Katrina Kaif reveals her foundation trick that guarantees a flawless, second-skin finish

When it comes to foundation, finding the one that works for you is half the battle. You need to find a tube, bottle or pan that works for your skin texture and colour—undertones and all. Once you have it, making sure it vanishes into your skin to leave a soft-focus, second-skin veil is crucial. Whatever step you're at, Katrina Kaif is at your service. The actor just launched the brand-new Kay Beauty Hydrating Foundation, and shared all the application tips and tricks you need to know for how to achieve that super elusive, lit-from-within finish.

Find the right formula

“The most common issue for consumers is to find the right foundation match for their skin tone. I remember earlier we used to have very few shades [in the market]. Indian skin tones are very diverse, and people also don’t always know about their undertones. Some foundations may seem like the right match, only to look different on application because of the undertone being different from your actual skin,” says Kaif, who wanted Kay Beauty to launch 20 shades in one go, where light, medium, tan and deep shades come with pink, yellow and neutral undertones. 

The other issue is texture. With humidity being high in most parts of India, Kaif wanted to create a lightweight finish that looks—and feels–comfortable on the skin: “High hydration formulas always works well to prep your skin to create a smooth canvas for your makeup. The skin doesn’t look patchy and therefore the foundation doesn’t look cakey. The mango butter and hyaluronic acid-infused formula help the foundation to glide on and get easily absorbed.”

Research helped her pick exactly what she wanted. “I was completely immersed in the whole journey, right from testing the formulas, to swatching them on my hands, checking out the undertones, and finding the right variety. Our approach was to work with a focus group to understand their skin types, skin tones and undertones. This helped in testing the formulations to see if the product is working on their skin, and answer the following questions: how is it looking, how does the texture feel, is their shade working and have we covered all undertones?" 

Create the perfect canvas

Clean and moisturised skin is key, but to really supercharge your skin, Kaif likes to cool it down. “I came up with this idea where I dip my face into a big bowl of ice-cold water in the morning. It tightens up pores and keeps my skin blemish-free. Once I do that, I apply a mild cream and then start my makeup," she confirmed. 

Apply right

Kaif always starts with dabbing a few drops of foundation over the main parts of her face—the forehead, cheeks and chin. “Then I tap over the dots, blending the foundation out towards my hairline and jaw to diffuse the colour. To ensure the foundation looks as natural as possible, my secret hack is to buff the formula onto my skin, as opposed to painting it on, which gives a smoother coverage and avoids streakiness. The final step is to seal it all in with a setting powder and blend,” she says. The application method depends on how much coverage she really needs. “If I need more of a natural look then I prefer my fingers which can control the amount of foundation I need to apply, areas I need to work on more and areas I need to just lightly cover. If I need to pull off a fully dramatic makeup look, then I prefer a brush for full coverage. Brushes always do the trick and evenly spread the foundation all across your face and give you that seamless finish. You can build it up or down to your desired effect.”

Also read:

5 celebrity makeup artists reveal their favourite foundation application technique

A makeup expert’s guide to finding out if your skin undertone is warm, cool or neutral

5 secrets behind Katrina Kaif's glowing skin and perfect makeup