How do I choose a foundation for beginners?
Know the best foundation for your skin type.
- Step 1: Know your skin tone. ...
- Step 2: Identify your undertone. ...
- Step 3: Test on bare skin. ...
- Step 4: Start with options. ...
- Step 5: Check in natural light. ...
- Step 6: Update with the seasons.
Powder foundation is convenient and easy to apply. It typically comes in a compact case, which is ideal for on-the-go touch-ups. However, given its drier formulation, it's best used on oily skin without too many fine lines.
People with warm undertones look great wearing foundation with orange and gold hues. If you have cool undertones, then your skin has more blue or pink in it. In this case, you'll want to look for a foundation that has more of a bluer-base in shades of red and pink. Neutral undertones have a mix of both.
3. When In Doubt, Always Go Lighter and Use Bronzer. If you're stuck between the lighter and the darker shade, it's much easier to create a darker-looking complexion with the help of bronzer than it is to lighten up a darker hue. Bronzer offers definition and dimension to a lighter foundation.
Look at your wrist veins under natural light.
If your veins appear to be green, you probably have warm undertones. If they're blue or purple, you probably have cool undertones. If they are a mix of both, you may have neutral undertones.
The general rule of thumb is that you should always opt for a shade lighter than foundation when choosing your concealer colour. Doing so helps to mask darker discolouration, but be careful not to over-correct! Knowing how to pick the right concealer is essential to ensuring that your look does not appear ghostly.
Look at Your Veins
To find your undertone, look at the inside of your arm. If your veins appear blue or purple, you're cool-toned, while green veins indicate warm-toned skin. For those who are unsure or see a mix of both, you likely have neutral undertones.
- Use a primer. If you want your makeup to look fresh and not melt all through the day, never skip using a primer. ...
- Apply a foundation. ...
- Conceal problem areas with a concealer. ...
- Sweep on some blush. ...
- Time for some eyeshadow. ...
- Eye liner, kajal and mascara.
With its ample shade range, natural matte finish, and advanced formula, the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation is our favorite full-coverage foundation. If you're on the market for a more radiant finish, the Dior Forever Skin Glow Foundation will leave the skin looking glossy, never oily.
What type of makeup is best for older skin?
Williamson recommends looking for foundations formulated with skin-loving ingredients like hyaluronic acid, grapeseed oil and vitamin E for added hydration, as well as silicone-based formulas because they're best for filling in fine lines and wrinkles.
Instead of matching the shade of your foundation to the usual spots people list off — like your jaw, neck, or the back of your hand — Vo suggests swatching it on the highest point of your cheekbone, the same place where you sweep on highlighter. She considers this area as the "median" skin tone of your complexion.

To find your perfect foundation shade, you should always dab a bit on your jawline and neck first. Checking the color match on your neck and jaw prevents jarring discrepancies and results in the ideal hue.
The right foundation shade should match your skin's undertone. While your skin tone is how light or dark your skin is, the 'undertone' refers to the colours under the surface of your skin and can be warm, cool, or neutral. While your skin tone may change with the seasons, your undertone should remain consistent.
Product | Ratings | Coverage |
---|---|---|
Maybelline Fit Me | 4.1★ | Medium to Full |
Lakme Primer + Foundation | 4.2★ | Full |
Lakme Absolute Mousse | 4.3★ | Medium |
Mamaearth Glow Serum | 4.0★ | Light to Medium |
- On any foundation, concealer, BB, CC or tinted moisturizer page, click "Find your shade".
- From the dropdown, select the brand, formula and shade that you currently wear.
- Click "Find my shade" to see your new shade match.
Take a look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. Do they appear more blue or green? If your veins appear more blue, you're cool-toned but if you see more green, you're warm-toned. If you see a fair amount of both both green and blue, you have a neutral undertone.
“Test it on the lower part of your cheek, and if it appears too yellow, choose the cool tone; if it's too pink, try the warm undertone. The right shade will disappear into the skin.” Keep in mind that not every brand will have the right option for your exact skin shade and undertone.
