How To Match Foundation To Your Skin Tone

Top 3 Tips How To Match Foundation To Your Skin Tone

One of the most significant foundation mistakes is using the wrong shade for your skin tone. You want your skin to look like skin even when you have makeup on.

However, despite your best efforts, you can sometimes get it wrong. Some people misjudge their undertones or don’t know what shade matches their skin. The wrong shade results in your foundation standing out on your face like a mask.

Your foundation should blend seamlessly with your natural skin tone. You don’t want there to be an obvious difference between where your foundation ends and your bare skin begins. Otherwise, your foundation will look unnatural and caked on.

Understanding your skin tone and shade is paramount for accomplishing a flawless-looking complexion. We will go over how to determine your skin’s undertone and shade so you can HIDE your imperfections effortlessly.

Refer To Guides And Charts:

Sometimes, a visual aid is more helpful than any arbitrary knowledge. This applies to finding the perfect shade of foundation too.

While sampling foundation in-person can be of great help, you need to have an idea of what might be your exact skin tone and what product matches you.

For this, you can look up online reviews and guides so that you have some prior knowledge before you break into a cosmetic store.

Also, thanks to technology, there are several apps and websites with shade finder tools.

Here, you can virtually try on different foundation shades and go for the one that you think is perfect.

Identify Your Skin Tone For The Perfect Foundation Color Match

The key to finding the right foundation shade and creating a flawless natural-looking complexion using makeup comes down to understanding your skin tone and determining your skins undertone. The wrong shade of foundation, concealer or even blush or bronzer can make your skin look ashy or too orange, your makeup should blend seamlessly with your natural skin to avoid looking unnatural or even worse cakey.

To avoid a makeup disaster, we will walk you through how you can determine your skins tone & undertone without the help of a skincare professional or makeup artist, sound tricky? Trust us, its easier than you think.

What is Skin Tone?

Skin tone is usually broken down into 3 different categories Light, Medium & Dark, these are determined by the amount of pigment or melanin in your epidermis . This is contributed by your genetic makeup & also the amount of time you spend exposed to UV rays.

Light: Light or fair skin tones tend to be more sensitive to sun exposure and their genetic background comes from a colder climate reign like Northern Europe where the skin didnt require a high level of melanin to protect the skin from the sun. If you are this skin tone you will find that it burns a lot easier when exposed to the skin and requires extra protection.

What is Skins Undertone?

Pink= Hint of reddish or bluish pink complexion

Warm= Gives appearance of peach, yellow or golden hues

Neutral= Skins natural color is more evident with a balanced mix of pink & yellow

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Find Your Foundation Match By Skin Tone Visual Guide

Confused about which foundation shade is right for you? What exactly is medium skin tone? How about beige skin tone? And what in the world is warm ivory skin tone?

We get lots of questions about skin tones and foundation shades, so weve put together a comprehensive shade guide to break down what it all means.

Read on to learn more about skin tones and how to find your foundation shade.

Is It The Right Formulation

Love the matte look but have dry skin? I hate to break it to you but a matte foundation + dry skin = trouble. Same for dewey look on oily skin.

When you use the wrong formulation, not only will the foundation feel extremely uncomfortable on the skin but the foundation wont look good. PERIOD.

Does the foundation slip off your skin?

Does it get absorbed into your skin, leaving a dull-finish?

Is it spotty ?

You wont know the answer to these questions after trying on a foundation for a minute. I find that makeup looks best 10-15 minutes after application. Why? Because the makeup has a chance to settle on the face and warm-up.

Of course, you should only be trying on foundations that you know are formulated for your skin type. If you dont know your skin type, Ive got you. Head over to my skin type quiz and not only will you test your knowledge youll get your results delivered straight to your inbox. And Ill break down what types of makeup formulations to look out for.

Of course, you can also find all of this information and more in my book, Be Your Own Makeup Artist. Honestly, its foundational to your makeup education .

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Be Your Own Makeup Artist

Hey! I’m Natalie Setareh. I’m so glad you’re here. I’m an award winning makeup artist turned makeup educator. My less-is-more, inclusive approach to makeup is disrupting the beauty industry. Nothing brings me more joy than to teach people how to wear makeup. Connect with me on social at the links below, say hi!

Welcome!

