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I mean i've been using just concealer forever, but i've never gone all out with the foundation and powder and stuff. I never really knew what foundation was until recently. Anyways, you said to apply foundation after the concealer, but taht doesn't make sense to me. WOuldn't that just rub off the concealer? And plus, if you use moisterizer plus concealer plus foundation plus powder, wouldn't that clog up your pores? seems like an awful lot to put on your face.
Well, the concealer is usually a relatively thick substance (thicker than foundation or powder), meant to cover a blemish. As such, it doesn't need to match your skin tone all that well. (You'll note that often concealers are sold in a very limited amount of shades.) Usually you would put it on over just the blemishes, and feather it out to near the edges of the spot where you've applied it. Foundation is usually too thin and sheer to do a good job of covering a blemish, but concealer is usually too thick to work as a "whole face" cover up. However, there are no hard and fast rules, either. Whatever works for you is what you should do.
I have permanent dark circles under my eyes, so I'm always using concealer there. I do try to make sure that my concealer doesn't look obvious (I don't want "racoon eyes") so I always make sure there's also a layer of foundation over the concealer. Some people use a light green concealer to tone down bright red spots (making them brown, and easier to blend in beneath your foundation.) I actually use a light yellow concealer under my eyes, which allows the purplish-brown circles to lighten up without getting whitened up.
Sometimes, if I'm not happy with a particularly stubborn spot, I'll also put concealer on over the foundation, and then pat on a little more foundation just at that spot.
The foundation is usually then applied over your whole face. You can control how much foundation to put on by:
-- Whether you buy a sheer foundation or a thicker one.
-- Your application technique.
Most foundations are liquid, but just today I saw that Lancome was offering a powder foundation that could be patted on dry (like a powder) or patted on damp (more like a cream foundation).
Lancome linkMaybelline offers a foundation that is a stick:
Maybelline linkYou don't have to do more than this to cover your face. Some people like to put a layer of powder on to "set" the makeup and reduce any shine. Or some people use powder as a quick way to refresh their makeup during the day. I, myself, rarely use it. I do brush on some blush to give my face a little color. I don't like to look like I'm overly madeup -- it wouldn't be appropriate for my job -- and I don't like to have a thick layer of anything on my face. I generally stick to foundation that is relatively sheer, and I'm very picky about making sure the shade matches my skin tone. (I believe that if it's too far off, then the makeup looks very obviously painted on. That's perfectly fine up on the stage, or under the hot lights of a camera, or even for very artistic people who want to create a noticeable effect, but it's not suited for the humdrum life I lead.)
As you can see from the links I've posted, there are a BIG variety of foundations. You really do have to experiment to see which ones offer the best solution for you. Factors to consider (beyond just your pocket book) are your lifestyle (do you have the time to carefully apply makeup, or are you more active and on-the-go and don't have the time for makeup), which brand has the shade to best match your skin (I have slightly yellowish skin, so I have to skip most brands since they only offer pinks), whether or not a given brand will irritate your skin, and what type gives you the most coverage. The right makeup will actually protect your skin from dirt and from sun. Just remember that at the end of the day you should clean it off.
You can clean makeup off with your usual cleanser. (Eye makeup is harder to remove, and I do use a special eye makeup remover for that.) I've never used water-proof makeup, so I don't know how that is to clean off.
Again, if you're new to makeup, I highly recommend a visit to a makeup counter at a better department store -- if there's one near you, that is. That's how I learned to put makeup on, and what did or didn't work for me. Even if in the end you don't buy anything, you'll have learned a lot. (The latest trick I learned from a very nice lady at a Bon Marche in Oregon was to put foundation on over my lips, too. That way my lipstick's true color is more apparent. I never knew that.)
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). Sooooo, a few questions if someone will be so kind as to answer them 