Stand under a bright light and look at the underside of your forearm. If the veins in your forearm are olive or yellow, your skin has a warm, yellow tone. If they're bluish purple or blue, you have pink, cool undertones.
Foundation and concealer are two incredibly important products when it comes to fixing skin imperfections. Foundation should be applied first to even out your skin tone, and concealer can be applied after to cover up any blemishes or discolorations that might remain.
Should you use concealer under eyes?
Furthermore, you should be using different shades of concealer on different parts of your face. “On the under-eyes, use a light-reflective formula that's a shade lighter than your skin to brighten up the area,” says Barose, whose go-to formula is NARS Creamy Concealer.
Which is exactly why some makeup artists always apply foundation before concealer. “If you have blemishes or pigmentation on the skin, you're going to want to put your base on first,” explains Lenny. “If you do your concealer first, you'll just end up covering or disrupting the work you did.
"Because how many people do you know who are the exact same shade all over their face, who have the same skin concerns all over their face?" The key to finding your perfect foundation match is searching for not one, but two shades that you can mix and match to your heart's content.
Mix And Match With A Lighter Foundation
We've got an option. The quickest way to fix your wrong foundation shade is to mix it with light-toned Foundation. Add little by little until the formula matches your skin tone. Mixing a lighter foundation can give a radiant, smooth base while blurring signs of ageing.
- Step 1: Start With Good Skincare. To achieve a flawless no foundation makeup look, you need to prioritize skincare. ...
- Step 2: Prime It Up. ...
- Step 3: Conceal Smartly. ...
- Step 4: Opt For A Cream Blush. ...
- Step 5: Go Easy On Your Eyes. ...
- Step 6: Don't Skip On Your Lipstick.
- Eyeshadow Palette. ...
- Eyeliner. ...
- Kajal. ...
- Eyebrow Pencil. ...
- Mascara. ...
- Lipstick. ...
- Setting Spray. ...
- Makeup Tools.
- Photo finish foundation primer light. ...
- Primer Plus Mattifier. ...
- The POREfessional: Matt Rescue Primer. ...
- The Smoother Universal Perfecting Primer. ...
- Porefection. By W7 Cosmetics R179.
- Baby Skin® Instant Pore Eraser® By Maybelline R150.
- Prep + Prime Pore Refiner Stick. By MAC R660.
- Prep + Prime Fix+ / Matte. By MAC R570.
Step 1: Primer & Color Corrector
Using a primer and/or color corrector is optional, but if you choose to use either (or both) it should be done directly after your skincare routine. This will smooth and even out your complexion and help product stay put longer.
- Revlon Age Defying Firming and Lifting Makeup $13.
- Almay Smart Shade Anti-Aging Skintone Matching Makeup $10. ...
- CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless 3-in-1 Liquid Foundation $16. ...
- Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Aging Perfector $15. ...
- Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick.
- Kryolan HD Micro Foundation Smoothing Fluid.
- Laura Mercier Silk Creme Oil Free Photo Edition Foundation.
What kind of foundation do dermatologists recommend?
The dermatologists we interviewed specifically recommend bareMinerals Original Loose Powder Mineral Foundation SPF 15, ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation, Dermablend Cover Creme Full Coverage Foundation, Younique Touch Serum+ Foundation, Erborian CC Creme, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint, Cover FX Total ...
Neutral tones and subtle pinks, she explains, can help you achieve a more youthful appearance, as they instantly give the skin a brighter and cleaner look. Melts-right-in MAC Powder Kiss Velvet Slim Stick ($27) comes in an array of nude and brown shades to suit every skin tone and won't budge for up to 12 hours.
Best full-coverage foundation for mature skin: Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation SPF 30. This medium to full-coverage foundation comes in 30 shades. It's perfect for mature skin thanks to its light-reflective properties and mandarin-peel extract that helps smooth over and reduce hyperpigmentation.
Being gentle with your skin will cut back on prematurely aging your skin, but less makeup will have your skin looking younger.
Never put concealer or foundation on your eyelids as a base, it will cause your eye makeup to crease.
