How to Find A Foundation That Really Matches

Your foundation should match the skin on your face and neck.

The wrong foundation can have you looking a complete mess, and you may not even realize it until it's too late. You may see yourself in your car mirror and wonder why you look so pasty. When you look at pictures of yourself, you may discover that your facial skin tone doesn't match the rest of your body. Most likely, these problems occurred because you chose and applied your foundation under artificial lighting, which does not accurately show how the foundation will look on your face. Testing the foundation in natural light will ensure that you have the right foundation for your skin tone.

Instructions

1. Determine your skin's undertone by looking at the inside of your arm in natural light. If the veins in your arm look blue, you most likely have a cool undertone. If the veins look more green, you have a warmer skin tone.

2. Choose the type of foundation best suited for your skin type. Choose oil-free foundations if you have oily skin; choose hydrating or moisture-rich foundations if you have dry skin. If you have combination skin, try a cream-to-powder type of foundation or a mineral foundation, which works well on all skin types. A makeup consultant at a department store should be able to help you determine your skin type if you are not sure.

3. Select up to three shades of foundation, based on your skin's undertones, that you think might work for you. If you are at a department store, the makeup consultant will likely help you with this.

4. Swipe a small amount of each foundation vertically from the bottom of your cheek down to your jawline on one side of your face.

5. Take a mirror and go outside or go to the nearest window that has plenty of sunlight coming through.

6. Look at the foundations on your face in the mirror. The one that seems to fade into your skin almost completely is the one you should purchase.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are at a drugstore and cannot test the foundation before purchasing, use the names of the foundations as a clue to whether it would match your undertone. For instance, a foundation named "ivory" will be light and will work best for skin tones with cool, pinkish undertones, while a foundation named "almond" will work better for warmer, darker skin tones.

References

• Cosmopolitan: Find the Right Foundation Shade
• Glamour Edited: How to Pick the Right Makeup Foundation

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Styles 101: Makeup Foundation Tips
• Prevention; A Strong Foundation; Bobbi Brown; 2006