The reason why finding your perfect foundation shade is so important is that foundation is among the few makeup essentials that you don’t want others to see. What I mean by that is it’s supposed to look just like your skin but better. I remember how tricky it was to find my perfect color match with the massive range of shades and formulas to choose from.
To find your right foundation shade you need to know your skin undertones. Look at the color of the veins on the inside of your arm. Blue/purple = cool toned while green = warm-toned. Somewhere between = neutral. Test your foundation shade on your chin and apples of your cheeks, not your hands.
Luckily there are a few solutions to help you navigate the process. We’ll start by expanding your knowledge of your complexion and undertones. From there I have a few tips that will help you test foundation shades to find your foundation color match, both at the makeup counter in-store or even while sitting at home.
How To Determine Your Undertone
Most girls already have an idea of what their skin tone is, the same isn’t always true for undertones.
The essential difference between the two is that your skin tone refers to your complexion, while undertones are the colors that come through your skin and affect the overall shade. The undertones of your skin are either warm, cool, or neutral.
Cool undertones will appear in your complexion as hints of blue or pink, while warm undertones will appear more yellow or golden. If your undertones are neutral, you fall in between these two.
The easiest way to find your undertone is to look at the inside of your arm. If your veins appear blue or purple it means you’re cool-toned, while green veins indicate warm-toned skin. For those who are unsure, it likely means you might be neutral.
Another option is you can try holding a white piece of paper next to your face to determine your undertone. The white should create a cast of color on your skin. If your face appears more pink or blue, you fall into the cool category, and if you take on a more yellowish hue, you’re warm. If your skin seems gray, you’re neutral.
How To Find Your Foundation Shade
Once you have figured out your correct undertone, you’ll be able to start looking for foundation shades that correlate to your undertone.
If you have a warm undertone, you should look for foundations that have warm tones. Cool undertones should go for formulas that have hints of pink tones.
Some brands mark their foundation shades with a label that will signify the undertones that match that particular shade. This will make it easier to find a match. For example, an N will correspond to a neutral shade and a W will stand for warm.
When it comes to testing out different foundation shades, there are some important techniques/hacks you should take note of.
These are my tips that will help to make the process easier for you.
Test The Foundation On The Right Body Part
Once you know your undertones, the next phase is to make your perfect color match. I have often seen girls at the makeup counter testing foundation shades on the backs of their hands or the insides of their wrists. I agree that finding a foundation shade that best suits you will require a few trials.
Using the back of your hand or inside of your wrist will only help to a certain extent, for example, if you misidentified your skin undertones. But to make the final choice between two or three very similar shades your hands and wrists will likely not be your best option.
Our skin is not exactly the same color all over. Sun exposure will change our skin pigment over time. For example, if you hold the back of one hand against the inside of your other wrist you will see that the color is not the same. Likewise, neither your wrist nor your hand will have exactly the same color as your face.
The best way to color-match your foundation like a pro is by swiping the foundation shade on your chin or the apples of your cheeks. After all, that is where you will be applying your foundation. That also means not wearing full makeup when you go shopping for a new shade of foundation.
According to my makeup artist friend, even your chin and the apples of your cheeks are likely to be two slightly different colors. So she suggests testing your new foundation shades on both your chin and the apples of your cheeks. For perfect pro-level foundation, it may be necessary to invest in two foundation shades, one that matches the apples of your cheeks and another that matches your chin.
As you get better with your makeup you can also multi-foundation just like my friend does on her clients for special occasions (like weddings) to highlight the relative brightness at the center of your face versus your chin and cheeks. She says that you often need to go one or two shades lighter in your t-zone.
If you are just starting out, choose a shade of foundation that matches both your chin and cheeks the closest and then build out your collection over time from there.
Test Your New Foundation Under Different Lighting
Remember that your complexion will usually change between the seasons as well. You may be lighter in the winter due to less sun exposure, and darker in the summer if you get a bit of a tan.
Besides your bathroom or makeup mirror lights be sure to test your foundation shade under natural light before doing your entire face. This is especially important if you will be spending time outside. What might look perfect under artificial light could be less so out in the sunshine.
Use A Virtual Foundation Try-On Tool
If you are unable to test out foundation shades in a store, either because you don’t have one nearby or are too shy to ask for help at the makeup counter, there is a solution for you.
Try out the L’Oréal Paris Makeup Genius Virtual Try-On Tool, which allows you to try shades from any of the L’Oréal Paris foundation lines. That’s more than 100 shades you can test without ever setting foot outside of the comfort of your home.
Why not expand your knowledge even further by reading another makeup/beauty article here on Pink Femme. You can find them either via the menu at the top of the page or by clicking this link that will take you to the list of all the beauty articles.
When it comes to my choices for makeup and beauty products, I only use L’Oréal Paris (Available on Amazon). I have really sensitive skin and never once have I had any negative reaction to any L’Oréal product.
