How to Choose Foundation

By eHow Fashion, Style & Personal Care Editor

Rate: (8 Ratings)

To even out your skin's appearance and create the illusion of flawless skin, head to the cosmetics counter. The right foundation can do wonders.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Mirrors
Face Powder
Foundation
Makeup Brushes
Oil-free Foundations

Step1

Consider your skin type. If you have oily skin, stick with an oil-free formula. If you have drier skin, select a creamier formula that offers moisturizing benefits.

Step2

Decide what type of look you'd like to achieve. Foundations can offer sheer to heavy coverage and finishes that range from satiny to matte.

Step3

Test the colors of your preferred formula on your jawline, which offers the truest facial coloring. Any foundation will look slightly darker in the bottle, so keep this in mind when assessing your options.

Step4

Blend in the foundation gently with a makeup sponge. The foundation should disappear into your skin. If you find you're between shades, blend two colors together, or keep looking for a brand that offers the perfect shade.

Step5

Bring a hand mirror along so you can view your options in natural light.

Step6

Look for yellow-toned foundation or tinted moisturizer if you're Caucasian or Asian; Hispanics should opt for foundation or tinted moisturizers with yellow-orange undertones. If you are African-American, it's a good idea to use light, medium and dark shades of foundation to allow for different gradations of color on different parts of your face.

Step7

Remember that you have plenty of options to choose from, so if you don't find a good color match, keep looking.

Tips & Warnings

For sheer, no-nonsense coverage, consider using a tinted moisturizer.
Look for the many extras some foundation formulas offer, such as sunscreen or ingredients that hide fine lines.

Comments

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Even though you're applying foundation, you should always pre-apply a face moisturizer that has a high SPF. Always wait for the moisturizer to dry before applying the foundation. In doing this, you'll be protecting your skin from the element of the sun.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Most skin colors, african, caucasian, or asian, have some yellow undertones in them. The darker the skin, the darker the shade of yellow. So choose a foundation with yellow undertones in them so that it will blend in nicely and not look painted on when applied.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Unless you have an allergy to sunscreen, make sure your foundation has it. Sunscreen protects you from exposure to damaging ultraviolet rays, even in the winter.

Anonymous said

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on 12/28/2005 Wash your face (or rub) with a piece of lemon. This should get rid of blemishes and keep your face fresh and glowing.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 If your cheeks are naturally rosy, stick with the pink-base foundations. Also, its mostly the light skinned ladies with rosy cheeks. You are not Ivory. Ivory was invented for Gothic kids and mortuaries. Creamy Natural is the lightest naturally occurring skin tone.

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