When you were young, did you watch your mother put on makeup? You were probably in awe over how she knew what cosmetics to use to get the flawless look she achieved. Maybe you learned how to put on makeup as your mom did. If so, you may be in a makeup rut wherein you’re using the same cosmetics now that you did years ago.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with sticking to a routine if it’s working for you. But are you sure you’re using the right products? More specifically, is the foundation you’re using the right one that matches your skin tone? Is your foundation doing a good job of covering those flaws you don’t want to show? Or is your foundation just OK?
If your foundation isn’t right for you, it’s time to find one that is. Your foundation is the most important part of your entire makeup routine. It helps create the base for the rest of your makeup so you get a beautiful, flaw-free finish. And that’s the whole point of makeup anyway, right?
Pick the Right Foundation Makeup: Our Tips
Before you rush out to look for a new foundation, finish reading this first. We’ve put together some tips to help you choose the right foundation makeup.
When you follow this guide, you won’t pick the wrong foundation. Instead, you’ll pick one that matches your skin tone and provides you with the right amount of coverage. Your complexion will look picture-perfect and completely flawless. Ready, let’s get on with the tips!
Tip #1: Understand that Foundation Isn’t Skincare
While our first tip isn’t about choosing a foundation, it is worth listing. And it’s so important, we made it our number one tip. It’s essential to know that foundation is not skincare.
Skincare is all about the products you use to enhance your skin. It’s the moisturizer you use to hydrates your skin. It’s also the face serum you put on to obscure signs of aging or to refine your pores.
Using the appropriate skincare products will keep your skin healthy and youthful-looking. These products will also counteract dryness or oiliness and help keep your skin well-balanced. Once you’ve used your skincare products, it’s time to apply your foundation.
Tip #2: Know Your Skin Type to Narrow Down Your Choices
When you start looking for a new foundation to buy, you’ll quickly become overwhelmed. There are so many to choose from, it’s dizzying. That’s why you need to narrow down the list of available options. The best way to do that is to know your skin type.
Why is skin type important? Because not all foundations work on every type of skin. For example, an oil-based foundation isn’t the best choice if your skin is already oily. A dry powder foundation would be a poor choice if you have dry skin. Get it? You have to know your skin type before you shop for foundation so you know what type you need.
Here are the main skin types and the best foundation types for each.
- Oily skin: If your skin is oily, use a powder foundation that won’t add oil. Alternatively, you can use a liquid if it’s oil-free.
- Dry skin: Dry skin needs foundation that hydrates. That’s why liquid foundations are routinely recommended for dry skin. The lightweight, watery formula of a liquid foundation banishes all signs of dryness while producing a natural glow.
- Normal skin: If you’re someone with normal skin, you can use any type of foundation you like. There are liquids, creams, powders, and sticks available that all work for your skin type.
- Combination skin: Is your skin dry in some places and oily in others? Then you have combination skin. You can use either a liquid or powder foundation. Choose one that matches your particular needs and skin color, and you’re good to go.
Tip #3: Know the Intensity of Your Skin Color
Foundations come in many colors, and when we say many, we mean it! That’s why you need to know what skin color intensity your complexion is. It can be a straight-up medium, but it’s more likely to be somewhere in-between. Your skin intensity can be very light, light, light-medium, medium-deep, deep, or very deep.
If this is all too confusing for you, use this tip: Remove any makeup you have on. Then look at yourself in the mirror in natural daylight. Snap a selfie and find a skin color intensity chart online. Find the closest matching intensity category you fall in to.
Tip #4: Identify Your Undertone
Your undertone is the color of your skin below its outer surface. Take a look at your bare skin and think about how pink-toned or yellow-toned it is. If it’s a rosy pink, you’ve got a cool undertone. If it’s more golden, you have a warm undertone. If it’s a combination of the two, or you can’t call yours warm or cool, you have a neutral undertone.
Tip #5: Decide What Type of Coverage You Need
There are three main options regarding foundation coverage: Light, medium, and full. Foundations are formulated differently. Some are made for light coverage. Light coverage foundations are made to even out skin tone while letting your natural complexion show through.
Medium coverage foundations are formulated to hide minor skin imperfections, while still allowing your complexion to look natural.
Full coverage foundations are the heavy-hitters. They give you maximum coverage to hide significant flaws like acne scars, and blemishes. A full-coverage foundation won’t let your natural complexion show at all.
Hint: Regardless of what coverage you decide you need, use concealer first. Concealer can hide minor imperfections like dark undereye circles. Once you’ve concealed your imperfections, you can apply foundation to even your skin tone and prep your skin for the rest of your makeup.
Tip #6: Decide what Foundation Type you Need
The two main types of foundations are liquids and powders. You have to decide what type is right for you. Liquid foundations offer dewy, satiny, velvety, and matte finishes. If you have normal, dry, or combination skin, you can use a liquid foundation. But if your skin is oily, it’s best to go with a drier powder foundation that won’t make your skin look greasy.
Powder foundation comes in two basic types: loose and pressed. Powder foundations offer light to full coverage with shine-free finishes. If you have dry skin or rosacea, don’t even consider using a powder because it can settle into dry areas. But if your skin is normal, oily, or a combination of the two, a powder will work just fine.
Tip# 7: Ask a Professional
Most cosmetic counters at department stores have makeup professionals on hand to answer questions. If you can’t decide what type of foundation you should be using, head down to your local store to speak to an expert. The chances are that you’ll be offered a few samples to try on your skin.
If you decide to do this, don’t feel like you have to buy foundation from that store. You can simply thank them for their help and walk out. Unless of course, you have the money to spend on top-of-the-line foundation. But if you’re like most of us, you can’t afford those foundations. So go home and shop for foundation online and save a bundle!
Conclusion
Picking a foundation that caters to your skin’s needs can be tricky. Foundation comes in a multitude of shades and formulas. Foundation is also the trickiest makeup product to use. It can either give you a drop-dead gorgeous complexion or do the complete opposite if you get it wrong.
It’s not so easy to choose the right foundation. In fact, if you don’t know much about foundation, picking one can drive you crazy. We get that. That’s why we’ve put together these tips!
When you’ve finally found the right foundation makeup, most people won’t even realize you’re wearing makeup at all. Don’t let the world of foundations confuse you. Tap into the info we provided above and take all the mystery out of it!
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