Apply Foundation to Minimise Face and Neck Colour Differences. Once you've got that new foundation at home, don't apply it just to the face. Blend your makeup, preferably with a blending sponge, all the way down, over and beneath the jawbone, to the neck. This creates a seamless look.
You should blend down to your jawline to cover all aspects of your face and avoid any discoloration. The foundation should match your neck as well, which may be confusing if your neck is a different shade than your face. If that is the case, you should buy a foundation that matches your neck more than your face.
Color Matching Your Foundation
The skin on your wrist or top of your hand can be a much different shade than your face. Of course, the best place to match the foundation is directly on bare skin on your face, but if you can't do that, there are other places you can swatch it.
However, if your home is experiencing foundation problems, it may settle unevenly. To determine how level your home's foundation is, use a laser level in your basement or crawlspace. If different points in your basement are extremely uneven, then you definitely have foundation issues in your home.
Apply several dots of foundation onto your face with your fingers, then grab the stippling brush and dab the brush along your skin to blend everything in. You can build up your foundation until you get an even layer of coverage across your entire face, and add more depending on the coverage you desire.
Are foundation sticks better than liquid?
“Foundation sticks look better as they're worn and are also full coverage enough to cover blemishes, while liquid foundation can exacerbate texture, become shiny, or make skin start caking," he adds.
Brand | Ranking | Price |
---|---|---|
Tarte | Best foundation for acne-prone skin | $$ |
Lancôme | Best foundation for mature skin | $$$$ |
Smashbox | Best foundation for oily skin | $$ |
Armani Beauty | Best lightweight foundation | $$$$ |
- Shiseido Synchro Skin Lasting Liquid Foundation.
- Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Makeup.
- bareMinerals barePro 24-Hour Full Coverage Liquid Foundation.
- NARS Radiant Longwear Foundation.
- Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation.
- Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation.
- Lighting Is Everything. “As a general rule you should avoid matching your skin indoors with poor daylight,” says Rivero. ...
- Know Your Undertones. ...
- Prep Your Skin. ...
- Use Primer to Prevent Oxidation. ...
- Customize Color If You Need. ...
- Spot Test Your Foundation Shades. ...
- Add Warmth the Right Way.
Download the Best Foundation Match App
To find your perfect foundation shade match, start by downloading YouCam Makeup, the best free foundation-matching app for iOS and Android.
Take a look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. Do they appear more blue or green? If your veins appear more blue, you're cool-toned but if you see more green, you're warm-toned. If you see a fair amount of both both green and blue, you have a neutral undertone.
Take a good look at the veins on your wrist under natural light for an easy way to determine your undertone. If your veins look green, it is likely you have warm undertones; if they are blue/purple, you have cool undertones. If they appear blue/green or match your skin colour, you most likely have neutral undertones.
Hold a white t-shirt up to your skin. If your skin looks a bit rosy next to it, you're likely to be cool toned. If your face looks more yellow, you're likely to be warm toned. If you don't see a change, you're probably neutral.
Before you reach for the foundation and mascara, apply a thin layer of makeup primer to fill in any enlarged pores, even out any small blemishes and create an 'anchor' to hold your makeup in place. It's the way to ensure everything else looks great and stays put. Select a primer that suits your skin type.
Primer helps to prepare the skin, it fills fine lines and wrinkles and creates a clean palette for your makeup, and provides a better base level, overall making your makeup last as long as possible. The primer you choose should be lightweight and oil-free.
What is the most attractive skin color?
That being said, there are several reasons olive people are considered to have the most attractive skin tone. For one, it is widely regarded to be the average skin tone among most races and ethnicities around the world.
As a general rule, gold jewellery tends to flatter warm undertones more whereas white metals such as silver, platinum and white gold look better on paler skin with a cool undertone. Rose gold straddles the line somewhere between the two and so looks equally as good on those with warm or cool undertones.
As a general rule, colours like grey, brown, blue, green, and purple look best on skin with cool undertones. Warm undertoned skin looks best when paired with vibrant or pale hues. Furthermore, big, vibrant colours look fantastic on skin with neutral undertones.
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