Foundation

Written by Lamyaa Aissi, professional makeup artist, Casablanca. Part of the Foundation & Base guide.

When to use it

When the tone needs evening across the face rather than in patches. If only a few areas need help, concealer alone is the lighter and better answer.

On Moroccan skin, in a Moroccan climate

Undertone decides everything here. Most Moroccan skin runs olive or golden, and a neutral or pink-based foundation greys within the hour however precisely the depth matches. Match three shades along the jaw in daylight and expect to mix two rather than find one.

The rule that runs through every product on this site: check undertone, not just depth. Most Moroccan skin is olive or golden, and a neutral or pink-based product greys within the hour however precisely the depth matches. And for any long event, set in thin successive passes rather than one heavy layer — accumulated product slides in coastal humidity, while product laid down thinly stays.

What it will not do

It cannot fix texture. Foundation over unprepared or dehydrated skin slides by hour two, and no formula rescues that.

The most common mistake

Applying it everywhere. Foundation belongs where the tone is uneven, not as a mask across a face that was mostly fine.