This Is Exactly How To Choose The Right Foundation Shade Once And For All
by Victoria Malloy
Finding our perfect foundation shade is a nightmarish, lifelong quest filled with hideous words like “undertone” and “matte finish.”
And it’s only become more complex in a post-Covid world where we can’t just go into our local Sephora and smear used samples on our faces until we find one we don’t entirely hate.
Most of us have no clue whether we’re “neutral” or “warm” and don’t even know what those words mean independent of what we are! Why can’t there be some simple, easy-to-remember formula to make things gloriously simple?!
Well? We made one. And here it is. Let’s go.
P.S. If you're not a foundation gal, and instead prefer a lighter, hydrating tint, go here. It’s the greatest tinted moisturizer on earth, the colors are forgiving, it’s amazing on mature skin because it’s packed full of hyaluronic acid, and honestly, it just looks like skin.
1. Drugstore foundations are kiiiiind of a scam.
Yes, they come in so many shades. And they’re so affordable. But there’s no way to sample them in the drugstore, like at Sephora or a department store. So we buy multiple at a time, hate all of them, and never use them again.
Then the cycle starts again, and we do this over and over until we’ve wasted hundreds of dollars on foundations that just…aren’t great.
Drugstore foundations purport to save you money, but they don’t. You’re better off spending a little more on something that better matches your skin tone, with a formula that you truly love, and with a way to test the color first. We mostly stay away from drugstore foundations for this reason.
2. Use this trick to identify your undertone.
The word “undertone” is a howling nightmare. Let’s acknowledge this first. How do we figure out what our “undertone” even is? And once we know it, are we supposed to find a foundation that matches our undertone? Or that counteracts it?
Beauty experts and graphics make this seem so easy, like this:
But how do I KNOW if I’m a “warm beige” or a “natural tan,” other than just staring at myself in the mirror and guessing?
Well, there are a few “hacks.” You’ve no doubt heard of the dreaded wrist vein trick; the one where you look at the veins in your wrist, and if they appear green, you have a warm undertone, and if they appear blue you have a cool undertone.
But, like most tips for identifying your undertone, this doesn’t always work.
Instead, we prefer this hack, straight from makeup artist Sheri Stroh:
It’s called “the white t-shirt trick.”
You examine your skin in natural light while wearing a white t-shirt, and your undertone will present itself against the contrast of the pure white. “If you see yellow in your skin, your undertone is Warm, and if you see pink, your undertone is Cool,” says Stroh.
However, she cautions not to mistake skin irritations that make the skin pink/red for your undertone. “If you don’t see either of these, then you may be a Neutral undertone,” she adds.
3. Pick a formula, and decide where on your body you want to shade match.
If you don’t know where to begin, Stroh suggests starting with something sheer and going from there. “It’s so much easier to start with spot concealing, or using a tinted moisturizer with it and seeing if you need or want more,” says Stroh.
Makeup artist Lucky Bromhead notes that “sheer formulations help to balance out the skin tone, but will not hide any imperfections,” whereas, “a full coverage foundation will be much more opaque and will conceal a lot more, so matching your skin tone is quite crucial,” she adds.
A good example is Ilia’s Super Serum Skin Tint Foundation, which starts on the light/sheer side, but can be layered for more coverage.
Now, what part of the body should we shade match to?
Previously, we’ve been taught that our foundation should match our face as closely as possible, effectively disappearing into the skin. While this is true, both Stroh and Bromhead agree that we should really be matching our skin tone to the rest of our body (i.e. the neck and chest). “Most people have a slightly different shade ranging from their chest, to the neck, to the face,” says Bromhead, and often the face can be a bit lighter as result of daily washing and exfoliation.
“Ultimately, you want your foundation to give you a congruent effect, so that your face doesn’t look like a different color than the rest of your body,” says Bromhead.
ILIA founder Sasha Plavsic suggests drawing a line with the product along the jawline from the bottom of the face and down the neck. If it disappears, you’ve found your match.
4. Embrace technology.
Blessedly, beauty companies are offering more digital solutions than ever to help us find our perfect foundation.
ILIA recently launched an enhanced version of their shade finder tool, incorporating user generated content to help consumers find their best shade. “We took learnings from our existing shade finder and made improvements across the board to ensure consumers can easily find their match,” says Plavsic.
Sephora’s online shade finder assessment uses data from your current brand and shade to match you with other brands and shades in their extensive lineup.
Make Up For Ever’s interactive Shade Finder uses artificial intelligence to match you to your perfect shade using your device’s camera.
And don’t forget, lighting is everything, says Bromhead. “Natural light by the window is best at around 11:00am or 2:00pm,” adds Bromhead, “otherwise, the yellow light in your bathroom or the orange glow of a sunset could affect how the computer sees your skin tone.”
“Ultimately, nothing beats trying the product on in person, but with business shifting so rapidly to digital, I am confident new innovations are on the horizon to help customers re-create the in-store experience virtually,” says Plavsic.
Armed with this new-found knowledge, you can go forth and conquer foundation like a total pro.
5. 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.
Don’t 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.
Here’s a list of some of our favorites, especially for mature skin:
1. By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-Foundation
2. Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation
3. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer
4. Mac Studio Face and Body Foundation
5. Hourglass Illusion Skin Tint
6. Clinique Even Better Foundation
7. Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
8. Dior Forever Matte Foundation
9. Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation
10. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation
11. Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation
12. IT Cosmetics CC Cream
13. Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Foundation
14. Estée Lauder Double Wear
Once you find the perfect formula and your perfect shade, you buy it, and then you’re done. And you never have to think about foundation matching ever, ever again.
Oh, except when they discontinue your favorite foundation because life is nothing but a rolling series of disappointments!
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