Hey pretties! Okay, so whether you’re a makeup beginner or have been a beauty lover for years, chances are you’ve faced the struggle of choosing a foundation that matches your skin. You probably have even bought a foundation that you thought was perfect only to go outside and realize that it was the wrong shade! Even though I’ve done makeup for years and years, it’s something that I struggle with sometimes! But thankfully, I have a few tips for finding that magical shade. It is a bit of trial and error, but in the end, finding that perfect foundation match is totally worth it. Read on to find out how to find your best foundation match, and don’t forget to check out my video embedded below in the post or on my channel!
1. Find your undertone
This step is probably the hardest one. There are lots of tricks to finding your undertone, so you just have to work with the one that’s best for you! One of the most common ways to do this is to look at the color of the veins on your wrist.
- If your veins are blue or purple looking, you probably have a cool undertone
- If your veins are green or olive looking, you probably have a warm undertone
- If your veins are green or blue toned, or if you can’t really tell what color they are, you are most likely neutral
You can also tell by looking at what color jewelry you tend to wear. If you gravitate toward gold, you most likely have a warm undertone. If you prefer silver, you are probably cool. People with neutral undertones can often wear both metals. The last way to determine your undertone is less accurate, but if you burn easily, you likely have a cool undertone and if you tan, you are probably warm!
Photo via source.
2. Go to the store and pick three foundations
Now that you know your undertone, go to the store and pick out three foundations that you think could be your match. When testing, you should look for shades that match your overall body tone, not just your face or neck. Swatch all three products from the side of your chin down to the base of your neck, then lightly blend the edges. The right match should blend perfectly into your skin!
3. Beware of oxidation
Most foundation will oxidize, or become darker with exposure to air. To make sure that the foundation you chose in the previous step is still the best option, wear it for an hour then check back to make sure it still matches! If it changed drastically, you might need to choose a lighter shade! It’s always best to test this in the sunlight, since natural lighting will show any differences in color the best. Harsh indoor lighting will often affect how a color looks on your skin so make sure to go outside when choosing your foundation!
4. Don’t be afraid to mix and match!
Even across wide variety of brands, you may not find a foundation that matches your skin perfectly. But don’t worry! You can easily mix two foundations to get the best shade for your skin tone.
What’s your go to foundation?
41 Comments
Wonderful tips on choosing the correct foundation shade.! :)
Merci for sharing.
?LA BIJOUX BELLA ?| By Mia |A Creative Lifestyle Blog
Best tips ever as I have always been struggling when it comes to finding the perfect shade. Thank you so much !
Enjoy your day, you’re the best !
Right now I’m in between foudations… so I’m just put on some CC cream! This post was heaven sent! Thank you!!
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The never ending struggle lol in store the foundation looks amazing and then walk outside and you look like an Ooompa Loompa :)
Hahah it’s so real!! I always test in natural light just to make sure!!
I struggle so much with foundation… I think I’m a neutral. I tend to use MAC’c pro longwear foundation even though I find is little oily for my skin sometimes… I also use 24hr revlon, and clinique beyond perfecting foundation which I think is my favorite. My problem is that my face tends to go from really dry to oily in no time, so is difficult for me to find the perfect foundation… what would you recommend?
love you so much!!!
#snapchatfam!!
I’d make sure to moisturize really well to help with the dry skin, then use a mattifying primer and a translucent powder to help with the oiliness! Lots of love! xoxo
Thank you so much!!! love you
I always thought I had a cool undertone, but after reading this and checking my veins, I’m actually a warm undertone! Wow! What a difference! I’m rushing to the store now to try some new colors! Thanks so much for this really interesting post!
<3 <3
Perfect timing because I’m currently on the hunt for a foundation for my combination skin. I have tested out several foundations and still can’t find a shade that matches my skin type and skin tone. This post helps a ton! Thanks :) #snapchatfam ?
Hi sona thank u for this post really interesting i hope it help me next time
I didn’t realize you could tell from your veins thats such a help! I love the armani foundation so far the best match for me :)
I remember when you talked about, how the people in the stores that tried to help you in stores were giving you so wrong advices while getting foundations on snapchat. That’s why this video is so great, so we can actually choose our own shade and be happy with the result ?
This is seriously the hardest struggle!! Find a color that matches perfectly. Thanks for the helpful tips! I find that I have a lot of redness and maybe warmer undertones but I hate wearing a foundation with a pink tone! :confounded:
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You could try using a green color correct first or some kind of greenish primer to cancel out the redness! Then go in with foundation in the right undertone.
