CHOOSING THE RIGHT KIND OF FOUNDATION FOR YOUR SKIN TONE

 

Is it just me, or does anyone else notice that a lot of women in Nigeria, especially, move around with the wrong shade of makeup foundation on their faces? It’s disheartening, and quite funny that some women are comfortable wearing makeup that distinctly separates their face from the rest of their body. It is not usually common to see someone wearing makeup where the face is darker than the neck and body. What is very common, is that a lot of women choose to have their faces lighter than the rest of the body. I use the word “choose” because in 8 cases out of 10, they do it deliberately.

Finding the right shade of foundation in liquid, cream or solid form can be hard even for a make up pro, so it is understandably not an easy process. However, you can find it if you apply the right principles. Here are ways to find the right shade of foundation for your skin tone.   

Know your undertones

Undertones can seem like something a white person should be concerned about, but it isn’t. Undertones apply to everyone, and is not related to how light or dark you are. It is safe to say that there are about three undertones, and all are applicable to anyone. For example, you have cool undertones if the exposed area of your body like your chest and shoulders look red or pink. You have a warm undertone if the exposed area of your skin has a yellow or golden hue to it. Finally, people with neutral undertones have both cool and warm undertones, or they can even have an olive shade.

Armed with the right information about your undertones, you can walk into a makeup store and find the right shade.

Know your skin type

Skin type is very different from skin shade. For your skin type, you could either have a normal skin, oily skin or a combination skin. Whereas your skin shade can either be light, medium or dark. All these are very important when choosing a shade. There are different foundations to suit

each of these factors, but it is much more than that. Also consider the following when choosing a foundation;   Sensitivity,   Pigmentation and Hydration

If you think one product shade will be ideal for you, find out if it possess ingredients that can cause breakouts or rashes, especially if you are acne prone. Additionally, find out if it would be ideal to use a water-based foundation or an oil-based one, also depending on your skin type.

Be ready to try a lot of samples

Let’s be honest, how else are you supposed to know if it is the right shade or not. At various makeup stores, there are samples that you can use to test if it works for you or not. If you are at loss, there are people to help you out there. Try out as much as you can in order to find the right shade. Even when you run out of the one you have, still conduct tests before getting a new one. Why? Because the technology used in the formulas are updated regularly. So what worked previously, might not work so well next time.