As every beauty fan knows, the key to flawless makeup is a perfect base. But even if you get the right moisturiser, toner and primer, choosing the wrong foundation can ruin your look completely. Luckily for you, we’ve put together this foolproof guide to picking the perfect foundation so you can head out every day with a complexion to die for.
What type do you need?
The first thing you need to do is establish what type of foundation will best suit your skin. Do you need something to mattify oily skin, or something to give dry skin a dewy glow? If you have oily skin, your best bet is a powder foundation like Max Factor’s Creme Puff while dry-skinned ladies will benefit more from a rich, liquid foundation. Lately, there has also been a trend for mousse foundations like Miracle Touch, which are great for smoothing out bumpy skin or complexions that are prone to blemishes.
If you’re not sure which skin type you have, there are a few simple ways to find out. If you suspect you have dry skin, try sticking a piece of tape to your cheek. If the tape takes a little skin away with it when peeled off, then you might be right. If, on the other hand, you have enough oil on the side of your nose to turn a tissue transparent, you most probably have oily skin. Lastly, if you find that you have an oily t-zone with some dry patches elsewhere on your face, there’s a good chance you have combination skin and will need to pick a foundation that can mattify those oily areas without drying you out all over.
What shade do you need?
One of the hardest things about choosing the right foundation is finding the perfect colour match for your skin tone. To start out with, try identifying your tone by looking at the veins in your wrists. If they appear bluer, you have a cool skin tone; if they appear green you probably have a warmer skin tone. If they are greeny-blue then you have a neutral skin tone and will suit most shades. Once you’ve identified your tone, you can narrow down your foundation choices to a few different colours which you should then test on your jawline to make sure you have the right match.
Tip: Remember, testing a foundation in a shop is not a good idea. All those fluorescent lights won’t give you the best impression of how well a shade suits your skin so try to head outside and check out your foundation in some natural light to see how well it blends.
