When it comes to finding the perfect foundation match, there is more to take into consideration then just the surface color of your skin. Often times I have clients that state the when they put on foundation their skin looks dull and lifeless, but when I put it on them they have a natural glow and look flawless. The simple answer to this statement is that they have incorrectly matched their foundation.
Finding a foundation that gives you flawless skin and that natural glow requires two steps: 1) knowing your skin tone (eg, fair, light, medium, dark) and 2) knowing your undertone (eg, warm, cool, neutral). Most people are able to identify their skin tone, but get trumped when it comes to undertones. The number one mistake that people make is matching their foundation to their skin tone instead of their undertone. Doing this will results in your face looking a different color then the rest of your body.
Today I am going to give you some tips and tricks on finding your ultimate foundation match:
Step 1: Determine your skin tone. This is the easy part and can be determined just by taking a look at your skin; your skin tone will be; fair, light, medium or dark. This will help you determine which foundation shade range you are in.
Once you figure out what shade range you are in, the next step is to find your undertone.
Step 2: Determine your undertone. You will fall into one of three categories. Warm, Cool or Neutral. The most asked question is “well how do I figure out what undertone I am?” Here are a few tricks that will help you figure out your undertone.
You have a Warm undertone if:
- under natural light the veins on your wrist are green
- wearing gold jewelry is flattering to your skin tone
- in the sun your skin tans easily
You have a Cool undertone if:
- under natural light the veins on your wrist are blue or purple
- wearing silver jewelry is flattering to your skin tone
- in the sun your skin burns easily and does not tan
You have a Neutral undertone if:
- under natural light the veins on your wrist are both green and blue
- wearing both gold and silver jewelry is flattering to your skin tone
- in the sun your skin appears more olive then yellow
Most foundations will specify if they are Warm, cool or neutral. This information along with your skin tone will give you your ultimate foundation match.
