Finding the Right Shade

The perfect shade of foundation should vanish into your skin without a trace, so when shopping in a department store, don’t ever buy base without trying it on. Here’s how:

Always Test before You Buy

Pick A Few Colors: Show up with a clean, bare face and select a couple of shades that seem close to your natural skin tone. Many makeup artists believe that yellow-based foundations look warmest and most natural on all skin tones, but if you’re extremely fair, try something a bit pinker and cooler.

Put Them On: Apply small amounts along your jawline (not your hand or inner wrist, contrary to popular belief), so you can make sure the base matches your face and your neck, hence avoiding the dreaded mask effect.

Take A Good Look: Stand near a doorway or step outside of the store (ask to borrow a hand mirror) and examine your skin in natural light. The right shade is the one you can’t see because it blends in so perfectly. Remember also that your skin color changes from summer to winter, so switch foundation shades accordingly.

Don’t Settle

Makeup artists agree that foundation is worth spending some money on because it’s so crucial that the tone and product be customized to your skin. However, there are plenty of high-quality, inexpensive foundations out there, too. So if you’re shopping in a drugstore test a shade by standing near a door or window and holding the bottle up to your neck while looking in a mirror. If you fear you can’t make an accurate assessment, buy two different shades from a drugstore with a liberal return policy (like Rite Aid), hang on to your receipt and try them at home..

~ InStyle, Getting Gorgeous~