Makeup 101: All About Foundation

Hello everyone!

Today’s post is going to be super informative on all things concerning foundation! I know that foundation can be the hardest thing to figure out when first starting out in makeup, so I wanted to share some of my tips on how I pick the perfect foundation…

What is Foundation?

The base of your makeup. It is literally the foundation of makeup. Foundation is used to even out the color of your skin tone and also cover up any unwanted blemishes on your face. It is very important to have the correct foundation color and also pick a foundation that enhances your beauty and not mask it!

How to choose the correct Foundation type?

There are tons of different types of Foundations out there. Basically there are three categories you need to pick from in order to figure out what foundation is best for you…

Skin Type

• Oily- shiny all over your face and your skin feels moist most of the time
• Dry- no shine on your face and your skin feels dry most of the time
• Combination- shiny in your T zone (forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin) and dry on the outer perimeter of your face

Foundation Finish

• Matte- no shine on your face
• Glowy/Dewy- shiny all over your face
• Normal- natural shine, but you don’t look like you’re sweating all day

• Maybelline Matte and Poreless Foundation– geared towards oily skin
• L’Oreal Pro Glow Foundation– geared towards dry skin
• Makeup Forever Hd Foundation– for all skin types

 

amount of Coverage

• Light- barely any blemishes to cover up and almost perfect skin
• Medium- even out skin tone but overall have pretty good skin
• Full- cover up every single thing on your face

• L’Oreal Lumi Cushion Foundation– light coverage
• L’Oreal True Match Foundation– medium coverage
• Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation– full coverage

Examples:

• If you have oily skin with a lot of acne scars, you will most likely go with a matte foundation with a full coverage finish
• if you have normal skin with a little bit of discoloration, you will most likely go with a foundation that is geared towards all skin types with a light finish

How To Pick Your Correct Foundation Shade?

So now you have the foundation formula you like by your favorite brand, then you need to pick your shade. Now this is the part I had the most difficult time with…

Undertones

There are three dominant undertones in makeup: warm, cool, and neutral. I have to be honest I think undertones are the hardest thing to base your foundation shade on because most people are more than one undertone. So I have never went by them when choosing my correct shade…

What do you want your foundation color to match?

Now this question may seem crazy, but no one is the same color everywhere especially women. Hormones and the Sun can cause our neck to be a different color than our face or our chest to be a different color than our face. For example, unless I have a tan from the sun my chest is always lighter than my face and neck. Therefore, I match my foundation to my neck and just make sure my highlight (concealer) matches my chest (which is  another blog post).

Basically, when looking for a foundation shade keep these TIPS in mind:

• You’re not going to find your EXACT shade
• A foundation may be too warm (orange) or too cool (pink) for you
• Buy Drugstore foundations first, then High End to avoid wasting money
• The ladies at the makeup counters are human and may not color match you correctly
• This will be a trial and error process
• Eventually, after many times you will be able to pick your shade by just glancing
• It’s MAKEUP and if you know what you’re doing you can make it work

Actually picking your shade…

1. Pick at least three shades close to your skintone
2. Swatch them on the back of your hand
3. Blend each shade out
4. Really look at each shade and decide which fits you the best
5. The shade that blends in with your hand the most is the shade that works best for you

My Foundation shades

• Maybelline Fit Me Foundation- 330 TOFFEE CARAMEL
• L’Oreal True Match Foundation- W8
• Black Opal Stick Foundation- BETWEEN RICH CARAMEL AND TRULY TOPAZ
• Becca Aqua Luminouse Perfecting Foundation- TAN
• Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Water Foundation- DEEP HONEY
• Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation- 21 CREAM CARAMEL
• Urban Decay One and Done Foundation- DARK
• Revlon Color Stay Foundation- 370 TOAST
• Makeup Forever HD Foundation- 173-Y445
• L’Oreal Pro Glow Foundation- 211 CREME CAFE

I really hope this helps you guys choose the best foundation for you! Always keep in mind, that it’s just makeup! And it can be taken right off, so don’t get frustrated during the process…

Thanks for Reading!

Diamon Brown