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.
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.
If your makeup is too light, you will look ashy or as if you have a gray cast on your skin. If the formula is too dark, it can make your complexion look muddy. Look for the shade that disappears into your skin most is your right match.
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.
If you are COOL and pick a WARM or NEUTRAL foundation, it will look yellow on you. If you are WARM and pick a COOL foundation, it will make your skin look pale and icy. If you pick a NEUTRAL foundation, it will look grey.
A similar process occurs with your foundation. The pigments and oils in your makeup can react to air, your skin's acidity and natural oils, causing your foundation to turn darker.
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.
“First of all, know that your face is not a wall, so you don't need to apply foundation evenly everywhere. That's when it'd look unnatural, heavy, and flat. Apply it only to where you need, and always be sure to avoid putting it over areas with lines, like smile lines, since that would bring them out even more.”
Once you've got that new foundation at home, don't apply it just to the face. Blend your makeup, preferably with a blending sponge, all the way down, over and beneath the jawbone, to the neck. This creates a seamless look. Who knows where your foundation begins and ends?
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.
The makeup should look flawless, it should be like your second skin. And people who think that using a lighter foundation will make them look fairer, they are completely wrong. It will only give them a white cast and it will make them look zombie-like in photos."
“Always match foundation on your jawline where your complexion is most even. You want to match both the surface tone and under tone of your skin. It's more important to match the color in your chest than your neck which is normally always slightly lighter than your face.
3. When In Doubt, Always Go Lighter and Use Bronzer. If you're stuck between the lighter and the darker shade, it's much easier to create a darker-looking complexion with the help of bronzer than it is to lighten up a darker hue. Bronzer offers definition and dimension to a lighter foundation.
Without proper hydration, makeup will cling to any flakes or patches, leading to an uneven finish that looks dull rather than vibrant and dewy. To avoid this issue, make sure you use a good quality facial moisturizer with SPF daily before applying any other products to your face.
Whether you wear foundation that's too dark or too light, you put yourself at risk of more than an unnatural look; it can also add years to your face. "Wearing the wrong shade of foundation all over tends to make the skin look someone aged," Winkenwerder warns.
This usually means your skincare products underneath are clashing. Always leave enough time for your serums and moisturisers to dry between layers. Applying hydrating serums to damp skin can also help. If foundation separation is your issue, try to use products with similar textures.
'Beige' and 'Sand' foundation shades have warm tones.
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.
Check the Color of Your Veins
If you look at the veins on your wrists in natural light, the color you see can tell you a lot about your undertone. If they look slightly green, you probably have warm undertones, but if they skew more blue or purple, your undertones are likely cool.
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.”
How To Choose The Best Foundation for Cool Undertones? Beige, shell, or tan shades or foundations with red or pink undertones are ideal for cool skin tones. Also, foundations for cool undertones are marked C as the liquid may have subtle nuances of pink to complement your cool tones.
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.