Foundation 411…

… or HOW TO MAKE FOUNDATION WORK FOR YOU.

Many girls have committed the crime of mismatching foundation. The ones with the mask line on the forehead, the ugly orange line on the chin, or those “ghost-faces” caught by the flash of the camera.

There are various ways to find the right shade for you. Here are some tips to help you out in that quest for the Holy Grail Foundation.

Are you Cool, Neutral, or Warm?
There are different shades of foundation and not all of them are made for your skin tone. Look at the underside of your wrist in natural light, if the veins are blue, you have a cool undertone. Cool undertone people look flattering in reds, pinks, purples and blues. A warm undertone would have olive/greenish veins and look best in browns,yellows, oranges and other earthy colors. Neutrals would have the traits of both (neutral-cools and neutral-warms are also there).
Most makeup websites will have a clearer description of what warm, neutral and cool is to them. I recommend looking at the websites of the brands you are interested in as there isnt an exact science to determining this and some companies sees things differently compared to another. (some companies like MAC invert the names on their foundations and others have more than just the three - red undertones anyone?)

Get color matched at a makeup counter
They may not always know whats the right shade, but most of the makeup artists who have the right training will get it right. I recommend going to the high-end brand counters like MAC or Prescriptives to get color matched (and you dont even have to buy their product! But do get a sample). They will most likely get close to your color as there is nothing like having someone elses perspective on this. Most people tend to think that they are lighter than they really are - so some people get surprised that they get color matched to a darker color.
Do note that at MAC, when they give you a foundation with the word cool in it (such as NC or neutral cool) this means that you have a warm undertone and vice versa. Please refer to their website for more details on that.

Test liquid foundation on your jawline not your wrist
Why? most people make the mistake of matching foundation to their face instead of their neck. This results in a mask-like look as most peoples face is a little lighter than the rest of their body. The best way to do it would be to dab a streak of foundation on your face to your neck (the jawline). Let it dry and whatever disappears into your skin is going to be the perfect shade for you when blended. Here is a sample of what I am talking about:

First thing to note (that is my jawline btw) that I am a neutral-warm. And as you can see, foundation #1 and #2 are what disappeared over time. They are my best match (with foundation #1 as, in my opinion the best match). The first one is more orangey and thus is a warm color. The rest have more pink undertones to them and are more neutral to cool colors. Since I have some neutral undertones in me, I can pull off shade #2 when it is paired with a good setting powder, blush or bonzer. The rest of the foundations tested either disappear only on my face but not the neck, or show up when the camera flash is on or under natural light.
Sometimes, if you cant find the right shade of foundation for you in a product line that you like, it is common for people to mix foundations. That little extra work can give you the perfect shade.

The Camera Test
This test is something that I do and I think any one with access to a digital camera should do when they buy foundation. Take a picture of yourself with the flash on and the flash off. I find that some foundations will create, as I like to call it, a “Ghost-face” where the face is white as a sheet when the flash is on. This usually happens when the foundation is either not the right shade or has an oil base. I’ve seen plenty of relatives (and once *dies* myself) fall victim to this horrid - HORRID! - thing. Thus the camera test.
Now when you do find that the camera flash gives you a ghost face, there are a few things you can do to fix this - did I say Horrid? - problem:

The camera test is also good to test concealers and whether it shows through your foundation.

I hope this little bit of info that I typed up, based on my makeup journey, will help you as well.

Big thanks to the makeup companies with actual helpful info on their websites and to the wonderful users at MakeupTalk forums for helping me get better at this as well.

Have fun dollface!