This post is about oil and water, you know they don’t mix. This is the reason why you have to distinguish which of your makeup is oil-based and water-based.
One of my readers asked me to do a post on water based makeup and oil based makeup and their incompatibility. I actually thought it wasn't an important topic because makeup junkies will layer makeup until it works out, then maybe analyze why it didn't work out later, if ever. Me, I always have an image of a jar of mayonnaise hovering over my head when I apply makeup. Oil and water only mix when there is an emulsifier.
Many times, you don't think; is it water based, oil based, or silicone based? You just apply them and hope for the best. However, some may notice the makeup doesn't apply smoothly or it pills up, similar to your make up is peeling off. Then, you start complaining of how crappy the products were, when in actuality the formula and the order of which they were layered made them incompatible.
Here are three examples of the popular formulations available today: Kett Hydro Contour - water based; Make Up For Ever Full Coverage Concealer - silicone based; MAQpro (which I mixed) - oil based.
Any type of makeup that is water based should be used with water based products for the best results. This means, if you are using a water based face primer, you should apply a water based foundation. However, things can get tricky here. Many of the major cosmetic brands do not have true water based makeup; they have a water and silicone based one (kind of like a lite version of mayonnaise). True water based makeup will contain NO SILICONE. They may contain acrylates and/or glycerine. Usually they will state silicone-free.
These types of water based cosmetics can only work well if, like I said, layered with other water based products OR if you layer the water based ON TOP of the oil or silicone base. Using water based beneath doesn't work, the color will be dissolved as seen below.
However, water based products do work better over oil based. Why? The oil is set with powder. The powder acts as the emulsifier allowing water based products to be applied on top.
Silicone based is more of an experimentation process since most products do not have the need to be set with powder, the silicone will dry to a powder finish. This doesn't always make for an ideal base for water base makeup. It can turn blotchy. This is when you really have to experiment and play with different brands and techniques.
Remember, if you need to tweak any of, let's say, the foundation colors with color additives; make sure you choose the appropriate formula. Oil based for silicone and oil/wax based formula.
Water based for the non silicone and non oil formula. If you try to mix the oil with water, you will get cottage cheese or curdling! (Suggestion: mix true lemonade with Bailey's Irish cream and see what you get!)
Hope for some of you this cleared up your makeup woes.
Olivia