Finding a good shade is so hard. My favourite foundation is Revlon Colorstay and my perfect shade is 150 buff. Unfortunately, it’s sold out everywhere at the moment and I’m afraid I will have to buy something else for now… I’m actually going shopping on Friday and I’ll have to swatch a bunch of products, so the timing of this video is perfect! Thanks for always providing great tips,
Hugs! #snapchatfam
❤❤❤
Thank you for this! I swear I have the trickiest skin town. No foundation EVER matches me. Even when I am matched in store. I have just come to realize that I am so unique, cannot be replicated:) hahahaha
Thank you so much for writing this! This is so helpful! <3
Oh my gosh it’s such a challenge matching foundation! I also sometimes feel like sales people recommend a lot of different shades so I still don’t know what to choose! This is so helpful, Sona! I’m getting ready to go buy a darker shade for summer…I’ve also been having trouble because in the past year my skin has become a lot drier bc of some medications and I haven’t found the right moisturizer/foundation combo yet. Thanks for the advice – I trust you more than anyone!!!! #snapchatfam
Awww, you’re so sweet! If you have really dry skin, try using your moisturizer, then going in with a mix of foundation and moisturizer! I do this when my skin gets really dry, it usually helps!
Oh my gosh you are so awesome about replying to our comments, I love it! I will definitely give that a try! Thanks for the response!!!! :)
This was very helpful. I know my shade but sometimes when I want to try a new foundation and I have a hard time. I just bought the photo focus wetnwild foundation and when I actually tried it (since you can’t try it at Walmart) I realized it has a red undertone? So this will help me choose the correct shade.
I’m sure these steps infact this post is going to help masses! So happy that you put out everything on the blog, in your videos to help beginners like me.. Thank you so much!❤️
I love this!! Thank you for this post. I’m so glad you included a neutral category because I feel like I must fall into that… In my arms the veins truly appear blueish green to me… even though I feel at first thought- people would think I’m a cool tone as I have strawberry-blonde hair naturally and am fair-skinned! I do burn easily (if I don’t have sunscreen on- and even if I do sometimes lol) but it also usually turns to tan… I’m a mixture I feel like :) For example, my wedding dress was ivory with a nude underlay and it looked wayyyy better on me than if I had worn a true white gown. Foundation has always been a bit confusing to me… I grew up wearing tinted moisturizer and so I usually picked the fair color and my natural skin color usually shined through. I think at this point I typically match to my face. I will have to experiment with this a bit! Thanks love!! Your makeup is always so on point! XO
I am neutral for sure. My fav It Cosmetics CC cream pulls yellow on me, and my other fav BB cream pulls warm (Covergirl Clean Matte), so this morning I tried mixing the two, and it looks perfect on my skin! #SnapchatFam
I have been loving the Wet n Wild Photo Focus foundation! For such a cheap product, it looks beautiful on my skin and it lasts pretty much all day if I prime my skin beforehand! Great tips!
cool !!http://intelligently-fashionable.blogspot.com
Hi. You mention needing to know your undertone but why? How does it impact on how you choose your foundation?
Thanks
I can’t sleep and here I am at your blog ? This post is really helpful but I’m still thinking that my skin is so yellow (no like a chick but really yellow) and is hard for me to found a perfect color.
Any advice?
Thanks in advance. A hug from Ecuador
I currently use illamasqua skin base foundation but I feel like I want a more glowy one for summer so I’m definitely gonna try this next time I go looking for a foundation and Im gonna make sure to try it out for the whole day because I HATE when foundation oxidises – worst thing ever!
Such a helpful post it is. I have pale olive undertone and I must say it is truly life changing when you match your foundation correctly and it makes such a huge difference on the rest of your makeup, leaving your skin naturally flawless. Ahh No More Orange or Ashy Jawlines.. Thanks SONA for putting this together. Xoxo snapfamforlife
this was very helpful <3 thank's a lot.
I didn’t realize you could tell from your veins! I always have a hard time choosing a foundation. I will take this into consideration next time!
Wow, so many good tips! I definitely learned something new about finding my undertone, thanks Sona! xoxo #snapchatfam
This video (and post) were soooooo helpful. It’s always hard to get a perfect match, I usually have to mix foundations. I think that what most people do wrong is getting their undertone right. That alone is half the battle. Have a good week xxx
absolutely loved this video! Probably one of my favorites. Its always a struggle to find the perfect match and I had no idea it was based on your undertone. THANKS SONA!! #snapchatfam
I still get confused while buying a foundation. Have at last found a match in a concealer, macs pro long wear. I mix it with moisturiser and strobe cream ! Any other suggestions ? ☺️?
This is so interesting!! I had to look up my veins lol ? I am a nuetral tone gal, I will definitely try the Hourglass (is there only a stick foundation for that brand?) thanks for the detailed info. ??? #snapchatfam ?
Thanks for the tips, Sona! I think I am neutral but I had a question, I’ve watched some of your videos where you say find the foundation that matches your body not your neck, so do you always put foundation on your neck as well? Also it seems whatever foundation I try, it’s always cakey looking and seems to separate a lot through out the day, any tips on that? Ah sorry foundation is just such a struggle for me? #snapchatfam