I received an email from Maria of Colour Me Happy who was asking on behalf of one of her readers about choosing makeup foundation colours. It’s a tricky task, and I see so many people with the wrong colour, so here is my guide to help you choose.
Undertone and Overtone of Skin The undertone of your skin (whether you’re warm or cool) is not the important factor about what color foundation you choose. We actually match the foundation to the overtone of your skin, as foundation sits on top of your skin, and if you want it to look natural rather than mask like, choose a color that appears to disappear into your natural skin color. You may have a cool undertone, but the overtone of your skin is more yellow, or alternatively, a warm undertone and a pinky skin. This is why you should ignore what the cosmetics companies tell you about shades and try them on your skin for yourself. Unless the color of your skin on your chest is very different from the color of your face, I donm’t recommend wearing a foundation to match your chest, instead look for one that blends with the skin on your cheek/jaw area. What you can see from this short film is the differences in colours that foundations can be. Interestingly I’ve found that each of these colours has suited someones skin tone. Remember to:- test your foundation on your face not your hand or wrist (as your skin color may be different)
- check the foundation colours in daylight (not under artificial lighting such as in a department or cosmetics store), you need to go outside, with a mirror and see how the foundation looks in daylight.
- test lots of colours, then you’ll get a much more accurate picture than if you just test 2 or 3
- test the color on your jawline