MATCHING YOUR SKIN TONE

How to get your perfect foundation match.

Learning your skin tone meaning (complexion) is simply your shade of your skin (light, medium, dark). We all have unique undertones which will remain the same no matter how much sun you get, even if you’re pale in the winter and tan in the summer. However, some people have health issues which add tints to the skin. Nevertheless, there are several different undertones cool, warm, and neutral. Knowing your skin tone can be helpful in many ways when it comes to selecting your makeup products. Once your know your undertones it will help you to choose the right lipstick color, figure out which hair color is most flattering, and know which colors you should wear to really look like amazing.

FRUSTRATED

Have you ever went into Sephora, Ulta, Macy's, Norstorms etc for a color match and once you got home the color was dull, to red, to yellow, sightly off? Well let's fix that problem.

SKIN TYPE

STEP ONE: The first step is determining your skin type. Knowing if you are dry, normal and/ or oily will be very important to selecting your foundation. This one of the biggest mistakes I see people make when choosing foundations. Although a foundations may be popular that does not mean it's the best option for you. One of the most misunderstood things when it comes to skin types is some knowing the difference between natural radiance and having a oily skin type. We all natural sebaceous glands which produce sebum (oil). Oily skin types produce a lot more than dry and normal skin types which can cause excessive oil production. Nevertheless, some people that are actually normal skin types believe they are oily skin types because through out the day they have a glow and sometimes excessive oil on their face or over their makeup. This is simply your glow shining through your makeup as it is sightly restricted because of your foundation. Blotting with a powder puff, using an oil absorption powder with a puff and if it's not a lot blotting sheets will take care of that. These steps will take care of that right away for dry and normal skin types. Someone who is oily on the other hand sometimes have to blot and reapply their makeup as it can sometimes melt away. People who are oily rarely have dry spots, and they are shiny no matter what and some have acne because of the over production of sebum and bacteria build up. Regardless of your skin type you must moisturize your face daily as that balances out your skin.

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT MY SKIN TYPE IS?

DRY: Almost invisible pores, Dull, rough complexion, Red patches, Your skin is less elastic, More visible lines

NORMAL: Barely visible pores, few imperfections, No severe sensitivity, A radiant complexion OILY: Pores that look larger than normal, because they’re more open, Blackheads, pimples, or other blemishes, Shiny skin

COMBINATION: Your skin can be dry or normal in some areas and oily in others, such as the T-zone (nose, forehead, and chin). Many people have this type. It may need slightly different care in different areas. Pores that look larger than normal, because they’re more open, Blackheads, Shiny skin

UNDERTONE

STEP TWO: NOW! Let's figure out if your are a neutral, warm, or cool

Neutral: is a mixture or neither of the two.

Cool: undertone has hints of blue, pink, or a ruddy red complexion.

Warm: undertone is more peachy, golden, or yellow.

COVERAGE TYPE

STEP THREE: WHAT TYPE OF COVERAGE DO YOU PREFER.

"I'm a full coverage kinda woman." - Noe'l Shaefon

Now that you know your skin type and undertone you can decide what type of coverage you prefer. Coverage refers to the opacity of the makeup, or how much it will conceal on the skin. Sheer is the most transparent and contains the least amount of pigment. It will not hide discolorations on the skin but it can minimize the contrast between the discoloration and the rest of the skin tone.

Light coverage: Skin like, being able to still see skin. Tinted moisturizers that supports skin’s overall condition and provides a translucent veil of sun protection will work out great for you.

Medium coverage: Is a beautiful natural but slightly undetectable. It diminishes the look of imperfections, leaving a more even tone. Some imperfections can still pop through.

Full Coverage: Clean slate, 100% covers all blemishes, moles, scars etc.

TESTING

STEP FOUR: Get samples of the foundations you are interested in and test them out in several lighting elements as the color can look contorted. The best lighting is natural light. Also test them out with you primer to see if they match well together. Your primer should target your skin type as well. I 100% recommend all foundation wearers to use a foundation primer to add a layer of protection to the skin. It is to be applied after your moisturizer.

Note: Please make sure your skincare and or foundation has SPF ( sun protection factor) in them to protect your skin daily.