How do I choose my foundation undertones? (2023)

How do I know what undertones to use for my foundation?

One of the quickest and the most common ways to determine your undertone is to check the insides of your wrist. If your veins appear blue or purple, you have a cool undertone. If they look green, you're warm. If you're having a hard time narrowing down between blue or green, you most likely have a neutral undertone.

How do I know what shade of foundation for my skin tone?

If you have a warm complexion, go with a foundation shade that has yellow, gold, or peach undertones. And if your complexion is on the cool side, a foundation with pink undertones is your best bet. Those with neutral undertones should look for a foundation shade with both gold and pink tones.

Should you match your foundation to your undertone?

Nailing the perfect foundation shade can be tricky, but it all comes down to determining your undertone. The goal of a foundation is to match your natural skin tone and even out the overall appearance of your skin. Using the correct foundation shade will allow your natural skin tone to shine through.

Should foundation be darker or lighter than you?

Blend The Foundation Lighter Than You

Watch out for oxidizing foundation! People do not realize that foundation tends to oxidize, which means it will turn a shade or two darker when it is exposed to the air. When in doubt, always pick a shade that is slightly lighter than your complexion rather than darker.

How do you tell if a foundation is warm or cool?

What is the colour of your veins? The easiest way to determine your undertone is by opting for a closer inspection of the insides of your wrists. If they appear green, your undertone is warm while blue veins signify cooler undertones.

Should foundation be lighter or darker than face?

Watch out for oxidizing foundation! People do not realize that foundation tends to oxidize, which means it will turn a shade or two darker when it is exposed to the air. When in doubt, always pick a shade that is slightly lighter than your complexion rather than darker.

How do I know my face skin tone?

If your skin burns easily and doesn't tan, you have a fair skin tone. If your skin burns as well as tans a little, you have a light tone. If your skin tans easily but rarely burns, you have a medium tone. Finally, if your skin never burns but tans during prolonged exposure, you have a dark skin tone.

How do you find your foundation shade online?

Should you match foundation to your neck or face?

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.

Where is the best place to test foundation?

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.

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.

What happens if my foundation is too dark?

If you have a foundation that is a little too dark for your complexion, all you need to do is take a little dollop of it on the back of your hand and then mix a dab of moisturiser in it. Ensure that the shade matches your skin tone, and apply it evenly onto your face.

Is foundation either too light or too dark?

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.

Is beige warm or cool foundation?

Warm shades are often labeled beige, golden, tan, caramel, and chestnut. Cool shades are often labeled porcelain, rose, sable, cocoa. Neutral shades are often labeled ivory, buff, nude, and praline.

How do I know if my foundation is wrong 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.

How do you know if your foundation is in the wrong shade?

What if my foundation is slightly too light?

Recognize the power of powder: If the shade is only slightly too light, then wear it as normal, but consider layering a darker powder on top. Or just add a bit of bronzer as a finishing step, targeting the cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin.

Which brand foundation is best?

How many shades darker for foundation?

Darkening: Mix Things Up

You have to know the brand, the shades, and what you're looking for to make the best decision. I often advise my clients to keep the one that works best as a match, then go one or two shades darker and mix that into the one that works for them.

What are the 4 types of skin tones?

Skin tone. This is the surface color of the skin, normally categorized as fair, light, medium and dark.

Am I a medium or light skin tone?

Fair: the lightest tone. You are likely to have blonde or red hair and tend to burn easily in the sun. Light: your skin is quite fair but has a 'warmer' look and tends to tan, rather than burn, in the sun. Medium: you always look fairly tanned and have a warm, golden or olive appearance.

How far down your neck should you put foundation?

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.

Do you put foundation on eyelids?

Never put concealer or foundation on your eyelids as a base, it will cause your eye makeup to crease.

Should foundation be lighter or darker than your neck?

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.

Can you test foundation on your hand?

PSA: The back of your hand and inner wrist are not the best places to test whether a foundation is a color match for your skin; it's actually your neck or jawline.

Should your foundation match your hand?

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.

What color makeup makes you look younger?

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.

Should you wear more or less makeup as you get older?

Being gentle with your skin will cut back on prematurely aging your skin, but less makeup will have your skin looking younger.

What kind of foundation should an older woman wear?

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.

Should you match foundation to your hand?

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.

Can you mix foundation with different undertones?

If you have neutral undertones, you can pull off either warm or cool shades of foundation. You can mix warm and cool toned foundation together if you want a little bit of both.

Is it better to put foundation on with a brush or fingers?

Beauty editors and experts all have strong opinions about how to apply foundation (I'm team fingers), but there's a case to be made for each application method. Fingers are best for a quick and natural application; sponges are good for achieving a flawless finish; and brushes are ideal for full coverage.

Should I wear foundation with warm or cool undertones?

Cool Undertone: Look for shades that include one or more of these keys words: tan, shell, fawn beige. Most companies will label cool-toned foundations with a “C” and they tend to look a bit more pink in the bottle. Warm Undertone: Look for shades that include one or more of these key words: golden, honey, warm beige.

How do I match my foundation to my warm skin tone?

Warm undertones need a foundation with a yellow and gold base. A perfect match could be golden, tan, chestnut, beige or caramel.

Should compact and foundation be the same color?

Its ideally the same shade of your foundation that you go when buying a compact but if you want a brighter look. You can go for one shade lighter.