How to Find Your Foundation Shade
How to Find Your Foundation Shade
Beautiful makeup begins with the perfect foundation. Your ideal foundation should seamlessly blend with your natural complexion, no matter how much or how little you apply.
Choosing the right foundation shade may seem overwhelming, but thankfully, it doesn’t have to be. The three most important factors in finding the right foundation match include knowing your skin tone and undertone, swatch testing, and understanding the ideal formula for your skin type.
Learn how to color match your foundation and find the right formula for your skin type with Clé De Peau Beauté.
Know Your Skin Tone
Melanin is a natural skin pigment that determines your overall skin tone. When you have more melanin, your skin tone (and even hair and eyes) will be on the deeper side and vice versa.
There are four main categories of skin tone–fair, light, medium, and deep. You can determine your skin tone by looking at the natural color of your face when it is without makeup and under natural lighting. If the apples of your cheeks tend to contain a natural flush, concentrate on the skin along your jawline for a more accurate assessment. This zone is often less affected by skin color changes than the rest of the face and therefore, gives you the most accurate idea of your skin tone.
Identify Your Skin's Undertone
Your skin’s undertone is the color from underneath your skin surface that has an effect on your complexion’s overall hue. While your skin tone may change with the seasons, your undertone should remain consistent.
There are three main categories of undertone–cool, warm, and neutral. These main tones can be further divided into more specific undertones.
For example, warm undertones consist of peach, yellow, or golden hues. Cool undertones contain either pink or bluish hues. Alternatively, your undertones will generally remain the same shade as your skin tone for those with a neutral undertone.
It's essential to point out that your undertone is not the same as your natural skin tone. Additionally, even the fairest complexion can have warm undertones, while deeper skin tones can still have cool undertones.
How to Identify Undertones
There are several ways to identify what undertone you have. You can determine if your skin undertone is cool, warm, or neutral by performing the following quick and simple tests:
The Wrist Test
Look at the veins visible on your wrist and pay close attention to their color. If their hue is purple or blue, you have a cool undertone. If they are green or olive in color, you have a warm undertone. If you can't quite figure out which color is dominant, then you have a neutral undertone.
The Sun Test
The way your skin reacts to ultraviolet rays can also be a good predictor of your undertone. If your skin becomes red in the sun, you have a cool undertone. In contrast, if you tan easily in the sun, it means that you have a warm undertone.
The Jewelry Test
When it comes to gold or silver jewelry, one type will tend to look more flattering on you, depending on your undertone. Those with cool undertones often look best in silver jewelry, while gold jewelry complements those with warm undertones. If you are evenly compatible with both, your undertone is neutral.
Test Colors with Swatches
When you know your skin tone and undertone, your search for the perfect foundation color match becomes much easier. You'll most likely have a few foundation tones to pick from by now. In this case, it's essential to test the shades on your skin as swatches to find out which one's your best match.
Start by selecting three colors that appear to be a good fit. Then, dab a small amount of each shade on your jawline in short strokes, ensuring you keep some space in between each.
When making the final decision, be sure to not only consider how they blend with your face but also your neck. The foundation you chose should be able to seamlessly combine with the complexion of both your face and neck.
Find the Best Formula for Your Skin Type
With a wide selection of foundation shades and finishes available, there’s certainly a perfect match and coverage to suit all skin tone and undertone needs.
We offer 24 shades in all three of our best-selling, skincare-based foundations. You can benefit from our Radiant Fluid Foundation Natural SPF 25 for lightweight and buildable coverage, Radiant Fluid Foundation Matte SPF 20 for seamless and natural-looking coverage or Radiant Cream Foundation SPF 25 for a flawless 24 hour all-day wear. Thanks to Clé de Peau Beauté’s Foundation Finder, finding your best foundation has never been easier. The Foundation Finder gives you a personalized recommendation of your ideal foundation product and shades based on your skin tone, undertone, skin type, and preferences. Find your perfect shade across our entire Foundation range.
