Breaking Down Beauty: Foundation 101, Part 2

By Sheila Arkee

In part 1 of Foundation 101, the different types of foundations were thoroughly dissected. From creams to powders to liquids and minerals, there are options for every person and every skin type.

Now, when it comes to choosing the perfect color and foundation for you, here are some helpful tips.

1. Determine Your Skin Tone

When it comes to choosing the right foundation color, you’re looking for a shade that matches your skin tone the best. What you are trying to find out is if you should go for a cool, or pink-toned foundation, or a warm, or olive-toned foundation.

This can be a toughie! I prefer using the white piece of paper test. That is, you hold up a white piece of paper to your face and see what color jumps out at you – do you see more yellow or pink tones?

2. Sample it out!

This is where all the footwork is involved. Once you’ve determined what type of foundation your looking for and what color you should be using, you’re ready to find the actual color for you. The only way to do this is to actually test various brands. It’s easiest to do this with department store brands, where you can request a variety of samples to try at home.

Do not ever feel shy about requesting samples! I am alllll about the samples. From the perspective of both a customer and a former retail makeup artist, I will tell you that it’s easier for everyone if you have the ability to try stuff on in the comfort of your own home. You’ll get the chance to see if the particular foundation works all day and if it truly matches your skin. Don’t be scared!  

For this very reason, I HATE picking out a foundation in drugstores. It’s heinous! Yes, I understand why brands do not have testers out in drugtores, but still, I always feel flustered and more often than not end making a return trip. I only purchase cosmetics at drugstores with return policies, such as Rite Aid or CVS. Yes, the price tag is a bit heftier than WalMart or Target, but it’s worth it to me to know that I can return products that don’t work out.

3. Making Sure You Match.

We’ve all seen people whose necks are entirely different colors than their faces. To avoid this, make sure to test foundation on your face, and not your wrist or your neck. Those are entirely different areas of your body!

With that in mind, be aware that you will need different foundation colors for various times of the year. The color that was perfect in Winter may be too light for you in Summer.  Also, it’s not a bad idea to keep a slightly lighter and slightly darker color around so you can mix them in with your main color as needed. It’s a little harder to do this with powder foundations, but keep in mind that you can always use a dark, matte bronzer for colors that are little bit on the light side.

Pssst, here’s a secret about bronzer – purchase a face powder a few colors darker than you for an awesome, matte bronzing powder. You know how products marketed as bronzers can look too glittery or too orange? This is seriously the best way to avoid this problem!

Coming up in part 3, some tips to apply foundation. As always, let me know if you have any specific questions relating to foundation!