How often have you found yourself in the makeup aisle, trying to find a foundation, thinking “they all just look the same!!”. You buy one, and as soon as you get home and try it, you are disappointed AGAIN because it doesn’t match your skin. You decide that it’s impossible to find a foundation shade that’s right for you and/or you swear that you’ll never wear makeup again. Time to break the cycle ladies!! Here are a few useful tips to help you find a foundation that’s perfect for your skin type and skin tone.

Tips to find a foundation that’s perfect for you

There are SO many foundation options out there! Plus they come in different types and formulas. If you want to know more about the pros and cons or all the different types of foundation, read this post by Paula’s Choice. Below are a few types to help you purchase a foundation that’s right for you.

1. Know your skin type

If you already know your skin type, choose a foundation accordingly. Dry skin: go for a sheer foundation and ideally one that is hydrating. Stay away from matte finishes: they will accentuate drier areas of your face. Oily skin: choose a mineral or oil-free foundation. Stay away from moisturizing foundations, they will wear off in minutes. Make sure you use an appropriate primer for your skin type too.

2. Know your tone and undertone

When choosing a foundation, it is very important to know your undertones. This is the subtle tint of colour underneath your skin, and it can be either warm (as in yellow or golden), neutral, cold (as in pink) or olive (hints of yellow and green-ish).

In order to determine what your undertone is, hold a piece of white paper next to your skin. Does it look more pink (cold undertone) or more yellow (warm undertone)? If you are not sure, you can look at the inside of your wrists: if your veins look blue, you probably have a cool undertone, if they look green, you probably have a warm undertone. You can also determine your undertone according to what colour of clothes or accessories look good on you: people with cold undertones look better with silver accessories and people with warm undertones look better with gold accessories (generally speaking of course).

3. Figure out your needs and expectations

Determine how much coverage you need/want as well as the finish you like (matte, satin, glowy). Foundations go from very light to full coverage. A general rule of thumb: Don’t go for more coverage than you actually need!

If you have good skin you with little or no imperfections, you don’t need very high coverage. If you have imperfections, it doesn’t mean you need more coverage -not at all! In fact, if your skin has texture, too much coverage will make the imperfections even more visible.

A pro tip: Go for lighter coverage and use concealer to hide the imperfections.

4. Swatch the product

Test the product, but not just anywhere! The perfect place to test a foundation is on your jawline, or your cheek if your skin tone is very uniform (which is usually not the case for most people).

Don’t forget: you want to match your face to your body. So if your neck and body are not quite the same colour as your face (that’s 100% normal!), make sure you purchase a foundation accordingly.

If you hesitate between two shades, buy them both! Most people find that their skin tone changes with the seasons, so a foundation that fits you know won’t necessarily fit you in the winter or in the summer…

5. Find a foundation… and the right tool to apply it!

While you are at the store, make sure you have the right tools to apply your foundation. You may prefer a brush, a sponge or maybe even your fingers! It is useless to buy an expensive product if you don’t apply it properly, and it just won’t look good. The beauty of a foundation is that no one should be able to tell that you are wearing it. So blend away my friends!

-xox- Marika