From cc creams to cleansing and everything in between, here to your foundation guide. By Michelle Newman

Whether you prefer a fresh-faced glow or a foundation that offers a little more coverage, Karen J Gerrard, beauty expert and founder of SEAMS Beauty, has shared her top tips to help you find the perfect product for your skin type.

Prep and prime Prepping your skin correctly is the key to achieving a longer lasting, flawless looking foundation. Cleanse and tone your face and then take a few minutes to thoroughly massage your moisturiser into your skin properly in order to get the circulation going.

A primer is an amazing product to have in your make-up bag as it acts like a veil, taking down any imperfections and helps the foundation stay in place longer. The Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil includes moisturising jojoba and calming chamomile – ideal for all day hydration, €36 from Arnotts.

Cover effects To conceal imperfections, use the Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer. You can also dab this on to your lips as it will act as a base for your lipstick, €11.99 from Littlewoods Ireland.

Bb cream, cc cream and dd cream – what’s the difference?
Bb cream – This stands for beauty balm cream. It’s an all-in-one skincare product which is lighter than your average foundation but will still provide you with some coverage. The great thing about this is it acts as a moisturiser and concealer duo, contains SPF and will help to combat any impurities in your skin.  

Cc cream – This means it’s a colour correcting cream (which is brilliant if you suffer from redness, dark circles or any discoloration). It’s anti-ageing, has slightly more coverage than a bb cream and will create a lovely base for the rest of your make-up as it evens out the skin tone.

Dd cream – This is a daily defense cream which focuses on protecting the skin against the environment and will help combat any lines and wrinkles. The Elemis SOS cream soothes, comforts and replenishes the skin. It’s expensive, so it might not be for every day wear, but it’s worth the price!

Tinted moisturiser - is very sheer with a subtle hint of colour, perfect for a non-make-up day to keep your skin moisturised with a glow.

A foundation for every decade  

In your 30s For most of your thirties, your skin should shouldn’t need much perfecting by way of coverage. However, if there are a few areas you would like to blur out slightly the Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation is perfect as it’s incredibly lightweight, yet gives flawless results. This can be applied with your fingers too, so it’s ideal for ladies who are always on the go, €34.50 from Debenhams.  

In your 40sIn this decade, you’ll no doubt want your skin to appear radiant and youthful, yet you may want a foundation that offers a buildable coverage - the Too Faced Born This Way foundation is great as it does just that. It also contains coconut water which is fantastic for helping your skin to remain hydrated, €35 from Debenhams.

In your 50sIn your fifties, you might notice that your skin doesn’t look as ‘plump’ as it used to when you were in your twenties and thirties, so you’ll want to opt for a foundation that counteracts this. The Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation will be your go-to here as one of the ingredients, hyaluronic filling spheres, will improve the texture of your skin whilst the added Vitamin C is great for maintaining a healthy glow, €40 from Charlottetilbury.com.

In your 60sThroughout these wonderful years you may not want to put anything too heavy or cakey on your face as products that are too drying can sink into fine lines and wrinkles. Instead, choose sheer, blendable products that contain water or are serum based. The Stila Aqua Glow Serum Foundation is fantastic for this decade due to its hydrating properties.

For more information on SEAMS Beauty see www.seamsbeauty.co.uk