Even though the foundation is a basic makeup product, it plays an important role in the final result of your makeup look. When you find the perfect foundation shade and texture, it smooths flaws, naturally evens out the skin and wears comfortably. Your skin looks just like your skin, and imperfections fade away like magic. There is just one rule: choose it very carefully!
In order to find the ideal foundation for you, there are a number of features that must be considered. To begin with, obviously the shade. But you should also pay special attention to consistency, protection against external factors, coverage, durability and any eventual skin benefits.
We understand how challenging this might be, especially online. After reading this, you’ll be more than ready to go and find the perfect foundation shade and texture for your skin.
How To Find The Perfect Foundation: Step By Step
Before scrolling the available shade range, you’ll need to choose the perfect foundation range for your skin needs and preferences. In order to do so, you need to know how to answer the incredibly important question: “what is my skin type?“. Just as important, you must also define your favorite finish, from matte to glowy.
Determine Your Skin Type
If you have dry skin, the best foundations are those moisturizing and even nourishing. You may find those in all formats, but more often than not they come in liquid or cream presentation. Combination and oily skin types may find their perfect match on oil-free, lightweight formulas that can come in powder or liquid textures.
If you struggle with any specific skin condition, such as sensitive skin, acne or rosacea, you also might want to remember it when choosing a foundation. For sensitive skin, you’re safer with unscented products while acne-prone skin should probably avoid products that ensure a glowy, shiny complexion.
Access The Coverage You Need
Would you like something lightweight and subtle, then look for some sheer to medium coverage foundation. They’ll have enough coverage for small imperfections you may want to conceal. If you’re a fan of a full face of makeup with airbrushed skin, then go for full coverage formulations. To conceal some extra demanding imperfections or even tattoos, we recommend you to choose a foundation of your liking and rely on concealer and/or correctors to deliver greater coverage, like Vichy Dermablend SOS Cover Stick Concealer 16h, only where needed. As extremely high coverage products tend to have more pigment and texture, they also tend to highlight wrinkles and uneven texture. If that’s not the result you’re looking for, then add some correcting product after the foundation and your skin will look flawless!
Additional Foundation Benefits
Now it’s time to look at other benefits that the foundation may offer. Would you like the foundation to have SPF? Then take a look at the Shiseido Sports HydroBB Compact SPF50+. For a rejuvenating action, then check the Sensilis Upgrade [Make-Up] Lift Effect Cream. It might or might not be a deal-breaker for you, but check for some other benefits that may enhance your skin as well as the results of your everyday makeup. At this point, since you’ve determined your skin type, ideal foundation coverage as well as any additional foundation benefits, you should probably be able to select a range of foundations. A good way to do so is to use the filters on our website to choose the perfect foundation for you. Every range that won’t match your needs is automatically excluded!
The Perfect Foundation Shade
Skin Color Depth
This variable is going to define how light or dark the perfect foundation for you is. Most of the foundations are described in such shade range as fair, light, light-medium, medium-dark, dark or very dark. Foundation color names may vary, but the important thing to do is to define which shade would fit your skin tone the best. One of the best online tools is Findation. There, you only need to enter the range and tone of a foundation that matches you perfectly in order to find its correspondence!
If you’re unsure, try to check some YouTubers or bloggers with a skin tone similar to yours. At the same time, you should search for online photos and swatches that show how the foundation looks on someone with your skin tone.
Warm And Cool, Neutral And Olive Undertones
It is very important to choose the perfect undertone. You may find a color that is the right amount of light or dark for you, but if it is too pink or yellow, that won’t work. In most cases, it is easy to judge whether we are a warm or cold type of beauty.
The main principle is that we look good in colors that harmonize with our color tone. For example, if your skin’s undertone is cold, you should go for a foundation with a cool tone. It will emphasize your beauty and create a harmonious final look. Choose a foundation with cool, warm, olive or neutral undertones. We have a few tips to help you determine yours!
If you have white skin, that may vary from very pale to tan, check your wrists. If you have a cool skin tone, then the veins on your wrist look blue, while those ones with a warm undertone have their veins green. In addition, people with warm undertones look better in gold (jewelry for example), while cold undertones go better with silver. If you’re having a hard time telling, then you probably have a neutral undertone.
If you have dark skin, then you should place yourself next to a white background or to a white sheet of paper and figure out if your skin looks more reddish or bluish. In this case, if the skin presents red undertones, it is an indication of a warm undertone, while blue is a cool undertone.
There is also the olive undertone, which may be the case for people with tan or very tan skin. This undertone presents a very subtle greenish hue that blends on a naturally warm complexion. If that’s your case, then you may find that every non-olive foundation you try turns out pinkish or greyish on your skin.
Some Extra Foundation Tips
Remember, don’t test the foundation on your hand, which always have a different tone from the face. The color of the foundation should be checked on the jawline by matching it to the color of your face, neck and décolleté.
Pay attention to artificial light, as it can distort the shade. Our advice: try to test it in the daylight. After applying the sample, wait at least 2 minutes. The color must settle (and even oxidize a little) on your skin so you can approve its real result and effect.
In summer, the skin is more tanned than in the winter, so do not use the same foundation shade all year round. Buy two colors: one that matches your skin when it’s lighter and another one when your skin is darker. If needed, these colors can be mixed with each other. When we get tanned, we do not change the undertone of our skin. Thus, you’d only need to worry about picking a shade darker.
Check our online store where you will find an endless range of foundations and makeup to choose from! Now that you know which is the perfect foundation for you, let us help you to find the best foundation application technique!
