Here’s How to Buy the Right Foundation Shade Both In-Store and Online

how to buy the right foundation

So say you’re fairly new to makeup and would like to buy foundation, but need guidance because 1. you live very far away from many makeup counters and would have to buy it online or 2. don’t really feel like the people at your nearest counter have your best beauty interests in mind, what do you do? It’s time to learn some foundation basics!

I actually had a post up (called Foundation 101) from my early days of blogging, but since the post is like six years old, I figured I could update it so that those of you who just started following along could use it. So here goes…(let me know if you guys have questions by leaving them in the comments section and we can pow wow there—your questions could actually help other readers so I encourage you to ask in the comments ;)

foundation

1. Determine your undertone

Most undertones fall into these categories:

Yellow/Golden
Olive
Pink/Red
Blue

Many cosmetic companies make it easy for consumers by labeling their foundations according to undertone. They may also use Warm/Cool/Neutral as labels as well. Here’s how that would look:

Yellow/Golden (Warm)
Olive (Neutral)
Pink/Red (Cool)
Blue (Cool)

The quickest way for you to figure out your undertone at home would be to (in natural light) :

a.) Take a good look at your skin to see if one of the colors listed above seems to shine through the most. If you have different undertones in your face than on your neck, for the most natural look sometimes it’s best to use two different shades—one closest to your jawline that matches your neck and one for the center of your face.

b.) Take a look at the veins in your arms–do they look green or do they look blue? If they look green, your undertones are more than likely yellow or golden. If they look blue, your undertones are more than likely pink/red or blue. If you can’t tell, keep reading.

c.) Grab a pair of silver and gold earrings. Do the gold ones flatter you more? If so, you’re warm. If the silver pair flatters you more, you’re cool. If you look good in either one, you’re neutral.

d.) Don’t get wrapped up in the misconception that a single racial or ethnic group is always a certain undertone (no, all Black people do NOT have warm undertones).

COVER-FX-N100,-N110,-N120

2. Determine your skin tone

Once you’ve found your undertone, next determine your skin tone. You want to try two or three shades in your undertone. In three separate spots on your jawline (as close to your neck as possible), blend the shades and whichever one disappears into your skin (when in natural light) is the winner. If you tend to tan in the warmer months, you may want to get a sample or smaller size of the darker shade to mix in with your normal color to make sure your foundation matches your skin year round. PLEASE do NOT make the mistake of wearing a foundation that is either too light or too dark.

Also note that some women—especially women of color—can tend to be one color in the center of the face and another color around the perimeter. To get the most natural look, it pays to get two shades—one for the center and one for the perimeter.

armani-maestro-foundation-koh-gen-do-moisture-foundation-kelly-rowland-kevyn-aucoin-sensual-skin-enhancer-for-dark-skin

3. Determine your skin type

Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and let it air dry for 15-20 minutes. How does your face feel? If it feels okay, you more than likely have normal skin. If it feels very taut and dry, you have dry skin. If it feels very moist or oily, you have oily skin. If you’re only oily in the T-zone (forehead and nose) you have combination skin. If you need more help, check out this post.

Based on your skin type, you need to pick the right foundation formula. Even if you have the right undertone and shade, if you have the wrong formula, your foundation can really tell on you…lol. Cosmetic companies make it easy for you by labeling things by skin type, but here’s a rule of thumb:

Normal Skin:

Liquids work well, but this type can also wear powder, creme, or mineral formulas.

Dry Skin:

Liquids designed specifically for dry skin or creme foundations work well. As do some mineral formulas.

Oily/Combination Skin:

Powder and mineral foundations work well. So do some liquid formulas designed specifically for this skin type.

BUT–you really have to read the labels and check out reviews because many brands these days are all about the science and formulations you think might not work for your skin type actually do. For instance, I have oily skin and used to think a creme foundation (that wasn’t from a professional artist brand) wouldn’t work on me but Cover FX Total Cream Cover Foundation sure showed me otherwise.

diorskin-nude-dolce-and-gabanna-matte-make-up-for-ever-hd-clinique-perfectly-real-foundation-swatches-on-dark-skin

4. Determine your coverage amount

If you already have an even complexion with very few blemishes, a lightweight foundation (or even a tinted moisturizer/BB/CC cream) will work to enhance your beautiful skin.

Medium coverage works for anyone with skin that needs a little extra help. A good foundation will provide medium coverage, but still look natural. Medium coverage works well for going out or being photographed.

Full coverage (which I don’t recommend for daily usage–can be too heavy on the skin) helps problem skin appear more flawless. The best full coverage foundations provide excellent coverage for troublesome areas, but still look natural. A light hand is necessary for this type. I recommend only using full coverage in areas where you need it, as it can have the tendency to look like a mask.

