Let's make this easy. Foundation = paint
How do I find the right foundation/concealer? I don't know what to look for or how to find the right color. I can't go to a store to get swatched!
I've been thinking about this question for weeks. I started thinking about how I would advise someone else, but then I started thinking about what I would literally do. I mention this because sometimes, what I would tell people to do (a more straightforward suggestion) and what I would literally do myself are two very different things. I like to be helpful and give people thorough answers with suggestions they might reasonably follow. What I might literally do is not what any reasonable person should do. It involves a lot of internet sleuthing, experimentation, probably some money I could have spent elsewhere and certainly time I could have spent doing anything else! Oh but the fun I would have! Let’s have some fun, shall we? First, some basics.
What’s the difference between foundation and concealer? The purpose of foundation is meant to create an even, all-over base (it’s a foundation!). Concealer is meant to cover up spots or smaller areas that may need more coverage than what your foundation provides (it conceals). The main difference between the two lies in the formulations. Foundations tend to be thinner, while concealers are thicker and more pigmented, concentrated formulas. You can absolutely use them interchangeably! BB cream, CC cream, tinted moisturizers etc. can all be used for foundation, too. Do you want to even out your entire base or just cover up specific spots?
Foundation should match your neck color. I covered this briefly in a previous issue, but I feel like this clears up 80% of the confusion. Remember, you are trying to create an even base. Your face has a billion different colors – this is likely why you want to use foundation in the first place. Swatch your jawline when color matching.
If it's wet, it must set. One of the first things I learned in school was the rule of setting powder. If something is wet, like a liquid or cream foundation/concealer, use an extremely light, barely there, translucent powder to set it. This will prevent transfer and creasing. You shouldn't see the powder and you won't be able to feel it, but you'll notice the difference. Use a fluffy brush for the lightest application. Product recs, as always, are below.
Pick your tool wisely. Don’t underestimate the power of your fingers. The heat from your body is the perfect blending tool. Use a damp beauty blender for an airbrushed effect, a dry one for deeper coverage or areas you want to stipple and diffuse the color out (like around a blemish). Use a traditional flat paddle brush to tap, press and blend foundation in downward strokes or a fluffy kabuki style brush for blending.
The easiest way. The good thing is that you just need one perfect color match to be set for life. Just one shade to guide you through. For me, that shade is Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla (described as fair skin with subtle pink undertones). It is my perfect shade. I am so familiar with it that I can look at any shade range and instantly pick the right color for me. All you need is one. The beauty industry has a long way to go when it comes to inclusive shades. Though we are blessed everyday with brands expanding their range (Fenty has 49 colors!) it’s just the sad truth that not every brand is going to have a perfect shade for you. However, if you already have your one perfect shade or you know what brand you want to try, then you get to work backwards. Let the brand do the work for you. Show off your Google skills.
Emailing the brand a makeup free selfie in natural light is the easiest solution. I've done it many times. It's their job to match you – let them do it! Many websites also have shade finders that allow you to enter products you already use or have virtual consultations. Here are some that I recommend:
Fenty Beauty:
Quiz or Virtual Consultation
Jones Road:
Shade Finder or send a picture
Merit Beauty:
Visit the site & send a picture
Nars:
Shade Finder
I said I have no idea about anything!
That's okay! Now I get to tell you what I would literally do in this situation.
1. Consider the Big Three: coverage, finish, formula
2. Compare swatches/seek guidance from Rihanna
3. Order on Sephora
Skin tone is the color on the surface of your skin and it can change with sun exposure. You can think of your skin tone as the intensity or depth of your skin color.
Skin tones are fair, light, medium, tan, dark and deep.
You may be just one of those tones, or you may be a hybrid like medium-tan. I'm fair in most brands, light in some others, but the shades look similar. Don't just go by the name, look at the actual color.
Undertone is the color underneath the surface of your skin and affects the overall hue of your skin. Your undertone does not ever change. Any skin tone can have any undertone.
Undertones are warm, cool and neutral.
Warm tones: yellow, golden, peach
Cool tones: pink, blue, ruddy/red
Neutral tones: combo of both warm and cool tones
There are a lot of tricks you can find on the Internet about how to find your undertone, like using a white t-shirt or checking your veins. I find these to be somewhat helpful, but not super clear to understand unless you fit perfectly into the categories. Let these tips guide you, but don't fret if you're still unsure.
