In my previous article “Inclusivity within the Beauty Industry: Trend or Movement?”, I discussed the evolution of beauty brands broadening their foundation shade ranges. With Rihanna releasing her Fenty Beauty line offering a diverse shade range of 40 foundation shades which has recently increased to 50 shades with the addition to the 10 new colours she launched on January 11th—and other brands such as Cover Girl launching their TruBlend Matte Made Liquid Foundation 40 shade Lineup last June, consumers now have a great chance at finding their perfect shade. The only problem with now having all of these shade ranges available to you is that it can be hard to narrow down what shade fits your skin tone the best. No fear ladies & gents because I am here to give you the five golden steps on how to successfully color match yourself on your next make up shopping trip.
1. Pick Three Shades
Pick three shades that look closest to your skin tone. Swatch them along your jawline and wait for them dry into your skin. Side Note: Colors are prone to changing once they oxidize into your skin. The color that melts seamlessly into your skin is your shade.
2. Pick the Color That Compliments the Color of Your Veins
If you have green veins you most likely have warm undertones. Look for shades with yellow or golden undertones. If you have blue veins you most likely have cool undertones so it is best to look for shades with pink undertones. If your veins are a mixture between the two, you could probably go for shades with neutral undertones. If you are still uncertain about what color your veins are or what shade works best for you, swatch three shades that are similar but have different undertones and see which one looks best on your jawline.
3. Blend the closest Shade Match
Don’t jump to purchase it right away. Make sure to see how the shade looks on you in the natural sunlight after an hour before you decide to buy it.
4. Make Sure you Don’t Have on Any Other Makeup
It is best to color match yourself on clean skin. Other make up products that are on your face can affect how the shade looks on your skin. Your normal skincare products are fine to use before color matching, just don’t have on additional makeup.
5. Uneven Skin
If you have an uneven skin-tone try using two different shades. Use the darkest shade on your forehead and hairline and the lighter shade on your T-zone to give a natural looking skin-like complexion.
So there you have it, the five golden steps on how to successfully find the perfect foundation shade. I hope these tips were beneficial and helpful. Happy shopping!