Foundation Matching For Skin Tone

When picking foundation, there are a few factors to consider. “Most importantly, knowing your undertone will always help you find the correct shade of foundation since it will always stay the same regardless of the season,” Monroy says. The color of your foundation may change throughout the seasons, depending on how tan you get in the summer, but your tone doesn’t change.

If I’m being honest, I never worried that much about the tone of my foundation. It didn’t seem like it was as big of a deal as the color â but, as Monroy points out, it’s actually even more important. He offered insight on how to find the right color for your skin tone, ahead.

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Which Foundation Shade Am I

To help you figure out which foundation shade to go for, we have here a celeb-inspired go-to guide. Find out whos complexion you resemble the most and test out the foundation shades mentioned alongside to find your foundation match. Note that these are indicative shades and might not be your exact match. Do test the shades to find your true match.

Table: Find Out Foundation Shades Matching Your Skin Tone

Define Your Background Tone

How to match foundation with skin tone – you first must know which undertone your skin is. Accordingly, there are three main types of tones that we should know:

Cold: which means the skin is slightly blue, red, or pink.

Warm: the skin has a coppery, golden, or peach color.

Neutral: a combination of warm and cool shades.

There are a few tips to help you know how to test foundation belongs to which skin tone. These include assessment of hair and eye color, response to sunlight, and color of veins, ect.

Natural black, brown or blonde hair combined with green, gray, or blue eye colors is a cool skin tone. Chestnut, brown, or amber eyes combined with natural hair of black, auburn, or strawberry blonde are warm tones.

Skin that turns pink or burns easily in the sun is for people with cool tones while the skin of people with warm tones often turns bronze or brown when exposed to the sun.

Veins on the inside of the wrist are blue, indicating cool tones Green indicates warm colors, purple-blue indicates neutral colors.

Okay, time to check your skin tone, right?

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The Right Bronzer Shade For Your Skin Tone

Onzer shades can be used on skin that is light in color. With bronzer, you can contour and add definition to your face. Tanning can also be too light or too dark for those with light skin. If you have any flaws or streaks, go for a darker tone of bronze than your skin tone to avoid them. Bronzer shades for medium skin are ideal for the skin. A bronzer can add definition to a persons face, but it can also be too light or too dark for someone with medium skin. For darker skin, use bronzer shades. A bronze can be an excellent way to add definition to the face, but it can also be too light or too dark for some people with dark skin.

How To Match Foundation To Skin Guide For You

November 22nd 2021 in Makeup – 5 mins read

The beginning of the article is interesting information about the Foundation. There is a small question for you: do you know what a foundation is?

It’s simply a concealer for your face. Besides, the foundation also has the effect of brightening and honoring the skin. So a perfect foundation should match the user’s skin tone.

However, not everyone also knows How To Match Foundation To Skin. Unless you’re a professional makeup artist, check out these ways to find the perfect foundation for your skin tone!

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Find The Best Foundation Match For Your Skin Tone

As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.

• The process of finding the best foundation match for you can be tricky.
• Whether you’re looking for minimal coverage or something heavier, foundation is key to flawless makeup.
• Here are some expert tips to help you choose the right foundation color match for you.

There are some beauty products that we use every day and others that we reserve for special occasions. Foundation, no matter what your makeup style is, in our opinion, is one of those crucial makeup items that everyone should own . However, many people have trouble picking the correct shade of liquid foundation.

Without the help of a professional makeup artist, many people have trouble finding the right undertone when foundation matching. Even if your shade is correct, if your undertone is off, the color won’t always suit you.

“Tone is the most important thing when choosing a foundation,” Jorge Monroy, a Los Angeles-based celebrity makeup artist, tells POPSUGAR. “It’ll help you narrow down your choices and find a color that best matches your undertones.”

How To Find Your Skin Tone

Skin tones are split into three main categories Light, medium and deep. In the global context, Indians, largely, have medium skin tone irrespective of the region we hail from. Light skin tone typically is reflective of Caucasians while deep is for Africans.Medium skin tone can be further sub-divided into beige, tan, honey and more such colors. Refer to the infographic below and find the skin tone closest to yours.

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Test It In A Few Hours

Another piece of advice for those of you who want to use a safe and effective foundation is that you should take the time to test it out before you buy it.

Accordingly, the Foundation in the bottle in the liquid state has a certain color, but when it dries after applying to your face, it can be oxygenated. It can also vary depending on the pH of the skin.

