Foundation 101: Evaluating your Skin Type

The ultimate goal with foundation is to even your skin tone, cover imperfections, and to look like you don't have any on. This is a daunting task for any product and for those buying it!

I have been wearing foundation since I was around 15 and in all those years, I have yet to find one that I think is "magic" and hides all my flaws. However, in these years I have also learned a lot about selection and application and how to use these to provide the best coverage possible.

The good news is that there are all types of foundations out there at all different prices. So I'm going to chat about my experiences, what I've tried and what I thought. Also I'm going to include some links in this post with more information I have found useful.

This week in Foundation 101 we will discuss evaluating your skin, so let's get started!

First, I think it's important to evaluate your skin and your needs. For example; I have a fair, neutral skin tone, with combination skin that gets oily in the t-zone throughout the day, and I have uneven skin tone, blemishes, and black heads. Knowing this about yourself can help you get started on finding the best foundation for you.

To find out you will need to study your face in the mirror with no makeup on (all fresh-faced!). Wash your face and wait about 15 minutes for your skin to calm down from the hot water and face wash. Then look at the descriptions below and make note of what you see. And for motivation here is how I would look if I was evaluating my face :)

AHHHH!!!! Ok now that the screaming and shock is over, let's take a closer look at our skin.

Skin Tone

Your skin tone can be Warm, Neutral, or Cool. What this means, is the undertone of your skin will lend itself to a certain tone. For example warm tones tend to have a yellow undertone, whereas cool tones tend to have pink. Neutral tones are just that... neutral they don't go pink or yellow.

There are a million quizzes and charts out there to tell you what you're skin tone is. I liked this easy chart at Beautylish or there's this Foundation Matrix which is more complicated but pretty cool. It will give you foundation suggestions which you can rate and edit by price, brand, etc... But you can use whichever method you like best or you can go to a beauty counter/store to have a makeup professional tell you.

Knowing your skin tone can help you select a foundation which is most likely to match your skin. As I am neutral, I've found that I have to watch out for foundations that are too pink or too yellow and that helps me narrow down my selection.

Skin Color

Ok, so we should all know the color of our skin :) But when shopping for foundation you really need to look at yourself in the mirror and evaluate the color you are and will need.

As an example I am pretty fair skinned, but I used to buy foundation that was either too light or too dark and when I put it on my face it didn't blend. The darker shades left a very visible line and the lighter shades made my face look like it didn't belong to the rest of my body.

So I suggest always sampling the foundation you plan on buying. Also, check your wrist color compared to your face! I know we always test colors on our wrists, but let's be honest people our wrists do not get as much sun as our face and can run lighter! So it's best to test foundation on your face if possible - Ulta and Sephora allow this. Also Ulta and Sephora will take returns on foundation if the color doesn't match once you get it home.

Next, think about your neck and chest and how they relate to the color of your face. If your neck and chest are tanner, or paler, or whatever, you want to think about matching your foundation to these areas as well so your face doesn't look disconnected to your body.

Also, be aware of seasonal changes. In the summer we tend to get darker and in the winter lighter. So be prepared to have to buy more than one type of foundation a year :)

Skin Type

Again, a million quizzes and chart are out there to help you determine this. But I found this one at Fitness.com did a pretty good job and this Chart is nice and simple.

I have combination skin, which means I get oily in my t-zone (nose, chin, forehead) but I'm pretty normal everywhere else. This helps me determine the foundation formula that will wear best on me.

We will discuss foundation types in the next Foundation 101 installment, however, hear are a few tips.

Normal to Oily skin can handle mineral and powder formulas better than dry skin. Dry skin can do well with extra moisturizing formulas like a BB/CC Cream or a mouse. Most skin types do well with a liquid formula. And tinted moisturizers are great for normal skin types. But like I said, more about this later!

Skin Issues

Finally, it's good to think about what skin issues you have and what you can do to cover them up.

Skin Issues you may want to think about are:

Rosacea/Redness
Uneven Skin Tone - If you have darker and lighter areas
Dullness
Blemishes/Acne
Blackheads
Skin Texture - bumps, scars, acne scars, etc...
Pores

The thing to remember, is that foundation is just that, the foundation. It won't cover everything and that's ok, that's why they make concealer! But if you do have some of these issues you may want a more full-coverage foundation versus a light coverage tinted moisturizer. But again... we'll get into that next week.

So to recap, evaluating your face gives you the knowledge to go out and find the color and type of foundation that's best for you. I hope this introduction into evaluating your skin has been helpful. Stay tuned, next week we'll talk about the different formulas of foundation and what skin types they are best for.

...And... Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @amberbutbetter for post notices, and my little quips on fashion and beauty!

Amber But Better