You & Your Foundation

Hey Girls...

For years it took me to find my foundation type, never tested it, just picked it up and lashed it on my face. More than likely looking TANGOED! Not a good look. (cringe)
As I got older and did my research in foundation I learned there where a few factors to take into choosing the right foundation. Now bear in mind, not every foundation will match you identically, you will either have to mix two or if like me you are pale, you will have to go with the closest one to your colour. 

So what are the Factors you have to look at while choosing your foundation...well......

1. Whats your Undertone??

Your undertone is not your skin tone like most people presume, your undertone lies underneath your skin and never changes unlike your skin tone which can. There are 3 types of undertones, WARM ( yellow/golden), COOL ( pink, red or bluish) and NEUTRAL (mix of warm and cool). 
Now your thinking, how the hell do I know which undertone I am?? Well heres some ways to check: 

- Do you tan easily and dont burn? Well your natural pigment, melanin level is higher, so generally you will have a yellow/olive tone, so you will have a Warm Undertone.

- Do you burn, and barely tan at all, if at all? Well you have less melanin in your skin. You may flush easily (p.s some neutral undertones may flush easy too).Have a pinkish, reddish look to the skin. Well then you will be Cool Undertoned.  

Olive Skin? Your skin may look a little ashen or gray, have a yellow complexion with a suttle green hue, which is unique to olive skin. You will be a Neutral Undertone.

Quickie Check: Look at you veins in your wrists. If they are Blue/Purple then you care Cool Tones (blue end of spectrum), Green veins - Warm Tones (yellow spectrum) and if you cant make out which colour it is green or blue then you have a Neutral Tone. 

Top is Warm toned

Bottom is Cool toned

2. What is your shade?

Are you Light, Medium or Dark? Well the best way to check this is on your Jawline or your neck. The one that blends completely or close to your skin is your shade. Bear in mind most companies have a limited selection of shades. Testing on your wrist or hand will not give you a true reading of shade on your hand, as they are totally different. 

                                                                

                                         Which one is the right shade in this picture 1, 2, 3, or 4?

3. What Formula will suit my skin type?

Like my skin care guides, I shared what products where beneficial for your skins, well it falls the same in foundation. There are so many formulas out there, gel, cream, all in one, liquid,mousse, tinted..the list can go on and on. So its important to match your skin type with a foundation that will work with your skin.

Once you know your undertone you can choose your formula.

So for a lady that has oily skin (see Skin Guide to Oily Skin) you want something that is oil-free and is mattifying. 

Top two foundations:

                                    

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Finish                           Revlon ColourStay Oil/Combination Skin

(Note* most bobbi brown foundations are

cool tones-yellow based)

If you have Dry skin,(see Skin Guide to Dry Skin) you want something hydrating and moisturising. Stay away from alcohol and anything mattifying you want to add oil to your skin as that is what is lacking. 

Top 2 Dry skin foundations:

                                        

Revlon Colour Stay Normal/Dry Skin                     Bourjois 10hr Sleep Effect

So if like me you have a normal skin (Skin Guide to Normal Skin), you kinda have the pick of the bunch. Depending on choice you can have a sheer look with a BB cream or Tinted moisturiser, a dewy finish or matte finish, really is up to you. I like a glow with a bb cream in the day, a dewy finish for evening and a matte finish for nights out. Really is totally up to you. 

My Top 2 Normal Skin Foundations:

                        

MAC Face & Body                                         Bourjois Healthy Mix (not the serum)

*Secret: I personally love the Bourjois healthy mix and is my go to!*

4. What Coverage do you want?

Depending what you want to hide or cover, coverage is another factor. If you have a clear complexion and just want something to even out you skin then a sheer to light coverage is what you need. If you have some breakouts, nothing major that concealer cant fix but want a little more coverage than a medium coverage is ideal. And if you suffer from acne or more of a heavy breakout or pigmentation then a heavy coverage is ideal.

5. SPF or No SPF?

What is SPF, well not going into too much detail yet (i will do a post on it soon). It stands for Sun Protection Factor. This will help protect you from the suns harmful rays. And yes, even if it is cloudy and IRELAND, its still an important daily factor. You can only wear one layer of SPF, so decide weather its your moisturiser, your primer or your foundation you want to wear it, as laying SPFs will cancel them out. Example A primer with a SPF of 15 and a Foundation with an SPF of 20 doesnt add to 35 and more coverage it goes to -5, giving you no coverage. So only wear one layer. You dont have to wear SPF at night as there is no Sun and can Flash back in photos giving you have "Moon Face" or "Casper Face" 

SPF is important but its how and wear you wear it. 

(NOTE: SPF will be stated on the front of the product, if it doesnt it has none)

I hope this will give you some help on how to get the right foundation for you.

If you have sensitive, combination or mature skin and are unsure of foundations and maybe skincare, then message me and i will get a post up for you. 

Any questions or help email me: nataliekeanemua@gmail.com or facebook Natalie Keane MUA

Love 

Natalie 

xxx