Buying Foundation 101

Buying Foundation 101

All the ladies out there, I know all of you have, at some point or another, bought foundation or mineral makeup thinking it was the perfect shade, only to go home and use it maybe once or twice more before you decide it is the most unflattering color in the world or that it doesn’t match your skin tone. Well, today I have a few pointers for you that’ll hopefully minimize your chances of this occurrence in the future.

1)     Be open-minded. I know some of us like only a particular brand of makeup or want to purchase certain foundations we see with raving reviews or were suggested by others. While it is tempting to follow in this trend, try to bear in mind that just because other people like it or that it’s a name-brand line doesn’t mean they’ll have your exact shade! I do recommend doing some research (review other peoples’ opinions) so that you’ll have a few brands in mind when going to the mall or drugstore, but I also want to advise you guys to look around while you’re there. It never hurts to experiment, especially if you’re at the mall where there are plenty of brands for you to try on before you purchase. You might just find that the “great” brand you had in mind doesn’t feel so nice, gives barely any coverage, or gives too much coverage while another brand you never even considered has everything you want in a foundation.

2)     Try the product on! Don’t listen to the sales rep or your friends when it comes to foundation. Trust YOUR eyes and try them on your own face. And when I say try, I don’t mean just swiping it on your hand or at the bottom near your chin. I literally mean put it on half of your face! People’s faces are often have a wide range of tones. For example, I have a darker forehead, really light cheeks, and middle-colored chin. I’ve learned that I can’t just trust what I put on my chin area because when I apply it to my cheeks, it’s too dark or etc. By the way, if you feel embarrassed to try on 5 or more foundations in one sitting at one store, then come back a different time until you’ve tried them all, to your heart’s desires. Nothing is more disappointing and upsetting than buying the wrong makeup and not being able to return it because you’ve used it so take your time and find experiment.

3)     Ask an expert or sales rep to help. Sometimes they do suggest wrong colors or have biased opinions, but they can help direct you toward a brand that may suit your skin needs better than you think.  Please keep in mind though that you must state everything you want them to know about what you want in a foundation and say it loud and clear. Sometimes, these experts don’t listen that well or ignore half of what you say but don’t you dare settle. If they suggest something you’re not happy with, repeat what you want or thank them and then walk away and ask another sales rep for help. I’ve personally had experts try to sell me yellow/olive toned foundations but I’m not olive or yellow! I’m more in the middle between pink and yellow. So how did I solve this problem? I explicitly told another sales rep that I didn’t want to be recommended a yellow foundation, that I felt that my skin was a blend of pink and yellow, and that I wanted a shade close to my own skin color.

4)     Try to get your foundation to match your natural color. Don’t think that making your extremely darker or lighter with foundation solves any problems, such as acne scars. This is the wrong idea. When you start to deviate too much away from your natural skin color, it just looks wrong and fake! Try to buy something that is closest to your skin tone and buy some concealer to mask the dark spots or light spots (if there is such a thing). You’ll find that this is a better alternative than making your whole face a different color.

5)     Look at makeup out in natural light. When you buy or try on makeup in department stores or anywhere indoors, the lighting is almost always weird. It doesn’t give a true representation of what the color is really like on your face. To get a more accurate color reading or view of the foundation, apply it to half your face and then step outside during the day to see what the color looks like. If you don’t do this and just look at the foundation indoors, you’re letting yourself be deceived by the lights.

6)     Make sure to apply varying amounts of foundation on your face when you try it to see what the color looks like when its layered or when its sheer. This sometimes makes a huge difference, especially with mineral makeup. The more you layer on mineral makeup or foundations, the chances are the color pigmentation will be more noticeable and therefore can turn a different color than what you thought it would be like. For example, my mineral makeup looks great when I use it as a sheer wash over my face. When I layer it on for a little more coverage, however, it looks too dark on me. See what I mean? Don’t get dooped!

7)     Ask for a sample. These days, makeup stores and brands are willing to go the length to get you to buy their stuff and they are almost always willing to let you have a sample. Make sure you seize the opportunity and take the product home with you! This way, you can apply it at a different date, in different conditions, on your own, in a different light, and decide whether it really looks great or not. Sometimes we like what we buy at the moment and then a day later, we change our minds or find things wrong with the product. When you have a sample, you can still change your mind but the great thing is you won’t have a hole in your pocket and a useless product in your hand.

        I hope this foundation 101 blog of tips helps you find your perfect foundation. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my countless experiences with being unsatisfied after purchasing foundations, it’d be to never ever settle for less than what you want or expect. There IS such a thing as a perfect foundation for each and every one of you ladies out there so DON’T buy something unless you think it’s perfect for YOU.