I hope you had a good weekend!
Today I'm going to talk about Buffing!
Buffing, in makeup terminology, is the procedure of using a makeup flat-top face brush or a stippling brush to apply foundation onto the skin using a pressing and swirling motion.
Why Buff?
The purpose of buffing is to not only help cover and conceal imperfections but to also to temporarily fill in and conceal pores. Buffing product into the skin allows the pores to be filled up and covered by foundation, giving a very flawless appearance to the face. Buffing foundation also tends cause the foundation to stick on better to the skin and last longer. For those of you who hate an oily appearance, buffing powder into the face can give a great matt look.
What foundation can I Buff with?
You can use any type of foundation, powder, cream, liquid are all fine. It also depends on the coverage you are going for. Generally powder has the lightest coverage and cream has the heaviest coverage. Just start off with a little product and build up gradually, this way you can get the coverage you want without looking too cakey.
Quick note: you can also buff concealers, just most people tend not to do that because concealers tend to be thicker and heavier, but if you want, you can!
Does it work for all skin types?
No, unfortunately it does not. Buffing is best for people who have oily to normal skin.
For dry and or sensitive skin, buffing can cause micro-exfoliation of the skin. This can cause shedding of the skin, irritation, and redness.
For example I have an oily forehead, and nose area. But my chin and cheeks are dry and sensitive. Therefore, I only buff foundation on my forehead and nose area and use different techniques with the dry and sensitive areas of my face.
If you really really really really want to buff foundation but you have dry but not sensitive skin, before you buff foundation, gently exfoliate your skin when washing, and afterwards apply moisturizer. You want to make sure you use a very hydrating moisturizer so that your skin won't start shedding when you buff....otherwise, that's kind of gross and annoying. If you want to be safe, after you moisturize your skin, use a hydrating primer. The primer will help create a barrier between your skin and the foundation, protecting your skin. The primer also will allow product to apply on easier, glide more smoothly against your skin, and help make up last longer.
Can Buffing make me break out?
Because buffing product into the skin pushes more product into the skin, and especially the pores, it can clog pores. So, yes, buffing can make anyone break out, but as long as the skin is washed and cleaned properly, buffing usually doesn't cause break outs or acne.
If you are breaking out from buffing and you've made sure that you wash the makeup off properly there could be some reasons why:
1) no, you're not really washing the makeup off properly =P
2) you're buffing with too much strength, use a lighter hand, and don't press so hard
3) it's not buffing, but you may be allergic or sensitive to the particular product you are using
4) the brush you are using has bristles that irritate your skin
5) or finally, hey, seems like your skin is sensitive to the process of buffing, so instead of buffing foundation, use a different technique
Is Buffing harmful?
Buffing may be harmful to those with dry and/or sensitive skin. If you do have these skin types, then it is probably not a good idea to buff on product. A gentle patting/tapping motion of the product with a makeup sponge or your fingers is probably better.
For those with oily or normal skin, just make sure that the foundation you are using does not have an allergic reaction or something with your skin, and buffing should be okay.
If you have some sort of skin problem like eczema, hives, etc. DO NOT BUFF. This process will harm your skin and make your skin not only look and feel bad, but make it worse.
How to Buff?
There are a few ways to buff liquid or cream foundation onto your face.
The easiest and most common way is to:
1) Dab dots of foundation on your face where you want it to be.
2) Get a flat top face brush and with a tapping/dabbing motion, spread out the foundation on your face.
3)Then gently start swirling the brush on your skin, lightly pressing or "buffing" the makeup into your skin as you swirl.
4) If you want more coverage, just dab some more product on your face and repeat steps 1-3.
Some people like to apply cream or liquid foundation first onto their brush and then apply. I don't like this, because first, when you start applying, the most amount of product will land on the first spot you touch, which is not an even application and second, the moment you put product on the brush, the product will start sinking into the brush, especially as you buff. Because when you buff, you push the brush against your skin, which will in turn, push product into the brush. So, most of the product will end up going into the brush than on your skin. To minimize this, this is why I said earlier, to first apply product onto the face, and then go over with the brush.
To buff powder foundation onto your face:
1) Gently put your brush into the powder or swirl it in the compact of pressed powder
2) Tap off the excess (please tap and don't blow off)
3) Apply the powder in the buffing motion described earlier. Use a light hand, swirl the product onto while pressing gently into your skin.
4) To build coverage, repeat steps 1-3.
What kind of brush should I use to Buff?
Really, any brush that you like to use that tends to have a flat top is fine. You can use a flat top brush, a buffing brush. Some people use powder brushes, or foundation brushes for cream foundations. To find a good brush, make sure it is soft and the bristles are packed well together. This makes the brush dense and is able to pick up more product and cover more surface area, giving a smoother and more flawless appearance.
A very affordable and popular brush is the E.L.F. flat top kabuki brush:
I own two of these brushes and they work very well with all types of foundation!
So I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to write in the comment box below! Thank you for reading and I will see you soon! ^_^
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