A great foundation is a must for a flawless skin, but it’s tricky to get it right. Just a few women choose the correct shade, and the color is just one piece of the puzzle. There are countless formulas and finishes that make the journey to perfect skin much more difficult, but there are 3 ground rules every woman should know before going to the drugstore.
#1 Skin type
You can’t choose the right foundation if u don’t know what skin type you have. If you are unsure which category your complexion falls under, a single piece of tissue can help you finally find out. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser, removing all traces of dirt, oil and makeup. Lightly dry it with a towel and leave it completely unmoisturized for at least one hour (avoid touching your face in the meantime as well). Next, grab a large tissue and blot it on all areas of your skin. Once this is done, you can examine the results.
If the tissue shows no signs of oil and your skin looks generally healthy, you have normal skin. If there’s no oil, but your face feels tight and flaky, this is an indicator that you suffer from dry skin. If the tissue looks shiny , especially on the nose, forehead and cheeks, you have oily skin. You have combination ski if you are left with oil in the T-zone (forehead, nose and chin) while other areas of the face are dry. Now that you determined your true skin type, you are one step closer to having perfect silky skin.
#2 Coverage
When it comes to coverage, women make huge mistakes. No one wants cakey effect or that pimple to pop out.
If you battle problems like acne and wrinkles, you need to go for a full coverage. If you have a pimple here and there every once in a while, you should take a foundation with a medium coverage. If you have a smooth skin which needs just a little pigmentation-evening (lucky you), you can take a foundation with light/sheer coverage, or you can go with a BB cream.
#3 Shade
This is definitely the hardest part. Being able to try before you buy at a department or specialty store is a huge bonus, but you can still sand the wrong shade unless you do the following.
All you need to know about your under tone and how to determinate it you can read in our article Pink or Yellow, which undertone you have?
Do your homework. L’Oreal Paris, Covergirl and Revlon have complexion – matching applications on their websites. Log on to answer questions about your skin and receive product and color suggestions to us as starting points.
Ask for help. Get color-matched by a trained makeup artist – and score some free samples while you are at it.
Test the right spot. Swipe shades along your jawline to take into account the color of your neck, which is often paler than your face. The right hue should disappear into your skin.
See the (natural) light. Harsh overhead lighting can cast unflattering shadows. Stand near a window or head outside to check your color.
When in doubt, go darker. If you blend the color well, you’ll look tan. But wearing too-light shade will always make you appear chalky and overly made up.
