3 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Buying A New Foundation

Foundations have evolved over the past few years. New formulations offer a range of benefits so maybe now is the time to ask yourself, is your trusty faithful still your best option on the market?

There are an overwhelming amount of options out there, so we have the top 3 Questions you need to ask yourself to make your search that little bit easier:

1. Is Your Skin Undertone, Cool, Warm Or Neutral?

As discussed in a previous post, you must know your skin tone, generally foundation shades are divided into these categories; warm, cool or neutral. One of the quickest ways to tell is to look at the veins on your wrist. Are they blue or green? If they look more blue, you most likely have cool undertones. If the veins look more greenish, you’re warm toned. Another way to tell is, cooler tones usually suit silver jewellery while warm tones look better in gold.

You could also go to your local Farmers or Pharmacy and have a Cosmetics Counter Staff member colour match your skin tone. This is the upside of potentially purchasing a higher end foundation as when going to get skin tone matched they will also send you home with one or two samples, so you can try the foundation at home on your own time to consider how they work in with your lifestyle. Whenever doing a skin tone swatch, try the foundation on a neutral area like the lower area of your cheek near your jawline and check it in natural light. You will know it is your colour when it blends in to your skin. If it appears “dirty looking” on your skin it is too dark and/or has the wrong undertone.

2. What Is Your Skin Type? Is It Dry, Oily Or Combination?

If Your Skin is Dry: Do not use a Matte finish foundation, it will only accentuate your dry skin. Choose a foundation with extra hydration, one with a dewy finish and glow-inducing properties.
If Your Skin is Oily: Here you would avoid a foundation with a dewy finish and would go for more of a Matte finish foundation, depending if you like this look. The new long-wear offering are your best bet here and use a finishing translucent powder after applying your foundation.
If Your Skin is Combination: Your best bet is to go for lightweight formulas that adjust to your needs, controlling midday shine without looking flaky and dry by 3pm. Only apply finishing translucent powder to the t-zone.

3. What Finish Look And Formulation Do You Prefer?

Is your look a natural sheer, lightweight or full coverage covering all redness and imperfections? Do you like to apply with a beauty blender, foundation brush or would you prefer a stick, compact or sponge? This is something you will figure out by doing and your preference will come naturally.

There you have it, once you have narrowed down your answers to the above you will be able to use them to make informed purchases or help explain your preferences to a counter consultant on what exactly you’re looking for.

What foundation are you using right now and is it the best match for your skin? Let us know in the comments below x