Finding the Right Shade of Foundation

In previous posts, I have tackled about red lipsticks. From finding the right red shade for you which you can read in this POST to how-to rock those red lips that you can read in this POST as well as tips before rocking those red lips which you can read in this POST. Also, HERE is my post on my Top 3 Fave Red Lipsticks to give you an idea as well. Now that you have learned all about application & rocking red lips let me tackle other topics about makeup. You might already have an idea what's next that I'd like to talk to you & that's finding the right shade of foundation. Everyone of us, living in a very humid climate have a hard time dealing in finding a right foundation because a lot of us here have normal to oily skin or sometimes combination skin or oily skin. Why I say mostly oily skin? Not dry skin? It's because we always sweat & our skin releases natural oils from our body to remove toxics or dirt that got stuck in our pores which is a very advantage to us Filipinas that makes us look more younger than our age. It's like a flower pot, if you poured water everyday & let it expose to sun it will grow beautifully & gracefully. But if you just leave it there without putting water nor letting it expose to the sun, it will wither & die. Just like our skin. 

Let me ask you, have you experienced applying your foundation & before the day ends you'll see patches or sometimes your foundation wears off? Let me tell you, it's because of the foundation. 

WHAT?!!?? You might say? Well, foundation have different forms or kinds. There are liquids, creams, stick foundations & now, there's this mousse type. 

LIQUIDS - you found this packed in bottle packaging whether in an open bottle or with pumped form like the Revlon Colorstay or ELF foundation or the Loreal True Match foundation. This is the most common form of foundation. This is a runny formula.

CREAMS - you see this in a glass jar like the Revlon whipped creme or the Maybelline creme foundation or sometimes packed in tubes. Comes in a thick & a little sticky like texture.

STICKS - from the word itself, it comes in a stick form like the Max Factor Pan Stick or the ELF Foundation stick or what's so in hype today the Hourglass foundation stick (the one with the triangle shaped).

MOUSSE - this comes either in a plastic bottle or glass bottle but usually with a pump for it to come out like the Revlon Photoready Airbrush Mousse.

Now, that you know the different types of foundation. Let's go straight on how to find the right shade of foundation for your skin tone.

SKIN TONE - how would you learn what shade, by looking the color of your veins on your wrists. If it's green you are more like warm tone meaning more of shades that are warm mostly with golden or beige shades. If it's blue veins then you are more of a cooler tone with more pink undertone in it. Like porcelain, ivory or light! Then, there's both blue & green veins which is more of neutral tone like nude, buff or neutral.

COVERAGE - there are three (3) types of coverage of a foundation. The light coverage which is a very thin, light foundation perfect for those who doesn't want heavy makeup or with no blemishes or uneven skin. The next one is the medium coverage which gives a little cover for blemishes or redness or uneven skin tone. The last one is the full coverage which gives a heavy cover on your skin, this is mostly has a thick consistency & you need a full makeup remover to remove it. This kind is usually applied for photo shoot or video shoot with very high definition cameras. This has a straight finish. It's like another skin placed on top of your skin. This is not good for everyday use especially if you are just going to office work or school. 

FINISH - or the end result that you want your face to look. There are three (3) types of finishes. First, dewy finish which has a moist appearance on your face. It's like a lot of moisturizer on your face. This is what they sometimes called "glow" finish like the looks of JLo or the Kardashians or supermodels in the Victoria's Secret Angels. Perfect for both oily & dry skin. Another, is the matte finish which a flat shade but velvety finish. There's no radiance nor light in it like Marilyn Monroe in the 50's or Madonna in the 90's but not to those with dry skin. This is mostly use for those people who have very oily skin because it absorbs oils. Remember when the weather is hot & you sweat & when you wipe off you feel sticky? It's because of the oils that your skin releases. And the last one is the satin finish which is in between of matte & dewy finish that is perfect for all skin types. This leaves your face looking soft with shimmery effect. 

Now that you know what you want in your foundation & the idea of what shade, it's time for testing. The best thing to do is choose 3 shades that you think is the closest shade of your skin then have these applied a tiny amount from your jaw to your neck. 

Take a look at the picture below. 

Now, try to blend each of them. I prefer you to use the warmth of your fingers because for it to blend well. Then, stand at a light the best is on a natural light like the sun but not under the sun! Then, look at the swatches of foundation on your face. The one the looks like the color of your skin, same color as your face & neck is the right shade foundation for you. Now, you might be wondering why when you already found your right shade that sometimes during later months your face looks darker that than rest of your skin. It's because during summer months, your skin tends to get a shade darker & during those cooler months like the "Ber" months, it's because your skin tends to get lighter or paler. I will tackle that in my later posts so, do watch out for that.

Well, that's it guys. Hope this posts helps a lot especially to those who is starting on makeup. If you have any more questions, feel free to message me on the comment below & I will get back to you or better yet do a blog post on that. 

Again, thanks for dropping by.

XoXo,

Mary Ann

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