FOUNDATION 101: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO FIND YOUR SHADE

ONE OF THE WORST CRIMES IN BEAUTY THAT A PERSON CAN MAKE IS WEARING THE WRONG SHADE OF FOUNDATION.TOO LIGHT MAKES YOU APPEAR GHOSTLY AND TOO DARK MAKES YOU APPEAR...WELL.... JUST WRONG!! A LOT OF THE TIMES IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND YOUR PERFECT SHADE BECAUSE THE COSMETIC COMPANIES DON'T MAKE AN ARRAY OF DARK COLORS. RECENTLY I'VE NOTICED THAT COSMETIC COMPANIES ARE HEARING OUR COMPLAINTS AND ARE TRYING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. IN THE MEAN TIME AFTER FOLLOWING THIS GUIDE BELOW IF YOU STILL CAN'T FIND YOUR SHADE, AS STATED IN AN EARLIER POST YOU CAN MIX A COLOR LIGHTER THAN YOU AND A COLOR DARKER THAN YOU TO GET THAT PERFECT TONE. BELOW IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW IN ORDER TO FIND YOUR PERFECT SHADE. 

STEP 1: FIGURE OUT WHAT YOUR UNDERTONE(S) ARE...

MOST UNDERTONES FALL UNDER THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

*YELLOW/GOLDEN

*OLIVE

*PINK/ RED 

*BLUE 

**MANY COSMETIC COMPANIES LABEL THEIR PRODUCTS WARM/COOL/NEUTRAL, TO MAKE THIS PROCESS A LITTLE SIMPLER WHEN PURCHASING PRODUCT YOU MAY SEE IT LABELED AS SUCH:

YELLOW/GOLDEN  (WARM)

OLIVE (NEUTRAL)

PINK/RED (COOL)

BLUE (COOL)

WAYS TO FIGURE OUT YOUR UNDERTONES!!!

1. TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR SKIN IN NATURAL LIGHT AND SEE WHICH ONE(S) OF THESE COLORS SHINE THROUGH THE MOST. ** IF YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT UNDERTONE ON YOUR FACE THAN YOUR NECK YOU CAN BUY TWO DIFFERENT FOUNDATIONS OR JUST GO WITH THE ONES ON YOUR NECK, BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS WANT YOUR NECK TO MATCH YOUR FACE. **MANY WOMEN OF COLOR TEND TO HAVE LIGHTER TONES TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE FACE IN THIS CASE YOU CAN USE A LIGHTER FOUNDATION IN THE LIGHTER PORTION AND A DARKER ONE ON THE SIDES.
2. LOOK AT THE VEINS IN YOUR ARMS ARE THEY GREEN OR BLUE? IF THEY ARE GREEN MOST LIKELY YOUR UNDERTONES WILL BE YELLOW/GOLDEN (WARM). IF THEY ARE BLUE YOUR UNDERTONES ARE MOST LIKELY RED/PINK OR BLUE (COOL).
3. GET A PAIR OF SILVER EARRINGS AND A PAIR OF GOLD EARRINGS WHICH ONES LOOK THE BEST AGAINST YOUR SKIN TONE? IF YOU LIKE THE SILVER EARRINGS BEST YOU'RE COOL. IF YOU THINK THAT BOTH LOOK EQUALLY FLATTERING YOU COULD BE OLIVE (NEUTRAL).IF THE GOLD FLATTERS YOU THE MOST YOU ARE WARM.

** IT IS COMPLETELY FALSE THAT ANY ONE ETHNIC GROUP HAS ALL THE SAME UNDERTONES. EX. ALL AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN OR WOMEN OF COLOR DO NOT HAVE WARM UNDERTONES**

