4 Makeup Tips From the Pros That Will Have You Looking Your Best

Wedding Day Foundation Tips For Your Skin Type

“Some women are walking into 2019 with not ONE

but TWO or THREE foundation options - for the FIRST time ever.”

It’s a new world in makeup aisles and virtual carts everywhere. Foundation lines seem to launch every few days, a heartening number of which boast 30 or more shades. But numbers don’t tell the whole story. A higher shade total can deceive (many lines offer a gradation of beige with only three to five dark shades at the end), and the colors themselves are not always as they appear (deeply pigmented but still chalky or muddy on dark skin). There’s still progress to be made, but let’s focus on the positive. “So many women have not been able to have a foundation shade for years,” says makeup artist Sir John. “Some women are walking into 2019 with not one but two or three options- for the first time ever.” Get ready to meet that match.
‘... Then decide which texture you feel comfortable with a liquid with a pump, a cream, a powder…’

1.    Do a Preliminary Edit

The fastest way to whittle down the dizzying array of options is to be decisive about the finish. “Ask yourself, “Do I want a dewy finish, a flat matte?” That takes about 50 percent of bottles off the wall,” says Sir John. Then decide which texture you feel comfortable with a liquid with a pump, a cream, a powder. “That’ll knock out an additional 30 percent,” he adds. Feeling better already? So are we.

Two important things to consider, though: It may seem counter-intuitive, but if you have super oily skin, a cream will handle sebum much better than a lightweight liquid, which can almost start to pool with oil by the end of the day, says makeup artist Danessa Myricks. (We love Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick.) And if you hate feeling makeup on your face, a foundation with a rich pigment load will enable you to apply less product than a sheer liquid, which you really have to layer on to get enough coverage for even the smallest imperfections. (Estee Lauder Double Wear is richly pigmented but goes on like a second skin.)

‘...“In a white shirt, you're going to see the blue, red, yellow, olive, or pink tones in our skin because there are no other distracting colors,”...’

2.    Identify Your Skin Type

We’ll be honest- this is hard. If you’re as sure of your undertones (cool, neutral, or warm) as you are sure of your birthday, you can move on to the next step, but with one note of caution: There isn’t a standard for how foundation tones are categorized, so always do a swatch no matter how neutral, cool, or warm the shade name claims to be, says Myricks.

Related: (previous post) Skincare Tip To Keep in Mind for That Glow

If you’re not sure what your skin tone is, put on a white top and look in a mirror in natural light. “In a white shirt, you're going to see the blue, red, yellow, olive, or pink tones in our skin because there are no other distracting colors,” says Myrick. Still can’t tell? If your skin gets more golden or bronze when you’re out in the sun, your skin has warm undertones, says makeup artist Rea Ann Silva. If it burns (in the case of pale skin), simply looks more olive (in the case of medium tones), or looks more black than brown (for the deepest skin tones), your skin has cool undertones. “If you notice both cool and warm tones in your skin, your skin is neutral,” says makeup artist Veronica Chu.

‘...match your inner face (choosing a color that evens and brightens the areas under your eyes, under your nostrils, and around your mouth), then add…’

3.   Choose A Game Plan

It’s time to get your hands dirty and color-match. “Most faces have a minimum of two tones.’ explains Silva. “The outer face, as well as the top of the nose, the round of the forehead, and the height of your cheekbones are usually a different tone because they’re more exposed to the sun.”

There are three ways you can deal with this. If you’re set on using one foundation shade (we get it), your goal is to find a color that will blend the two tones together. 

Another strategy: match your inner face (choosing a color that evens and brightens the areas under your eyes, under your nostrils, and around your mouth), then add depth and warmth to your outer face with a bronzer. Or you can match the perimeter of your face and use a slightly lighter foundation or concealer shade to even out the naturally lighter features. “It sounds like a lot of work, but most of us do this instinctively with the help of bronzer, highlighter, and concealer,” Myricks says. “Look at the Kardashians. Look at the outside of the face, and look at the inside of the face - it’s a difference of shades. It sounds like it wouldn’t work, but as long as the inside of your face and your chest match, your good to go.”

‘...If you think you’ve found a winner, apply some to the webbed area between your forefinger and your thumb…’

4.   Make Sure It Flatters

All you need to do now is choose the three colors that look the closest to your skin’s level of darkness, says Chu, and swipe them on (your lower cheek if you’re matching your inner face, jawbone if you’re matching your outer face). Now walk out the door. “You have to look at the foundation in natural light,” says makeup artist Patrick Ta. If you think you’ve found a winner, apply some to the webbed area between your forefinger and your thumb. “That skin is extra wrinkly, so it’s an easy way to see how it’s going to settle into expression lines,” Ta says. (We love L’Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation and Wander Beauty Nude Illusion Liquid Foundation for their smooth finishes.)

If you’re in a drugstore and can’t do a test drive, find a mirror and hold the colors up to your face- it’s tempting to compare them to your hand or arm, but that’ll steer you to dark. 

If you’re having trouble deciding between a couple, buy both so you can get a look in natural light before returning one. (Most drugstore will at least give you store credit if you have your receipt.)

How many shades of foundation do you have?  Share your makeup routine below.

Related: 6 Bridal Makeup Tips | I Wakeup Looking Like This

Courtesy of Allure

Updated: 11/12/21 | 5/10/2023