How do I Pick the Right Foundation Makeup?

The right foundation leaves skin looking flawless.

Foundation helps cover imperfections, blemishes and discoloration to help give skin a flawless appearance, but choosing the right shade, formula and coverage level is key. Many foundations also contain beneficial ingredients such as sunscreen and antioxidants to keep skin healthy.

Skin Type

Determine skin type first. If your skin type is dry look for a foundation that contains moisturizing ingredients such as glycerin. For combination skin look for a balancing makeup that will moisturize dry areas without causing oily areas to become shiny. Oily skin types should choose a powder foundation or water-based liquid with matting ingredients like silica.

Shade

Find the right shade of foundation, which is very important to achieving a flawless look. It's best to test the formula on your jawline to find the perfect match. If the formula disappears and there is no visible line of demarcation from the face and the neck it's the correct shade.

Coverage

Select the coverage level you want and need. Foundation coverage usually falls into the categories of sheer, medium and full. Sheer coverage foundation is good for evening out skin tone, medium coverage helps minimize minor imperfections, and full coverage helps erase the look of severe imperfections such as acne scars.

References

• Self Magazine: 4 Expert Tips: Choosing the Right Foundation
• CBS News: Choosing the Right Foundation