It’s a (Shade) Match!

No, I am not a professional when it comes to makeup but working in the beauty industry has given me a few basic tips on understanding skin and foundation. Shade matching your foundation can be difficult. There are various tones and finishes meant to allow everyone to find their perfect match, yet it can still seem impossible. There are powders, liquids, sticks and more, and I am here to help you search for your perfect match.

1. Understand your skin type. 

Everyone has different skin types and that is a huge factor when it comes to choosing the finish of your foundation. If you have extremely dry skin, you probably won’t want a matte foundation. If your skin is oily, your best option is probably not a dewy foundation. Some tips and tricks for understanding your skin type are as follows: 

Normal skin: The skin will feel neither tight or oily. This means that you have fully balanced skin, which causes little to no limits on the products you can use.  

Dry skin: This skin type causes the skin to feel tight, be flaky, be dull and have visible lines and cracking. This means that you will want to focus on the hydration of your skin. Focus on using lukewarm water when washing your face, use cream washes and try to exfoliate the skin weekly. Use a good moisturizer before applying makeup and refresh your makeup with a hydrating spray. 

Oily skin: Oily skin can be tricky because it is natural to have slight oils secreted throughout the day, which can be touched up with a blotting sheet or powder. If you have oily skin this means that you have more oil than on average. The T-zone area of the face will most likely be the most problematic area to handle. Just the same as dry skin, it is important for those with oily skin to exfoliate the skin to prevent the buildup of oils, which can cause breakouts and enlarged pores. With oily skin, you still should be using cleansers and moisturizers that are oil-free.

Combination skin: This skin type will reflect what is common for most people. You would have a combination of both dry and oily skin types. This can mean that while your T-zone is oily, you still have dry patches on your skin. Find products that focus on combination skin to help balance the level of oil and moisture. 

Sensitive skin: Sensitive skin can be hard to work with. A lot of products may cause the skin to become irritated. This can mean redness, puffiness, itchiness and more. I highly recommend doing further research about the ingredients in the products you use that may affect your skin. You can also visit beauty stores that have counters for skin products and meet with an expert to help discuss what would fit well with your sensitivity. It is also extremely important to make sure you are protecting your skin by finding products that have SPF in them. 

2. Find and understand your undertone.

The undertone of your skin can completely change the range of foundation shade you look at. Your tone will either be warm, cool or neutral. The easiest way to discover your undertone that I have found is to compare yourself to the undertones of others. So many YouTubers have videos that explain in depth the different undertones. Another helpful trick is to take a look at the veins on your forearm. The image below is showing that if you have blue veins you will be cool-toned, green is warm and purple is neutral.

3. Go in-store with an idea of the foundations you want to try.

While the employees at these beauty stores are well-versed in the world of foundations, it is important to have a basic understanding of your needs. Make sure that when you go into these stores and want to try a new foundation understand your skin type at minimum.

Sites such as Glowsly.com have provided a list of suggestions based on skin types and tones. I highly suggest going through a few lists like these and finding multiple ideas for yourself.  

The employee in-store will most likely ask you what your skin type is and what kind of finish you are looking for. Both Ulta Beauty and Sephora offer online quizzes to help you get a basic start on what foundation you want to try. Once you two agree on a foundation, have them help you shade match. They have been trained and practiced to best understand how to help you find your shade. Make sure to have them try a few shades, just so you can have a comparison of what might work for you. The best area to test your shade is, obviously, on your face. Try and avoid testing shades on your arms because that tends to be a very different color than your face or neck.

Once they show you a few shades try and find the most natural lighting in the store. Feel free to go up to a window or step outside for a second to see if it’s a good match. Foundations often oxidize so it’s extremely important, if you have the time, to let the foundation settle and maybe wander around the store while you wait to see if it stays a match.

4. Learn how to work with multiple shades. 

Many people have skin-tones that can be difficult to perfectly match with the specific foundation they want to use. Even though companies have become better about expanding their shade ranges, some are still just lacking in shades. If you find this as an issue don’t hesitate to purchase something that is (very) slightly too light or dark. This small issue can usually be fixed by applying powder, mixing two foundations, using bronzers or applying concealers. If you purchase a foundation and find that it is slightly too light, before giving up on it, try and use powders and bronzers to bring some light to your face. If the shade is too dark, use a lighter concealer or another foundation to mix in and lighten the shade.

Finding your foundation shade should be made as easy as possible. Do your research and understand your skin and all its wants and needs before you try and jump into a shade. Best of luck on your foundation journey! 

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• beauty
• foundation
• FSU
• makeup
• matching
• skin tone