First, decide how much coverage you need. Sheer foundations are good for a light natural coverage. Moderate coverage is a good choice for those of us with some discoloration, a few acne scars, or some freckles. Full coverage foundations offer the most camouflaging that is good for covering burns, birthmarks, bruising, and scars.
The best place to test the color of a foundation is the side of your face between your cheek and jaw line. Your goal when you apply the foundation on the lower part of your face is to find the color that appears the same shade as your neck. During summer months you may want to go a shade darker.
Caucasian women have a tendency toward red pigmentation in the face, which is why they flush and their skin can become red and blotchy. A foundation with some yellow pigment is good to balance out the redness.
African American women tend to have oilier skin, which can turn the foundation darker than it first looked on the skin. Choose shades a bit lighter than the skin and stay with shades with warm honey tones. Avoid overly yellow or olive shades, since they will turn ashy and grey after application.
Mediterranean, Latin, and Asian women have a more olive tone to their skin. Olive/beige/neutral toned foundations with a yellow undertone work best.
Applying Foundation
When applying foundation, don’t forget your eyelids, in the corners of your nose and over your lips. The end goal when applying makeup to the face is to make the color tones of the face match your neck.
After applying foundation, simply blot with a tissue if you feel there is too much. This will eliminate excess oil or moisture from the foundation.
When using thick concealer as foundation, it is important to set it with powder. It will keep the foundation from running, creasing, or smudging. It will also prevent it from cracking into any lines around the eyes. This process will also work to cover areas with acne scars.
To keep the foundation looking fresh and natural, follow with a light dusting of a translucent loose powder using a powder brush set the foundation.
