How to match Your Foundation Color

This week is all about about how to match your foundation color. A lot of ladies tend to test out shades of foundations on their hands and face until they end up looking like they just had their heads placed on another lady’s body. After being in the industry for a while, I have come to the conclusion that this practice is incorrect, and we need to discuss this issue. I will try not to be very technical; I have outlined the steps below and explained why and how they should be done.
Stages:
1. Locate the test area: The first step is to locate the right spot to test your foundation. The best place to test your foundation is on your neck or chest area. This is because you want to match the foundation tone of your skin color on your neck/chest. For instance, my face is lighter than the rest of my body, If I go by the color on my face; I end up looking like a mismatched doll. After years of being an artist, I have noticed most people are lighter on their face even when they have some skin discoloration.

Fig. 1: Picking out foundation color

2. Pick the shade which fades into your neck colour: In the picture below, I tried on five different foundations and I ended up applying the Suede Mocha from Black Opal (4). If you observe, that was the foundation that faded into my neck colour once I applied it.

Fig. 2: Up close and personal with final selection

Note: Always check with a beauty expert with regards to your undertone. There are three categories of undertones: Warm (yellow or golden), Cool (red, pink or blush) and Neutral (mixture of cool and warm). In my case, I have more of a red undertone than a yellow undertone and this is why the Suede Mocha from Black Opal was a better fit for me instead on the Amber Honey (Foundation #3 in the 2nd picture above) from Estee Lauder.

Fig. 3: Before and After foundation application on Full face

3. Application: At this stage, it is important to apply your foundation over the face and stop at the chin area. If you matched your foundation with your neck, it should blend in perfectly with your face. Note: It’s important to observe how your skin looks after oxidization (This is when the foundation darkens on your face over the course of the day) has occurred. This will help in selecting the perfect foundation for you. Tip: Your foundation should always blend in well to the point where it’s not very noticeable, so if you feel like it’s a little bit light just allow it to oxidize and it will match your skin color before you know it.

Final Pictures: Oxidization has occurred, and I finished up my look with some contour, highlight, wine-coloured lips, lashes and smokey eyes.

Love,
Felicita Ovadje
ProMUA
Email: info@felicheetaartistry.com
@felicheetaartistry (Instagram and facebook)
www.felicheetaartistry.com