Beauty Boy: Working with creams

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: JOSHUA R. WALLER, CAMERON BAUER (MODEL)
Waller used all cream products to achieve this bold look.

One of the most feared types of makeup is anything cream based. These products are often vibrant in colour, heavily pigmented but have the misconception that they are hard to work with because they will smudge and crease. However, cream products are extremely fun to use, are blendable, customizable and could actually work much better with your skin type than powders do, especially if you have a drier skin. Here are some tips and tricks when it comes to applying and working with cream cosmetics.

Cream products are pigmented, but that doesn’t mean it has to look like clown makeup when worn. Depending on how you apply them, you can easily control the intensity of colour. For an intense look, pat on the colour using your fingers; this will melt the product into your skin creating a seamless blend, but will pack on the pigments for a vibrant look. If you use your fingers but apply with a swiping motion, you can actually sheer out the colour, make it less intense. This is a great method if you want to use a cream product as an eyeshadow base.

If you prefer using a brush, there are two types of brushes that can give two different looks. Using a synthetic, flat, concealer style brush will pack on a lot of colour but has the downside of making it difficult to blend. If using this brush, I recommend using something else to blend like your fingers or a sponge. If you use a ‘ponytail’ brush, you will get a beautiful wash of colour with an airbrushed blend. The only downside to using a natural haired brush is that the cream product will eventually ruin the brush, so make sure you clean it regularly.

Cream products are also easily mixed with various mediums. If you have a cream foundation, mix a little bit of moisturizer to create a tinted moisturizer. For cream eyeshadow, mix a dab of eye cream for a wash of colour. When using a cream blush, mix a bit of serum to create a cheek stain. Cream products can also be mixed with waterproofing mediums to make almost any product water resistant.

One of the most crucial things to know about cream products is that they are layerable and should almost always be set with a powder. When setting a cream product you can either pat on a translucent powder, which will lock the product onto the skin without changing the colour, or you can use a coloured powder, which will seal the cream, add texture and build intensity.

Cream cosmetics are fun to work with, are extremely easy to blend and are customizable. If you have never tried a cream product before, do yourself a favour and try one, whether it be an eyeshadow, foundation or blush. Once you get the application method down, you can achieve some pretty beautiful looks.