Have you ever returned from the beauty store after purchasing a foundation, only to discover that it is a shade or two lighter or darker than your skin tone? Well, we have all been there and done that (the beauty lights at stores being a huge contributing factor). Picking the right foundation is tricky when you ought to factor in coverage, skin type and concerns, but zeroing in on a shade is a whole different ball game. But this is where the newly launched Nykaa Beauty Basics come to the rescue—consider this as a video-led guide (you can find more on this on our YouTube channel) on everything beauty for beginners. Sort of like a basics 101 from which seasoned beauty enthusiasts and novices alike can stand to benefit. Now, we firmly understand the importance of a good shade of foundation (as it acts as a base for the rest of your makeup) and is closest to your actual colouring. So, if you’re in pursuit of finding your shade that looks like a second skin, keep scrolling.
Do A Patch Test
While testing multiple shades of foundation, you tend to swatch the product on your arms (happens to the best of us), and there is a problem with this although, the arm has a lot more ground for trial and error. Why? Because it often slips our mind that the skin tone on the arms could be deeper than your tone on the face. That’s why it’s important you conduct your patch test on your chin. Your chin is shielded from immense discolouration as opposed to any other place on your face. So, use this technique before you make a decision.
Identify Your Undertones
The often neglected step to picking the right shade is factoring in the undertone of your skin. But, how does one identify their undertone?
Fair
Those with a lighter skin tone are more likely to have blueish-purple veins that can be attributed to having a cool undertone (that also explains the hint of pink that you notice on lighter skin). When the colouring of the veins is green, that directs to one having a warm undertone. If you have lighter skin, it would be ideal to steer clear of foundations that are made with golden or yellow colours because they lead to an orange-ish complexion once you apply your product (which you want to avoid).
Medium
If you are someone with medium skin, and your veins have a greenish-blueish colour, you have a neutral undertone. However, if you have just green veins you have a warm undertone and blue veins indicate a cool undertone. Pick products that are balanced, which means you forgo formulas that have yellow or gold.
Deep
Following the thumb rule, if you have a deep tone and the colour of your veins is green, you have a warm undertone. And on the other hand, if the colour of your veins is blue, your skin has a cool undertone. Always go for shades with a yellowish-golden tinge to prevent your skin from looking beat or washed out.
3 Vs 1 Technique
In order to obtain the perfect shade for your skin, you might have to go through a bunch of products first. We would recommend picking three contenders for the job. Swatch the three shades and sift to find the best match.
Test Of Time
Now that you have narrowed down to three different shades, another integral step that you ought to not miss out on is, waiting for the colour to oxidise. The foundation is most likely to change colours upon oxidation (coming in contact with O₂ cells) and so we recommend waiting out to see, allow the product to settle and then decide if it suits your skin tone.