So to ensure the color is not oxidized and to prevent your face from being allergic, you need to apply some nutrients to your face before and after applying foundation.

Feel free to use the foundation that you find most suitable. But if it is allergic to the skin, discard it immediately!

Start With Inclusive Shade Brands

Now that you know your undertone, it’s time to pick a foundation. Unfortunately, not all foundation lines are guaranteed to have your exact skin tone. When it comes to the perfect match, celebrity makeup artist Nikki DeRoest, who has painted the faces of stars like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Addison Rae, suggests going for inclusive beauty brands that already offer a diverse range of shades on their website. “Some of the most notable brands that always get inclusivity right include Fenty Beauty, Bobbi Brown, and Estee Lauder,” she says. “Picking a brand that really takes your skin tone and undertones into consideration is so important because it means you aren’t limited to shades .”

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How Do I Adjust My Foundation For Summer

When the weather starts to warm up, you may notice that your foundation doesnt look quite right anymore. If you want your foundation to look natural and last all day in the summer heat, youll need to adjust the way you apply it. First, start with a clean, moisturized face. Then, use a lighter foundation or BB cream instead of a heavy, full-coverage foundation. Apply the product with a damp sponge or brush, using light, circular motions. Start with a small amount of product and build up coverage as needed. Set your foundation with a light dusting of powder, using a large, fluffy brush. Finally, spritz your face with a setting spray to help keep your makeup in place all day long.

To keep your foundation looking its best in the summer, apply a bronzer in a deep shade that matches the summer skin. A primer for your skin type not only ensures that your foundation is long, but it also ensures proper skin hydration and control of oils. If youre going to sweat in the summer, a waterproof formula is the way to go. It has an extremely high level of safety in terms of vitamin C. For the majority of people, topical vitamin C can be used for a long time without causing any side effects. The primer must be completely dried before it can be applied. Before painting, most primers dry in about 24 hours. Latex primers will dry in as little as 30 minutes on average.

Change The Light To See Its Difference

One trick to check if your foundation matches your skin tone is to go outside to see how it reacts in sunlight. This can be done with the naked eye, you don’t need to use technology here!

The ideal time to check for color matching is at noon in which you can most truly perceive the colors. However, make sure that your skin is completely natural, has not used any cosmetics, or has not been tanned before.

Note: if the skin is red or pigmentation is changed, it also affects your foundation.

If you don’t like going out at noon, you can also take a selfie with the flash after applying foundation. But, this doesn’t always work!

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The Wrist Or Vein Method

The wrist or vein method is an easy way to find your undertone. You are required to look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. If your veins appear purple or blue, you have cool undertones. Having greenish or olive veins is an indication of warm undertones. Some of you may find it difficult to determine the prominent color in your veins by looking at your wrist. If you are falling under this category, you may have neutral undertones.

Why Does Undertone Matter When Picking The Right Foundation Shade

The right shade of foundation will melt into your skin so seamlessly its hard to know its there. This type of make-up magic is only possible when the undertone of your skin matches the undertone of your foundation shade. Where the undertones dont align, the foundation will sit obviously on your skin a cool undertone foundation may look ghostly or ashy on someone with a warm undertone, even if the depth of the shade is right.

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When In Doubt Use This Hack

Once you feel safe entering a Sephora or department store again, ask for some sample containers and make a bunch in varying shades and formulas to try in the comfort of your own home.

Never, ever let a sales person pressure you right then and there. There is no natural light in those stores so you usually end up buying an $85 bottle of something, exit into the sunshine, look at yourself in the car mirror, and realize you look like the crypt keeper.

Dont do this. Go home. Try one on. Look at yourself in natural light. See how it feels and wears and oxidizes. Do you love how your skin looks at the end of the day? Et voilà. Your hard work paid off. If not, move on to the next sample.

Heres a list of some of our favorites, especially for mature skin:

Tip Three: Take Your Time

I hate to break it to you, but if youve successfully figured out your undertone and also found a great match from tips one and two, then ask for a sample or apply the foundation to your face and wear it for a day . Not only will this save you future frustration if it doesnt work, it will save you money and time from either having to toss the foundation OR the time in having to return/exchange it and do it all over again. Plus, its more sustainable to make confident purchase. Check out this post here on how to be sustainable its awesome.

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