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.
Blend The Foundation Lighter Than You
When in doubt, always pick a shade that is slightly lighter than your complexion rather than darker. This can prevent your complexion from looking darker than the rest of your body. It is the safest way to go when unsure about two shades that may look too light or too dark.
Experts weigh in on topics and give us answers to difficult questions like whether or not primer really matters and if you should really spend any time on contouring your nose. You shouldn't put foundation on your neck. Makeup artists also warn against going crazy with contouring.
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.
Your neck is another place you shouldn't match with because it is literally always in the shadow of your face, and doesn't get tanned. So, it's not ideal to match your foundation to that. Instead, it's better to apply your foundation down to your neck, so that it blends into the colour of your chest.
A general rule to live by: If you're wearing anything other than a turtleneck and you're wearing base makeup, you should blend your foundation downwards past the jawline to ensure your head and neck don't look like separate entities.
Our face skin produces more melanin compared to the rest of the body, so our face skin is generally a bit darker. The harmful rays of the sunlight can damage the melanin cells and as the face is more exposed to sunlight, it is the first to be impacted.
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.
Whether you have red hair and fair skin or black hair and dark ebony skin, the foundation must match your underlying skin color exactly. Do not buy a foundation that will make your face look even a shade or two darker or lighter or change its underlying color in any manner.
Never put concealer or foundation on your eyelids as a base, it will cause your eye makeup to crease.
Yes, many professional makeup artists and beauty gurus swear by applying liquid foundation with their fingers. This tactile approach provides a skin-like, natural makeup result since you're massaging the makeup onto your skin. Using your fingers works on all skin types and with both cream and liquid foundation.
Fingers are best for a quick and natural application; sponges are good for achieving a flawless finish; and brushes are ideal for full coverage.
An easy and telling way to check your undertone is by merely looking at your veins. If they're purplish or bluish, you have a cool undertone. For those with green or olive in color, you're considered warm. For bluish-green veins or a mix of both, you're neutral.
Know your undertone
You've probably heard people describe their skin tone and their foundation as “cool”, “warm”, or “neutral” and this is one of the most important factors in determining the right foundation shade that best matches you. Undertones are the colours that come through and add an overall hue to your skin.
"If your neck is lighter than your face and you don't want your face to be as pale, choose one shade lighter than your face so its comparable. (You can always 'warm up' the face with bronzer if your complexion still appears light.) This way it's not too light or that much warmer than your neck."
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.
Add your lightest shade of foundation to the tops of your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, the centre of your chin and just above your jawline. Use a darker foundation (the one you most likely use in the summer months – two shades darker, ideally) and apply this colour to the hollow areas of your cheeks.
Your face is naturally lighter since if reproduces skin cells so often.
Wearing sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, avoiding the sun during the hottest times of the day, and wearing sun-protective clothing can help reduce skin damage and uneven skin tone. There are additional natural remedies, such as topical vitamin C and azeliac acid, that may help improve skin tone.
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!
The oxidation process is caused by your foundation getting exposed to air. As a result, it causes your foundation to darken to an orange hue. This can happen post-application or while the formula is in the bottle. Your foundation can also oxidize because of your skin texture.