Nothing beats the feeling when you finally match your foundation shade to your skin tone. It’s a struggle but, luckily, more cosmetic brands are expanding their shade range to suit all skin tones. So, you don’t have any reason to wear a foundation that makes you look ashy. Here are some tips for finding the right foundation shade.
- Test On Your Face Not Hand
Forget the age-old practice of testing the shades on your palm as it is misleading. Instead, make three swatches of the shades you think are closest to your complexion on your jawline. This will give you the most accurate shade comparison. Pick the one that almost disappears into your complexion as it will complement your skin instead of making you look cakey.
- Identify Your Undertone
Apart from the obvious skin tone, there’s an underlying tone that plays a crucial role in getting the right foundation shade. These are warm, cold and neutral undertones. A good way to identify your undertone is to check the colour of your veins. If they appear purple then you have cold undertone and if they are green, you’re warm-toned. For warm-toned complexions, pick shades that have a yellow undertone. Cold-toned complexion matches best with pink undertones.
- Understand The Coverage You Need
Sometimes you don’t really need a heavy foundation. If you have a radiant complexion, flaunt it in a light-coverage foundation. Full coverage foundation tends to feel and look heavy whereas light coverage foundation simply illuminates your already flawless complexion. However, if you need something to hide your acne, full coverage foundation will do the trick.
- Use Natural Light
A common mistake people make while choosing their foundation shade is to test them out in an artificially-lit room. This will give you a false perspective of the shade’s appearance. Go outside and use a mirror to truly see if the shade matches your complexion. If this isn’t possible, ensure the room is adequately lit. Most beauty shops have a vanity mirror where you can check your makeup which gives a better perspective than using ordinary light.
- Compare To The Rest Of Your Body
You don’t want to apply a foundation shade that doesn’t match the rest of your body. Remember that different parts of your body have different tones. Therefore, pick a foundation that closely matches areas that are more exposed such as the neck and hands.
- Improve Your Skincare Routine
Sometimes, your skin can get pigmented thus leading you to pick the wrong foundation shade. Make sure you have a regular skincare routine so as to give you a luxe-looking finish when you wear foundation. Remember that foundation is just a base to bring out your best complexion.
- If All Else Fails, Go Darker
Even with the introduction of darker shades, it’s still hard for many African women to find their perfect shade. If you find yourself in between shades, go for the darker one. You’d rather look a little tanner than ashy.
- Take Note Of Your Current Foundation Shade
This helps especially when you’re shopping for a new brand. It’s good to try out other makeup brands to find your perfect foundation shade. Compare your current colour to the other brand and if they look similar, you’ve found your match.
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