A difficult task: how to choose a foundation by shade

Every makeup artist knows perfectly well that perfect makeup starts with an even complexion. That is why it is so important to choose the right foundation that will help even out the tone and texture of the skin, disguise and hide various imperfections. Even the most spectacular eye makeup or bright lips will not look so attractive if the overall complexion leaves much to be desired.

How to choose a product based on your skin tone?

Today, there are hundreds of shades of foundations in brand lines, so choosing the right one is both easy and difficult. The first thing you should pay attention to is the lightness of the color. Try to choose a shade that is as close as possible to the client’s skin color, neither lighter nor darker. Makeup artists identify several basic skin tones.

• Very light, almost transparent skin . In this case, we pay attention to the lightest shades from the color palette of the foundation. You'll have to try hard to find the perfect tone.
• Bright skin . Take a closer look at the light shades of foundations; finding the right one should not be difficult. In summer, fair skin becomes a little darker: in this case, shades for medium tones may be suitable.
• Medium tone . Choosing the color of a foundation beauty product for the skin in beautiful olive and golden shades will not be a problem - they are presented in the assortment of almost all cosmetic brands.
• Dark and dark skin . It has a chocolate or caramel tint and tans perfectly. We pay attention to the darkest tones in the color palette of foundations.

If 3-4 shades are visually suitable at once, it is worth testing them on the skin of the face. It is advisable to apply the product to the lower part of the cheek or chin to avoid one of the most common mistakes - color difference with the neck. Against the background of unsuitable tones, the desired one will be immediately noticeable - it will melt before your eyes and merge with the color of the skin.

To give the face an aristocratic look and create the effect of porcelain skin, a makeup artist can use a foundation half a tone lighter than necessary, and a darker shade can help hide imperfections and give the skin freshness. Also, don’t forget about products that are great for recognizing the difference in pigments on the skin - BB and CC creams.

How to choose a foundation based on your skin tone?

To make facial skin makeup look natural and harmonious, it is important to choose not only the correct lightness of the color, but also its shade: yellowish, pinkish or neutral. To determine the skin tone, you can use a regular sheet of white paper: just attach it to the client’s face. If the skin looks yellowish against the background of paper, it has a warm undertone, and if it is more pink or even blue, it has a cold undertone.

Is it extremely difficult to determine the shade? Most likely, the client has a neutral skin tone. To further understand the difficult question of how to choose a foundation for your face based on its shade, we turned to professional makeup artist Daria Shelest for help.

Daria Shelest, makeup artist, make-up artist for television and cinema

The biggest challenge when choosing a new foundation is the lighting in stores. I don't remember it ever being successful. It is also a big mistake to test foundation on the back of your hand. Skin tones on the face and hand can differ significantly from each other, so the chance of you getting a color match is extremely low.

Many people will probably find my behavior in a cosmetics store strange, but I always apply foundation to my chin and neck to see the color line. And I go outside with a mirror to look at myself in daylight.

When I work with a client, I mix a dark and light tone from the same brand to get the right shade. When in doubt, I apply it to the chin near the client's neck to make sure I don't get the "Professor Dowell head" effect.

In case of heterogeneity of the client's skin pigment, many makeup artists advise using multi-colored concealers. It makes sense, but I admit I'm not a fan. If some area of the skin worries you, it is enough to apply a thicker product. But there is no need to strive to cover your entire face with a blank slate. Skin looks beautiful when it looks alive.

Pink or yellow pigment? I always prefer yellow. On the skin of Slavs, yellowish shades look more natural, of course, if they are matched to the same tone, and not three shades darker. Pink pigment is more suitable for those with olive skin tones. In this case, pink will neutralize it, and the color will look natural and fresh.