Think of it like mixing paint. I didn't understand undertones until this year. Those tips and tricks didn't help me because it turns out I have neutral-slightly cool undertones. You don’t need to be a professional makeup artist to understand undertones. You just need to know your colors. Think of it like mixing paint – what colors do you see? What do you need to add or take away? You learned about primary colors in elementary school – red, yellow and blue create all of the other colors by either adding or taking away. If you had to create your skin color using only the primary colors, black and white, how would you do it? You'd need a very specific cocktail of some dark, some light and a blend of primary hues. That's what you need to do with your foundation/concealer. If it looks too yellow/orange, it is too warm. If it looks too pink, it is too cool. If it looks grey, it is too neutral.
WTF is olive skin?! Olive undertones are usually grouped into warm, but sometimes considered neutral. If your skin has a green or greyish cast or you look horrible in pastels, you may have olive skin. Google "celebrities with olive skin" for some good comparisons. It's like if you took that paint mixture and added more blue and yellow and less red.
The easiest way to understand undertones is to see options side by side. If you see a color that's not quite right, think about what paint you would add to fix it. If you'd add some pink/red/blue, you need something cooler. If you'd add some yellow/orange, you need something warmer.
Look at this picture of a concealer on my skin. What do you think? Too orange/yellow? Good job! It is too yellow for my skin. That means it is too warm. If you were mixing paint, you would need to add some red/pink to cool down the color, right?
Now look at these swatches below from Jones Road. Do you notice how they differ side by side? What colors would you have to add or take away to get the others?
Here's where we consult Rihanna. Look at these 49 shades from Fenty. Without knowing anything else, are you able to notice that some colors look more orange/yellow/golden and others look more pink? What changes from shade to shade?
Now go look at the shade descriptions. The more swatches you see side by side, the more familiar you will become with undertones and the better you will understand your own.
If you already have a product, swatch it on your jaw. If you don't already have a product, go to the drugstore, find something cheap in your skin tone and swatch it. What do you see? What colors do you need to add or takeaway? Ask friends to send you swatches. Google celebrity makeup routines. Keep comparing swatches, notice how they are described and pay attention to the tones that stick out to you. I promise the more you compare, the more examples you see, the more you will understand.
You've made it to the final step! Place an order. I specifically recommend ordering on Sephora if you aren't 100% confident in your choice because Sephora has the most generous return policy in all the land. You can return gently used products. You can swatch it. You can look at the color on your skin and see if you need to add or take away. You can even order two shades to compare.
DIY option. If you're really digging this paint mixing idea, you're thinking like a professional! Makeup artists bring a few easily blendable shades so that they can create custom colors on set for any skin tone. I have recently been utterly obsessed with the Makeup by Mario Eye Prep & Set, which are cream matte shades inspired by human skin tones and can be mixed to create any shade you want. They are advertised for eyes, but I've been using them all over, adjusting the color combo as needed. They only come in 3 color pairs, but since they are buildable and meant for eyes (which typically need lighter shades of concealer anyway), they are fairly universal. It also comes with a setting powder, which you know is crucial for preventing creasing. Mario recommends using this double sided brush for both steps, but I prefer using my fingers for cream, then a fluffy brush for powder. For the same idea with even more color options, check out this palette from Make Up Forever.
The rest of my recommendations are below. Remember, anything can be used for anything and many formulas are buildable even if they say "full" – just use less! Apply with your fingers, a brush or both. If you don't see what you're looking for, check out the offerings from brands I've included as most have multiple options, I just didn't list them all. All of these recommendations are from Sephora, but you can still do shade matching/email pictures to the brands above and purchase at Sephora. Happy Shopping!
LIQUIDS
Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation – full, matte
Nars Radiant Longwear Foundation – full, radiant
Armani Luminous Silk Foundation – medium, radiant
Make Up Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation – medium, natural
Nars Sheer Glow Foundation – medium, natural
ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint – light, natural
Fenty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Concealer – full, matte
Make Up Forever Ultra HD Self-Setting Concealer – medium, natural
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer – medium, radiant
STICKS & CREAMS
Merit Beauty Minimalist Stick – light/medium, natural, stick
Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick – light/medium, natural, stick
KVD Vegan Beauty Foundation Balm – full, matte, cream
Nars Soft Matte Concealer – full, matte, cream
POWDERS
Make Up Forever Matte Velvet Skin – full, matte
Fenty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Powder Foundation – medium, matte
Bare Minerals – loose powder, medium, natural
SETTING POWDER
Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Finish – pressed powder
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder – loose powder
Big Fluffy Brush
BRUSHES
Good for all formulas
Good for all formulas. Dense buffing brush
Good for creams, liquids & stick. Traditional paddle brush
Don't forget to check out this issue to learn about pilling. If you don't see what you're looking for you can always ask a question. Make sure to forward this to a friend who has been complaining about not understanding undertones for years.
See you in two weeks!
xoxo, Jolie
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