

Cream Foundation: Perfect for dry skin as it offers a hydrating, dewy finish.

Stick Foundation: Great for quick application and provides medium to full coverage.

Choose a foundation with coverage that suits your needs:

Sheer Coverage: Gives a natural look, perfect for daily wear.

Medium Coverage: Covers minor imperfections without looking too heavy.

Full Coverage: Best for special occasions or when you need to cover significant blemishes or discolouration.

Foundation should complement your skin's undertone, whether it’s warm, cool, or neutral. Test foundation on your jawline and blend it in. The perfect shade should disappear into your skin seamlessly.

Opt for foundations with SPF for daily sun protection. You can also choose products enriched with skin-benefiting ingredients like hyaluronic acid for hydration, or salicylic acid for acne-prone skin.

Best Face Foundations and Their Prices

Here are some of the top-rated foundations to consider, along with their prices:

Skin Type: All skin types

Coverage: Medium to full

Price: ₹1,200

Lightweight and breathable, this foundation provides long-lasting coverage with a natural finish.

Skin Type: Oily to combination

Coverage: Medium

Price: ₹549

A great drugstore option, this foundation controls shine and blurs pores for a smooth, matte look.

Skin Type: All skin types

Coverage: Full

Price: ₹2,900

A professional-grade foundation, it provides full coverage and a matte finish, perfect for long wear.

Skin Type: Combination to oily

Overage: Full

Price: ₹4,000

Known for its unbeatable staying power, this foundation gives flawless coverage and controls oil.

Skin Type: Normal to oily

Coverage: Light to medium

Price: ₹750

This lightweight mousse foundation provides a natural, matte finish ideal for everyday wear.

Skin Type: All skin types

Coverage: Full

Price: ₹3,300

Always test the foundation in natural light to ensure the shade matches your skin tone.

Use a primer suited to your skin type to prep your skin and help the foundation last longer.

Blend your foundation well, starting from the centre of your face and working outwards.

You can achieve a flawless, long-lasting look by understanding your skin's needs and using the right product.

Clay, an important medicinal and cosmetic tool, is becoming popular as a treatment for several skincare conditions.

 Clay mask can be a great one of the best pick-me-ups for the skin. Considered an important medicinal and cosmetic tool, clay, is now becoming increasingly popular as a rediscovered treatment for several skincare conditions.

"Good cosmetic clays conditions and nourishes your skin by removing the dead cells and extracting the extra oils and impurities from the surface of the skin. One should apply clay a mask regularly as it can impart a natural glow to your face."


And there's a mask for every skin — from one for anti-ageing, to dealing with dryness, treating pimples and controlling acne, cleansing and firming the skin.



Kinds of clay
Owing to their mineral content, clay comes in a variety of colours. They also differ in texture and have diffferent properties. Bentonite clay (also called fuller's clay) are the most useful of all clays. It has absorbing properties and can be used as an exfoliant as it draws out impurities from the skin.

Bentonite clay

Others, such as French Green clay and Rhassoul clay, absorb excess sebum and are apt for oily skin. They contain magnesium oxide that cleanses the skin and absorbs the fat from it.

Rhassoul clay

Red clay is a powerhouse iron oxides, that brighten the skin and renew cells. "The essential nutrients contained in the clay gives a toning effect on the skin. Fuller's earth clay is sedimentary clay is a bleaching agent and is used as a skin lightening agent. 

Red clay

 French Green Clay has excellent absorbing agents as it absorbs the extra oil from the skin, which is good as this extra oil may lead to acne marks and blemishes."

French Green Clay

Where to apply, how often
Don't slather on the clay everywhere, restrict it to the regions of the cheeks, forehead, nose, and chin and away from eyes and lips. How often can one use a clay mask?  "People having oily skin can use clay masks for 2-4 days in a week or so. One can wash the mask with plain water."

Can it irritate the face?
No, clay mask does not cause any type of skin problems. "They are actually used to cure acne. Use a clay mask with plain water. If clay masks are used with milk it may lead to skin problems. Also, the texture of the clay mask is impervious and if a person rubs it too much into the skin, it can lead to redness."

Masks for men too?
 "Men want ways to control excess skin oil and unclog the pores. The two main properties of a clay mask are deep cleansing and detoxifying and thus they are beneficial to men and women too. In fact, so many male clientele ask for clay-based packs and foot massage regimes." Men can apply a clay mask once a week, after shaving and before toning the skin.

Things to add to the clay mask
Quite a few ingredients can make their way into your mask. They are:

- Oats
- Buttermilk and cold milk
- Honey
- Essential oils
- Orange peel
- Herbs like chamomile and lavender

Home remedies
A good clay mask is easily made at home. You can store it in a jar or give it to someone as a gift:

For all skin types:

This is a skin soothing mask.

Ingredients:
White clay — 1/2 cup
Oats, grounded — 2 tbsp
Milk or buttermilk powder — 1 tbsp
Honey — 1 1/2 tsp

Method:
To apply, mix two teaspoons with an equal amount of water or any other liquid (milk, herb tea, or aloe vera juice). Spread evenly over your face. Leave on for about 10 minutes. Gently remove with warm water and a washcloth. Apply a homemade moisturiser. Mix and store in a covered jar or bag in your bathroom.

For normal skin:
People with normal skin can combine fuller's earth with Vitamin E oil and apply it on the skin.

For oily skin:
Combine combine fuller's earth with calamine lotion and apply it all over the face and neck. Can also use this on the back.

For acne prone skin:
Acne-prone skin needs more attention, here's a mask that will help keep it clean.

Combine green clay (it's great for drawing out impurities) and about three tablespoons of aloe vera gel in a bowl. Add some orange peel to this as well as an essential oil (can use lavender or tea tree varieties) that suits your skin. Spread over the face and neck avoiding the eye area. Keep it on for 15 minutes, rinse and dry the face.

For a glow:
Mix a little clay and water and add a few drops of essential oil to this (use rosemary for oily skin). Clean the face first, then leave this mask on the face for five minutes. Wash it off with lukewarm water. You can also add this mix to your bathtub.

Watch out!
- Some masks, such as the sulfur ones, tend to backfire on you when you leave them on too long or apply them on spots where they aren't supposed to go. In doing so, they dry out your skin too much at a time, leaving redness or irritation and dry skin flakes.

- People with dry skin should not use clay masks as they have drying agents.