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Source: allure.com
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Now you have decided which Foundation Type is right for you, it's time to select your correct shade. Regardless of which type you choose, purchasing the right colour is crucial to achieving a flawless look.
In a recent survey by Bobbi Brown cosmetics, 42 per cent of British women said their worst beauty nightmare is a foundation 'tide line' (a mask-like effect, with different colour face and neck), so you're not alone in finding it difficult to choose the right shade.
Identify Your Skin Tone
When choosing a colour, it is important to consider both your skin tone (which varies due to sun exposure, age or skin conditions) as well as your undertone (the colour that comes from under the skin's surface). There are three undertones to choose from:
- Cool (pink, blue, red undertones) - skin looks better in silver jewellery and you burn easily
Since most skin colours have either a yellow tone or a pink tone to them, match your foundation accordingly i.e. yellow based foundation for warm tones and pink based foundation for cool tones.
Most of the time, a foundation with a yellow undertone is best, unless you have the fairest of skin tones. Dark skin has both yellow and red undertones, with a predominance of yellow at the light end and red at the darker end.
There are several shades available in each colour group (e.g. fair, ivory, tan, dark) to match the different skin tones.
How to Shop For Foundation
Seeking advice from a make-up counter in a department store can be daunting, but having an artist/supervisor assist you with finding your shade can be invaluable and takes out the guesswork. I really believe you should ‘try before you buy’, how many foundations do you have lying unused in a drawer at home after finding it was completely the wrong shade for you. Always ask for a sample of the foundation you’re matched to; as your skin warms up throughout the day, it can sometimes oxidise and darken, particularly on oily skins. Tip: It’s a good idea to take an empty pot with you to decant a tester into in case the counter has run out of samples.
Shopping isn't so easy at drugstores such as Boots and Superdrug, you are expected to match yourself and there is no return policy for opened cosmetics, unlike some other countries! I personally think these stores should have trained staff dedicated to assist with cosmetics, but that's a whole other article! If you're lucky, you may be able to find a helpful staff member for a second opinion. If you're going it alone however, hopefully these tips will help:
- Go foundation shopping with clean, moisturised skin. It might sound scary but your natural colouring may not be visible through foundation or powder.
- Apply a stroke of up-to three shades in your colour group, the one that disappears is the correct match.
- Fluorescent lighting can distort the way a colour looks. Take a hand-mirror shopping with you and step outside to check the colour in the natural light.
- You may find that you have to mix two foundations together to achieve your perfect shade. This can actually be quite useful as it’s crucial to alter your shade when your body changes colour over the seasons or as you tan, whether real or fake!
- Never try to add colour to the face by choosing foundation that is darker than the skin, the result will look unnatural and dirty! Colour should be added with blusher and bronzer.
- The goal is to not look like your wearing foundation at all!
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Source: lovingyou.com
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Testing Your Foundation
Never test foundation on your wrist or hand, your face and body are often different shades entirely. It is often suggested that you should test out the shade on your jaw line, however your neck is usually paler than your face (the jaw blocks out sunlight to this area) and this is how tide-lines can occur!
So, you will need to consider more than just your face in order to achieve a uniform colour (you don't want a washed-out complexion as seen on Emily Blunt below). I always test shades on the chest when colour matching now after reading advice from top make-up artist Rae Morris, it really is foolproof in ensuring your face and body are exactly the same colour!
Which Brand To Choose
Foundation is one make-up item that you shouldn’t scrimp on. I would recommend buying the best you can afford as the higher range foundations have better quality pigments, last longer and perform better. There are still some great high street foundations out there that are ideal for every day wear but for special occasions and evenings out, higher-end products will ensure a flawless make-up application.
Still Can't Find Your Colour?
The darkest and palest foundation shades are often overlooked. Make-up companies will only stock the popular shades that they know will sell, which is why it can be so difficult to find the extreme shades. This can be incredibly frustrating when foundation shopping, I know as a Casper look-a-like! There are some brands that have recognised this recently, making things a lot easier i.e. Dainty Doll, Illamasqua and Bobbi Brown for pale shades and Iman, Becca, Makeup Forever and MAC for dark shades.
My top tip is to look at buying a shade adjuster such as FACE Atelier’s. This is such a fantastic idea and I use them all the time in my pro kit. Allowing you to create a custom foundation shade, add a drop of Zero Plus to go a shade darker, or a splash of Zero Minus to lighten any foundation! This will transform those un-used bottles lying in your make-up drawer and customise your foundation to suit changing skin tones.
I hope these guides have helped to explain the important factors to consider when finding your perfect foundation. Any questions? Please leave a comment below and I'll try to help. Let me know if you'd like more How To's and any suggestions or comments are gratefully received.
