The experts have spoken, and the answer is, foundation should be one or two shades lighter than your skin tone. This is because when you use bronzer or contour then the foundation should be able to blend and give the perfect look to your face.
If your makeup is too light, you will look ashy or as if you have a gray cast on your skin. If the formula is too dark, it can make your complexion look muddy. Look for the shade that disappears into your skin most is your right match.
It's a common question that creates many different opinions among makeup enthusiasts. 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!
"Always go a shade lighter than your foundation." The lighter tone will cancel out dark discoloration, but be careful not to go too fair. Concealers that are more than one shade lighter than your skin tone can leave you with a ghostly shadow.
For the most part, regardless of your race, nationality, or age, your foundation should be some shade of neutral ivory, neutral beige, tan, dark brown, bronze brown, or ebony, with a slight, and I mean very slight, undertone of yellow.
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.
Celebrity makeup artist Frederick Sanders recommends starting with two or three shades that look closest to your complexion and blending them all in fully. "The foundation should match the side of your face and your neck to prevent you from looking like you're wearing a mask," he says.
So, do you use concealer before or after foundation? The proper way to apply the two products is to first smooth on a foundation and then apply your concealer. Foundation will create that even canvas we talked about earlier, and then concealer can be used to spot correct any outstanding areas that need extra coverage.
Applying foundation first creates an even base to reduce overall redness, discoloration and minor blemishes. If you apply your concealer first, you may end up wiping some off when you apply foundation or using a lot more product than necessary, which can create a heavy, cakey look.
If you're not sure, checking the color of your veins is a quick way to find out. Take a look at the veins in and around your face and neck. If you see blue veins, you have cool undertones. If your veins appear green on the skin (olive), you're warm.
Mix it with moisturizer
If you find that your foundation is a little too dark, all you need to do is take a little of it on the back of your hand, and then add a dab of moisturizer to it. Then, mix it up, check if the shade is all right, and apply it to your face.
Pick the right foundation shade and your skin shouldn't look made up at all. Instead, it should just look like great skin—luminous, healthy, and flawless. Counterintuitively, finding an exact match with foundation or tinted moisturizer isn't the goal, explains Kosas founder Sheena Yaitanes.
The makeup should look flawless, it should be like your second skin. And people who think that using a lighter foundation will make them look fairer, they are completely wrong. It will only give them a white cast and it will make them look zombie-like in photos."
Never put concealer or foundation on your eyelids as a base, it will cause your eye makeup to crease.
Leave The Concealer For at Least 10 to 20 Minutes
You can use this time to line your lips, style your hair, or fill in your eyebrows. Working with dark eyeshadow or doing a smokey eye look is not recommended during this time, since it can cause fallout under the eyes area.
Foundations are meant to make skin even and either luminous or matte, depending on skin type, and both of these formulas will do nothing to help you under your eyes. While it doesn't hurt to put foundation under your eyes, it certainly doesn't help. Skip this move and only add concealer and/or corrector under the eyes.
If you're a novice, try a powder foundation that's right for your skin type. "It's the easiest to apply, and it disappears into the skin more easily than liquid formulas," says New York City makeup artist Mally Roncal. Next easiest is a cream foundation in a compact (which is great for dry complexions).
Cream Test: Grab two articles of clothing, one white and the other off-white. While wearing no makeup, decide which color complements your skin tone best. If it's the pure-white shade, your undertones are warm. If the cream color suits you more, you have cool undertones.
Remember, there's no “best way” to apply your foundation, as both application techniques have their perks and unique touch. Applying foundation with a brush achieves flawless coverage and a precise, even finish. When you apply foundation with fingers, you tend to get a more natural effect that mimics your skin.
Applying foundation with my fingers not only gives me the best foundation finish, but it also doubles as a facial massage. I find that my face looks more rosy and supple after applying foundation with my hands, as opposed to tapping it on in a repeated motion like you would with a sponge.
Fingers are best for a quick and natural application; sponges are good for achieving a flawless finish; and brushes are ideal for full coverage. And sometimes, a little mixing and matching can go a long way.
Swatch the foundation on your chest because usually, it's a closer match to the color of your face. However, if you feel like your chest is very different in color, use an area of your body that is a closer match. If you can test the foundation on your face, swatch it in multiple areas of your face.
Unless you want to color correct, don't fight against your skin's natural undertones. If you have a warm complexion, go with a shade that has yellow undertones, and if your complexion is on the cool side, a foundation with pink undertones is your best bet.