So say you’re fairly new to makeup and would like to buy foundation, but need guidance because 1. you live very far away from many makeup counters and would have to buy it online or 2. don’t really feel like the people at your nearest counter have your best beauty interests in mind, what do you do? It’s time to learn some foundation basics!
1. DETERMINE YOUR UNDERTONE
Most undertones fall into these categories:
Yellow/Golden
Olive
Pink/Red
Blue
Many cosmetic companies make it easy for consumers by labeling their foundations according to undertone. They may also use Warm/Cool/Neutral as labels as well. Here’s how that would look:
Yellow/Golden (Warm)
Olive (Neutral)
Pink/Red (Cool)
Blue (Cool)
The quickest way for you to figure out your undertone at home would be to (in natural light) :
a.) Take a good look at your skin to see if one of the colors listed above seems to shine through the most. If you have different undertones in your face than on your neck, for the most natural look sometimes it’s best to use two different shades—one closest to your jawline that matches your neck and one for the center of your face.
b.) Take a look at the veins in your arms–do they look green or do they look blue? If they look green, your undertones are more than likely yellow or golden. If they look blue, your undertones are more than likely pink/red or blue. If you can’t tell, keep reading.
c.) Grab a pair of silver and gold earrings. Do the gold ones flatter you more? If so, you’re warm. If the silver pair flatters you more, you’re cool. If you look good in either one, you’re neutral.
d.) Don’t get wrapped up in the misconception that a single racial or ethnic group is always a certain undertone (no, all Black people do NOT have warm undertones).
2. DETERMINE YOUR SKIN TONE
Once you’ve found your undertone, next determine your skin tone. You want to try two or three shades in your undertone. In three separate spots on your jawline (as close to your neck as possible), blend the shades and whichever one disappears into your skin (when in natural light) is the winner. PLEASE do NOT make the mistake of wearing a foundation that is either too light or too dark.
Also note that some women—especially women of color—can tend to be one color in the center of the face and another color around the perimeter. To get the most natural look, it pays to get two shades—one for the center and one for the perimeter.
3. DETERMINE YOUR SKIN TYPE
Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and let it air dry for 15-20 minutes. How does your face feel? If it feels okay, you more than likely have normal skin. If it feels very taut and dry, you have dry skin. If it feels very moist or oily, you have oily skin. If you’re only oily in the T-zone (forehead and nose) you have combination skin.
Based on your skin type, you need to pick the right foundation formula. Even if you have the right undertone and shade, if you have the wrong formula, your foundation can really tell on you…lol. Cosmetic companies make it easy for you by labeling things by skin type, but here’s a rule of thumb:
Normal Skin:
Liquids work well, but this type can also wear powder, creme, or mineral formulas.
Dry Skin:
Liquids designed specifically for dry skin or creme foundations work well. As do some mineral formulas.
Oily/Combination Skin:
Powder and mineral foundations work well. So do some liquid formulas designed specifically for this skin type.
BUT–you really have to read the labels and check out reviews because many brands these days are all about the science and formulations you think might not work for your skin type actually do.
4. DETERMINE YOUR COVERAGE AMOUNT
If you already have an even complexion with very few blemishes, a lightweight foundation or even a tinted moisturizer will work to enhance your beautiful skin.
Medium coverage: works for anyone with skin that needs a little extra help. A good foundation will provide medium coverage, but still look natural. Medium coverage works well for going out or being photographed.
Full coverage: (which I don’t recommend for daily usage–can be too heavy on the skin) helps problem skin appear more flawless. The best full coverage foundations provide excellent coverage for troublesome areas, but still look natural. A light hand is necessary for this type. I recommend only using full coverage in areas where you need it, as it can have the tendency to look like a mask.
When buying online
Sometimes those computer generated graphics tell us nothing about what a shade is going to look like when you get it. So you have to get creative to figure out which shade(s) to get. Good thing the internet is filled with beauty enthusiasts just like us who post swatches and pictures of foundation shades. Google Images is a life-saver when it comes to buying makeup online. If you think you might be a certain shade but are unsure, just Google Image search it and more likely than not TONS of pictures of beauty girls who wear that shade will come up—if they look close to your skin tone, you’re on the money. If not, keep searching.
Many beauty girls online also share which shades they are in other foundations—so if you know you’re MAC NW45, just search for that online—you might find someone that shade who also wears Revlon, Armani, and Maybelline ).
If you’re overseas, it’s worth looking up beauty sites or shipping services where you can buy brands not available in your country. I personally only know that this sort of thing exists but have never had to use any of them so I can’t give any firsthand experience but if you search you’ll find it :)
Finally, a friend of mine introduced me to www.findation.com and surprisingly i was able to check out my foundation shades in different brands even Mary kay.
I hope you find this post helpful...let me know if you guys have questions by leaving them in the comments section , your questions could actually help other readers so I encourage you to ask in the comments :) -
"Look Good..Feel Good"
OyeEbony
