Choosing the perfect foundation for your skin could be one of the toughest makeup products to buy.
The ultimate goal is to find a foundation that looks like your skin.
This can be difficult to achieve when the majority of the makeup aisles have less than ideal lighting for swatching.
Consider the following steps in order to choose the perfect foundation.
1. Find your shade match
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There's plenty of space on your forearm to swatch foundations, but the skin on this part of your body is much darker than your face.
Try to apply potential shades on your chest to see if they're right. This does not have to be an exact match, it can be slightly lighter because the colour could oxidise while drying down.
You can also test some shades on your face. Try to find a spot towards the center of your face and then blend it out towards your hairline in order to match the sides of your cheeks and down the middle of your neck.
2. Do not forget your skin's undertones.
If you have a warm complexion then going with a shade that has yellow undertones is better. If your complexion is on the cool side then a foundation with pink undertones could be your best bet. And you're a mix of both look for a foundation with neutral undertones. You can also play it safe with a neutral or some warm shade.
3. Know what coverage level you need
If you are not a big fan of makeup then you might think that a full coverage foundation feels heavy.
Understanding the look of every coverage level is the key to picking the perfect foundation.
If you want a long-wear foundation that doesn't need a few midday touch-ups or discoloration, then opt for a full-coverage foundation.
4. Do not forget your skin type
Matte or dewy? This is the question you should ask yourself before swatching foundation shades. Your skin type is a major factor in terms of picking finishes.
Dewy foundations tend to fit best on normal to dry skin types.
Too much radiance appears even more oily on this type of skin and it is normally not a good feeling on the face, while matte foundations are usually more suitable for combination with oily skin types. Using a satin finish instead of matte on mature skin is recommended.
More mature skin can get away with matte skin but again, just as dewy skin can enhance flaws and wrinkles, so can matte foundations because the skin has no dimension.
5. Adapt your shade to the current season
Yes, it's true: You might not be able to stick to one foundation shade throughout the year. During the spring-summer, our skin begins to warm up as we are more active outside and in direct sunshine. Even though you wear sunblock every day, our tone warms up.