You know you've seen them..the offenders! The ones who have "the line!" It's not attractive, it's obvious and you know you want to avoid being "that girl."
You're in the store and you're staring at the wall...the wall of make up. You're almost positive there are about seventy thousand colors on the wall...what fits you best?
Don't worry, we've all been there! Beige, Ivory, Porcelain, Caramel, my most recent favorite Marigold, so on and so forth. How do you know?
Here's a good place to start, Are you cool, neutral, or warm? Do you know?
If you're a Cool:
You'll have very pink or blue in the skin
The reason I say very pink or blue, is because it is almost obvious when you are a cool. Most people make this mistake because when you think of your skin, you immediately think PINK. Which is usually wrong! . If you think you're a cool, try it out. If you put the foundation on and you look pinker with it on...you're not a cool. Check your wrist, are your veins very blue looking? If they are, you are a cool, if they are not very blue....read on
FYI- very very few people are a "cool" undertone.
if you're not a cool,
You may be a Neutral:
An even amount of Pink & Yellow in the skin
Most tend to fall into this category. It's also the easiest to blend in with most skin tones. If your veins are something between blue and green, you are a neutral. If you chose this foundation and it seems a little orange looking,
it has too much pink in it for you...
You are most likely a Warm:
More Yellow than Pink in the skin
Now, don't shy away because it's a yellow based foundation. Check your wrist area, do the veins appear greenish? Well then, you have warm undertones.
Most people with rosacea or a lot of redness in their skin should go towards a more "yellow" foundation or concealer. Why? Because, yellow calms the appearance of the red in the skin.
As a make up artist, I tend to go towards warmer tones because it gives a better look to the skin in photos, but not everyone can wear a yellow based foundation.
If you choose a foundation it should almost blend into your skin, making it look like a flawless match. It won't always be perfect, but it should be darn close.
One of the most IMPORTANT factors in choosing a foundation is avoiding "the line" on the jaw/neck area. Sometimes, a perfect match on your face, is not the perfect match to your neck..I like to test my foundation on my jawline and blend down into my neck line. The look should be cohesive and natural, not obvious. A little blending can go a long way. Some of us who have acne, rosacea, or do not tan our faces tend to face this problem. If you are going the department store route, ask them! Make a thorough assesment of your skin & discuss that with the person behind the counter. Usually, they can tell you immediately what you are.
Do's -
Try a few, ask for samples. Most counters & stores will freely give samples. This is the best and most ideal way to find out your shade.
Don't be afraid to go a shade or two darker in the summer and/or a shade or two lighter in the winter
Use your winter shade for a concealer in the summer time!
BE PARTICULAR. If you don't love it, there are so many companies out there you'll find one you LOVE.
Take care of your skin! The better your skin looks, the better the foundation will look!
Blend, Blend, BLEND some more!
Don'ts -
Don't give up! Find your favorites! Remember them, write them down, save them in your phone. Whatever you have to do, when you find it, keep it!
Don't be afraid to say NO. If it's too heavy, too oily, drying, etc. Whatever it is, kick it to the curb!
Don't think the higher price tag makes it better. Find YOUR favorite. Ask friends! They'll tell you exactly what they think.
Don't forget to check your neck!
Don't end up like Barbie here!
Here at Up Do's, we'd be happy to answer any questions you have about this blog entry! Send us a
message! ~ Sara