STEP 2: DETERMINE YOUR SKIN TONE

WHEN YOU DISCOVER YOUR UNDERTONES, IT IS NOW TIME TO DETERMINE YOUR SKIN TONE. TRY A COUPLE FOUNDATIONS IN YOUR UNDERTONE CLOSE TO YOUR SKIN TONE IN THREE SEPARATE SPOTS ALONG YOUR JAW LINE AS CLOSE TO YOUR NECK AS POSSIBLE. BLEND THOSE IN WHICH EVER ONE DISAPPEARS INTO YOUR SKIN CLEANLY AND SEAMLESSLY IN NATURAL LIGHT IS YOUR CORRECT SHADE. ** WEAR THIS SHADE ALL DAY AND SEE IF IT REMAINS THE SAME COLOR. SOMETIMES FOUNDATION TENDS TO OXIDIZE THROUGHOUT THE DAY CAUSING THE FOUNDATION TO MIX WITH YOUR SKIN'S NATURAL OILS AND APPEAR DARKER**

** IF YOU TAN IN THE SUMMER GET A SAMPLE SIZE OF A DARKER SHADE TO MIX IN WITH YOUR COLOR TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR FOUNDATION MATCHES YEAR ROUND.

STEP 3: DETERMINE YOUR SKIN TYPE

TO DETERMINE YOUR SKIN TYPE WASH YOUR FACE WITH A GENTLE CLEANSER AND LET AIR DRY. AFTER 15-20 MIN FEEL YOUR FACE. HOW DOES IT FEEL? IF IT FEELS SUPPLE YOU HAVE NORMAL SKIN. IF IT FEELS DRY, YOU HAVE DRY SKIN. IF IT FEELS MOIST OR OILY, YOU HAVE OILY SKIN.IF YOU'RE ONLY OILY IN YOUR T-ZONE AREA (FOREHEAD, NOSE) YOU HAVE A COMBINATION.

BASED ON YOUR SKIN TYPE, YOU NEED TO BE SURE TO PICK THE CORRECT FOUNDATION FORMULA. EVEN IF YOU HAVE FOUND A FOUNDATION IN YOUR CORRECT UNDER TONE AND SKIN TONE IT MUST ALSO BE IN THE CORRECT FORMULA OR YOUR MAKEUP WILL APPEAR TOO DRY OR TOO OILY. COSMETIC COMPANIES LABEL THEIR PRODUCT TO MAKE THIS PROCESS A LITTLE EASIER YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES.

• NORMAL SKIN: WORKS WELL WITH LIQUID BUT POWDERS, CREAMS, AND MINERAL FORMULAS MAY BE USED AS WELL.
• DRY SKIN:LIQUIDS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR DRY SKIN MAYBE USED AS WELL AS SOME CREME FOUNDATIONS AND MINERAL FORMULAS
• OILY SKIN: POWDER AND MINERAL FORMULAS WORK BEST. LIQUID FORMULAS MAY ALSO BE USED IF DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR OILY SKIN,

FOR ALL SKIN TYPES IF YOU NEED TO TOUCH UP SHINE TRY BLOT POWDER WHICH WILL ABSORB SHINE WITHOUT ADDING ANY COLOR TO YOUR LOOK. YOU CAN ALSO USE FIX+SPRAY WHICH FIXES THE CAKE EFFECT AND LEAVES THE SKIN LOOKING DEWEY.

STEP 4: DETERMINE YOUR COVERAGE AMOUNT

IF YOUR COMPLEXION HAS FEW BLEMISHES OR IMPERFECTIONS, A LIGHTWEIGHT OR SHEER FORMULA WOULD BE IDEAL OR EVEN A TINTED MOISTURIZER.**THIS IS ALSO A GOOD DAYTIME MAKEUP OPTION.

MEDIUM COVERAGE IS USED FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDS TO COVER SOME BLEMISHES HOWEVER, STILL WANT A NATURAL LOOK.** THIS IS GREAT FOR GOING OUT OR BEING PHOTOGRAPHED.

FULL COVERAGE HELPS TO COVER ALL FLAWS ON THE SKIN, HELPS PROBLEM SKIN TO APPEAR FLAWLESS. THE BEST FULL COVERAGE FOUNDATION PROVIDES COVERAGE FOR TROUBLESOME AREAS BUT REMAINS NATURAL LOOKING. A LIGHT HAND IS NECESSARY FOR THIS TYPE. CAN LOOK LIKE A MASK IF TOO MUCH IS USED.