At one time or another, we’ve all made a bad call when it comes to choosing a foundation color. Pick a shade too dark and your face can look much darker than your neck, leaving you to deal with those embarrassing foundation lines. Or pick a shade that’s too light and your face can look all grey and ghost-like. Neither is a good look! So, why is it so hard to choose the right foundation color for your skin?
Choosing a foundation color that matches your skin
Foundation is an essential part of any makeup kit. It acts as a base on which you build up your entire makeup look. It can give you a boost of confidence by covering up your imperfections such as spots, blemishes and dark circles and gives your face a blank and even canvas for you to work with. But it can only work its magic if the color matches your skin tone.
With thousands of foundation shades on the market to choose from, that also range in coverage and finish, it’s no wonder many of us choose a color that isn’t quite right. Thankfully, there are things you can do to increase your chances of making the best choice each and every time. So, if you want to know how to choose a foundation color that works for you, follow our step-by-step guide.
Identify your skin tone
Take a look at your bare skin in the mirror in natural light to identify which skin tone you have, ranging from fair, light, medium and dark. You might find that instead of just being one tone, you’re a combination of a few skin tones such as light-medium or medium-dark. If you’re really struggling to work out what type of skin tone you have, ask a friend to help or visit a local beauty counter for assistance. Knowing which skin tone you have will make it a lot easier to determine which foundation color will suit you most.
Check your undertone
Now you have a better idea of what skin tone you have, it’s time to find out whether your skin has a cool, warm or neutral undertone. Again, look at your bare skin in a mirror and in natural light and see whether you can pick out pink or golden tones. If you can see more pink tones, you’ve most likely got a cool under tone, whereas golden tones mean you’ve got a warmer undertone. If you think you’ve got a combination of the two, your skin has a neutral undertone. Now you know this, you can go straight to the foundation colors that suit you and avoid the ones that don’t.
Our Lift & Luminate TRIPLE ACTION Serum Foundation packed full of anti-aging skincare ingredients, and comes in 13 shades. Formulated with a unique blend of optical blurers and light reflecting particles, it works to reduce signs of aging by reflecting light away from fine lines and wrinkles.
Always test on your face - not your hand
Now that you know which skin tone and undertone you have, it’s time to test some foundations. Just make sure it’s not on the back of your hand. The skin on your hands is not necessarily the same color as the skin on your face, as it gets more exposure to the sun. Any test swatches you make on your hand aren’t actually going to be as accurate as they could be.
As your foundation is going onto your face, it makes sense to test it there too. We recommend testing foundation colors on your jawline instead of your hand to find the perfect shade. Remember that your foundation shouldn’t show up on your skin; it should almost disappear when applied.
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