How to Select the Right Foundation Shade?

If you are a makeup enthusiast, you may already know that foundation is one of the main elements of your entire makeup. It is applied for the base of the makeup, and is quite important. In fact, the way you do your foundation will more or less decide the entire outcome of your makeup look.

To be able to do your foundation right, you must first be able to select the right shade of foundation for your skin. This is where the tricky part begins. I mean, applying the foundation flawlessly is tricky too, but so is selecting the right shade of foundation, in the first place. Many a times, people use foundation shades that do not match with their skin tone, and this makes the entire makeup look fake. Makeup does not aim at changing your skin’s color or making your skin fairer. It just aims at enhancing or highlighting your natural features. This can only be done if you select the right foundation shade in the first place.

Since selecting the right foundation shade can be a tricky job, we are here to help! In this article, we have covered the steps that you need to follow in order to determine your exact skin shade. There are basically three steps in the process of identifying one’s skin shade. The first step is to identify your skin tone. After this, you need to identify your skin undertone. And finally, you need to choose the right shade form swatches. These steps have been explained elaborately below. Go through these steps and make sure that you select the right shade of foundation for your skin, so that you can rock that glam makeup look!

1. Step 1- Identifying Skin Tone

Categorically speaking, there are three types of skin tones. These three categories are- light, medium and deep. You can easily understand which category includes which type of skin tone. Usually, Caucasians or people from other western countries have skin that fall under the light category of skin tone. Indians usually constitute the medium category of skin tone, while Africans largely constitute the deep category of skin tone. These categories are further divided into more shades, so that there is an exact shade available for every skin color, and not just generalized tones. For example, the medium skin tone is further divided as tan, beige, honey, etc. In order to determine your exact skin tone, you can refer to info graphics that are provided by every foundation brand, which have information and graphics regarding all the shades that they offer. By taking reference form these, select the shade that is closest to your skin tone.

2. Step 2- Identify Skin Undertone

Your skin undertone is the color of your skin that comes from underneath the skin surface. Skin undertones are of three types, and they are, warm, neutral and cool. Identifying your skin undertone can be tricky, since this is not the color that you see at your skin surface. There are some tests that you can perform for determining your skin undertone. Two of the most common test is the wrist test and the sun test.

Under the wrist test, you are supposed to check the color of your veins on your wrist. If you cannot figure out any dominant color of your veins, then your undertone would fall under the neutral category. If you see that color of your veins are majorly blue or purple, then your skin undertone would fall under the cool category. And if you veins are green or olive colored, then your skin undertone would fall under the warm category.

Under the sun test, you have to observe the effects on your skin when your skin is exposed to the sunlight. If you easily get tanned on exposure to sun, you have a warm undertone. And if your skin turns reddish on exposure to the sun, you have a cool undertone.

3. Step 3- Choosing Foundation Shade from Swatches

Now that you know your skin tone and skin undertone, you are ready to select the foundation shade that suits you the best. Once you determine your skin tone and undertone, the choices for your foundation shade narrow down. Pick out three of the handful choices that you have now, and make swatches of each on your jaw line, while keeping a gap between them. Once you apply the foundation swatches on your face, you will clearly be able to see which shade suits or goes with your skin tone the most. Note that your foundation shade must not only go with your face, but also your neck.

Wipe off two of the shades that you feel don’t match with your skin. Spread the remaining swatch onto your skin. Now when only one swatch of foundation remains on your face, take a cotton bud with makeup remover on it and sweep it through the middle of the swatch. If you don’t see any visible difference or do not notice the part of the skin where the foundation has been removed, it means this is the right shade for you. However, if you do see the spot visibly, then you must repeat the process with the rejected two swatches. You must repeat this cycle until you get the foundation shade that blends perfectly with your skin tone.