How to choose foundation color for my face

So you want to start wearing makeup and it feels daunting? Join the club. Looking for the right foundation and they all just look the same to you- you’re not alone. If you’re a beginner, you probably have very little idea about what to choose and are perhaps feeling overwhelmed with all of the choices. Believe me – we have all been there. Don’t be fooled by the flawless Instagram pics we all see daily – everyone starts somewhere! Makeup is supposed to be enjoyable, not a chore! So you’re wondering: How to choose foundation color for my face? Well,  sit back, relax, and go through my beginner’s guide to foundation:

1. There are two types – liquid and powder

Liquid foundation has diversified in recent years to include BB Creams, CC creams, tinted moisturizers. If you’re needing less coverage, tinted moisturizers, BB and CC creams are a great choice. They don’t offer as much coverage as a foundation, but I’d advise to only choose a heavier foundation if your skin truly needs it. An oil-free foundation is a good choice if your skin is very oily or you live in a very humid or hot area. If you have dry skin – remember it is essential to always put on moisturizer before applying your foundation. Sometimes people use very heavy coverage due to skin redness, if that’s you, consider using a green correcting primer. Those with dry skin should possibly opt for a cream or liquid formula over powders to avoid your skin looking flaky!

If you’ve got more of a combination to oily skin, a semi-matte look is a preferred choice for many women. So choose a medium coverage and help it to stay in place with a little bit of setting powder.

Then you also get the powder foundation which can either be pressed or loose. Some people prefer using liquid or power, while others like me prefer a combination. Powder foundation can be great to set your makeup if you’re going to have a long day and want to stay looking fresh.  Pressed powder can really help with an oily T-zone.

So three things you need to keep in mind and that you can chat to a consultant about at the store are

• Price
• Light or heavy coverage
• Oily or dry skin

2. Choosing the right color

I’m going to do a separate post about knowing your skins undertones in order to find the perfect shade, but here are a few simple tips. Beauty experts say you must match from the cheek side but always make sure that you’re matching the color in your chest and not the color on your neck. The reason for this is because your neck actually doesn’t see much sun so it’s always a few shades lighter than your face. Often women actually match the shade on their neck as opposed to their chest.

As a general trend, women need more coverage in the middle of the face as opposed to the outer sides so you should always be blending towards your ears (where you need less coverage). We also mainly see the front of people’s face so that’s where we need most of the coverage

Tips

•  If you don’t trust the store lighting (like me!) I’d recommend that you test a color on the back of your hand and then walk outside.
• Leave it on for a few minutes to see how it changes as it is absorbed into your skin.
• If you chose to splurge on a high-end foundation or concealer, I’d recommend asking for a sample before buying the full size. This is the only way to see how long the makeup last on your face, what sort of primer goes well with it and if it causes any breakouts.

Best of luck ladies!! As always message me if you have any questions. Look out for my posts on instagram too xx