I’m sure you’re like me and you’ve been guilty of wearing – or pointing out – the “orange line” on someone’s jawline in the grocery store or local mall, bringing light to the fact that that poor person suffers from the wrong shade of foundation! This is by far the #1 thing my customers ask me about: how to find the correct undertone, how to pick which kind, and more. So today I’m going to give you my best tips on finding just the right shade for you.
1. The Questions. The questions are directly connected to the undertone you will need. How you answer will determine the kind of color that will be best for your foundation. When you’re outside, do you…
— Burn only? Yes – you need a pink undertone. No? Keep reading.
— Burn and then tan? Yes – you need a yellow undertone. No? You must be next then.
— Tan only? Yes – (lucky duck) you need an olive undertone.
It would be good to note here that the yellow undertone is the most common in America and the easiest to adapt to the other skin tones because of its abilities to cover up pink and it’s very close to olive. However, you want to stick to the undertone closest to your natural skin tone and let concealer do any correcting.
2. The Finish. The finish is greatly affected by your skin type. For example, Mary Kay’s TimeWise Liquid Foundation comes in multiple shades, but two different finishes; one for normal/dry skin and the other for combo/oily skin. Normal/dry skin has a luminous finish – that is, it gives “life” to the skin by creating a healthy glow once it warms to the skin. However, combo/oily ladies will find the luminous finish shiny and almost greasy in feel, so they almost always prefer the matte, which gives a flat finish and diminishes any shininess that is naturally created. Keep this in mind when selecting your foundation shade.
3. The Coverage. Ahhhh yes, the coverage; the universal question of “what kind??” I can only speak for the Mary Kay brand when it comes to specifics, but I’ll do my best to speak in a general sense from my experience to help you with the coverage question.
— BB or CC Creams deliver the least amount of coverage from what I’ve gathered. They’re specifically made for women who are “on the go” (like a quick run to the grocery store) and dont need full coverage, or it’s great for young ladies just starting to wear foundation.
— Mineral Powder Foundations are almost always a matte finish and excellent for all skin types. Women of mature beauty may prefer more coverage though, as Mineral Powder usually only gives medium coverage.
— Liquid Foundation always gives solid coverage, but the exact level of coverage will vary by brand. You can extend the coverage by adding in a concealer beforehand.
With both CC creams and Liquid Foundations, you can create a very matte finish by adding Mineral Powder on top. Oddly enough, most ladies I’ve encountered like a combination of two foundations so they can use one when they need quick coverage, or combine both types when more coverage is needed.
The best, easiest advice I can give you is get someone you trust to match your foundation for you! And match on your jawline, NOT the back of your hand or the inside of your wrist, even if you have to apply the sample to yourself. You want the shade to disappear off your skin, but when in doubt go darker. Take this info with you when finding a great foundation and you’ll certainly avoid the dreaded orange line!
Kendyl Heins
Mary Kay Beauty Consultant
918-639-3230
www.marykay.com/kendylheins
