Take a good look at the veins on your wrist under natural light for an easy way to determine your undertone. If your veins look green, it is likely you have warm undertones; if they are blue/purple, you have cool undertones. If they appear blue/green or match your skin colour, you most likely have neutral undertones.
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.
Your ideal foundation shade probably won't match your face or hands or neck exactly. The idea is to find an undertone match with your body, and pick a foundation which is a cross between your face's colour, and that of your chest. This is because the skin on the chest reflects your undertones better than your face.
Flip over your arm and take a look at the inside of your wrist. If your veins appear to have a blue or deep purple tint, you likely have cool skin undertones. If they look more greenish, you likely have warm or olive undertones. If you can't tell one way or the other, you may have neutral undertones.
Your foundation should blend seamlessly with your natural skin tone. You don't want there to be an obvious difference between where your foundation ends and your bare skin begins. Otherwise, your foundation will look unnatural and caked on.
'Beige' and 'Sand' foundation shades have warm tones.
The Bare Minimum: 5 to 10 Shades
As an artist, you know you sometimes need to mix colours to get the perfect shade. So if you have at least 5 shades of foundation on hand, you should be able to mix them to create an ideal match for each client.
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.
What is the colour of your veins? The easiest way to determine your undertone is by opting for a closer inspection of the insides of your wrists. If they appear green, your undertone is warm while blue veins signify cooler undertones. If you can see a mix of both, you likely have neutral undertones.
If you're not sure, checking the color of your veins is a quick way to find out. Take a look at the veins in and around your face and neck. If you see blue veins, you have cool undertones. If your veins appear green on the skin (olive), you're warm.
“Bring the bottle up to your neck to try to match the color to your skin, as close as possible,” he says. Then, seek out the area of the drugstore that has the best lighting and mirrors. “Sometimes this is not always the makeup aisle. Look for a place with some natural light seeping through.”
Colours that suit your skin tone. Clarins advises, “If your skin has pink or red undertones, go for a beige or pinky-beige foundation. Those with sallow skins with yellow undertones can colour correct with a pinky beige or neutral foundation. And those with olive or dark skin should choose golden beige shades.”
Softer neutral colors like cream, beige, taupe, mushroom gray and cappuccino all can pair nicely with a warm skin tone. Natural, warm colors generally work well with warmer skin tones.
Beige/Warm Beige: Beige skin tone is a light medium tone. Warm beige is a slightly darker than beige that is best foundation for medium skin tone. Natural: Natural skin tone is a warm medium skin tone. Honey: As the name suggests, is a honey toned medium skin tone.
Many of us think that we should apply base products all over the face, but this isn't actually the case and is a common foundation mistake. “Too much product on the skin doesn't look natural,” says Naoko.
While coverage level is a matter of personal preference, those with mature skin will want to blur texture and blend discoloration with a formula that doesn't settle into fine lines or dry patches—meaning it's best to avoid matte makeup, as it's more prone to creasing.
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! Knowing how to pick the right concealer is essential to ensuring that your look does not appear ghostly.
Consider how sun affects your skin
“If you have blue/purple veins and burn easily, you likely have a cool undertone. If your veins are more aqua/blue-green color and after time in the sun you burn first and then tan, you are likely a neutral undertone.”
The general rule of thumb is that skin with cool undertones look best with greys, browns, blues, greens and purples. Skin with warm undertones look best with either bright or light colors. And skin with neutral undertones looks great in bold, bright colors.