When buying online

Sometimes those computer generated graphics tell us nothing about what a shade is going to look like when you get it. So you have to get creative to figure out which shade(s) to get. Good thing the internet is filled with beauty enthusiasts just like us who post swatches and pictures of foundation shades. Google Images is a life-saver when it comes to buying makeup online. If you think you might be a certain shade but are unsure, just Google Image search it and more likely than not TONS of pictures of beauty girls who wear that shade will come up—if they look close to your skin tone, you’re on the money. If not, keep searching.

Many beauty girls online also share which shades they are in other foundations—so if you know you’re MAC NW45, just search for that online—you might find someone that shade who also wears Revlon, Armani, and Maybelline (just like I’m sure many of you found me and I’m NW45/47—I have my foundation equivalent post here).

It also helps to buy more than one shade–but make sure you buy from a retailer who has a lenient return policy when it comes to beauty products. Two of my faves are Sephora and Nordstrom who will likely take back a product that didn’t work out for you.

If you’re overseas, it’s worth looking up beauty sites or shipping services where you can buy brands not available in your country. I personally only know that this sort of thing exists but have never had to use any of them so I can’t give any firsthand experience but if you search you’ll find it :)

And like I said in the beginning of this post, let me know if you guys have questions by leaving them in the comments section and we can pow wow there—your questions could actually help other readers so I encourage you to ask in the comments :)

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12 Comments

  1. Dobe
    March 25, 2014 / 4:02 pm

    Great post! Definitely one to bookmark. It seems I’m still figuring this out when it comes to drugstore purchases. Thanks!

    • Danielle
      Author
      March 28, 2014 / 12:25 am

      Drugstores make things so hard sometimes—I wish they would just get testers that can be tended to. But definitely make sure you shop at a store with a good return policy :)

  2. meka
    March 25, 2014 / 7:11 pm

    Hey Danielle! I have a hard time trying to figure our my undertone, which is orange. When other people complain about something being too orange (in my shade range, of course), I know that it will be a match for me. Given that orange is between yellow (warm) and red (cool), would it be considered neutral?

    TIA!

  3. March 26, 2014 / 11:37 am

    I am living overseas and eager to buy different foundation to try, but i cannot find my undertone and shades coz the shades between my face and my body were different. Of coz i want my face to match my body so that I only apply foundation on my face ( to saving some $$) but really no idea whether is too light…..L0L HELP!!!!!!!!!!!111

    • Danielle
      Author
      March 26, 2014 / 10:40 pm

      Hi Kristy!

      When it comes to foundation your face, neck, and chest being in “harmony” are more important than your body. You want your foundation to match your face–should your neck and/or chest be a different color that your face, you can get a more natural look by using a foundation in that shade along your jawline.

      • March 27, 2014 / 9:11 am

        It is nice that I finally got help!!!! god bless me! will send you one pic as soon as possible. Thanks indeed.

  4. Anonymous
    March 27, 2014 / 8:22 pm

    Love this…very informative. Thanks Danielle.

    • Danielle
      Author
      March 27, 2014 / 10:05 pm

      thanks so much!!! glad you enjoyed it :)

  5. Erica
    March 29, 2014 / 6:26 pm

    I’ve been told that I have yellow & red undertones. Is that even possible?! Then I was told that the center of my face is slightly lighter than the perimeter. How much of a color difference merits two different foundation shades? I’ve been color matched at different Sephora locations a few times and keep getting the reading 1R13. But each artist describes it differently. I feel like all foundations look red on me. Am I just seeing it wrong?! Haha! Aghhh I just want to be able to find a great foundation & rock it! Please help :)

    • Danielle
      Author
      April 1, 2014 / 2:31 am

      Hey Erica!

      It’s possible to have different undertones on different parts of your face. If there’s an obvious difference between the shades, then it may look more natural to use two different foundation shades—particularly if there’s also a difference between your face and neck. Your best bet would be to get a number of foundation samples from Sephora in different shades and try it out to see what looks best for you (all one-shade, two different shades, etc.). Snap pics so you can document the different looks and make sure to take them in natural light so you can really see the difference. You’ll be able to pick out which look/routine will look best on you.

      I have no idea what 1R13 is—sorry…lol. If that’s a shade in Sephora’s foundation range, I’m not familiar as I haven’t worn their foundation range in ages.

      If the foundations you’ve been trying look too red on you, try different undertones—you may need to re-read this post to get the basics covered again.

      But definitely trial and error will be your friend when it comes to getting it right. Let me know if you have more questions!

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