Matching your makeup to your skin tone can be a difficult feat. Even if you think you’ve found the perfect shade, there’s a good chance it might appear off in certain lightings or environments. Makeup that doesn’t match the shade of your natural skin tone can make your skin look blotchy, orange, ashy, and uneven. However, it can be extremely difficult to find a shade of your favorite foundation that is a perfect match for your natural skin tone.
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There’s no need to get discouraged or throw in the towel the next time you catch a glimpse of your makeup’s unexpected orange undertone in bright sunlight; there are several simple ways you can match your makeup easily.
1. Find Out Your Skin Tone
This tip might seem silly. You’ve lived in your own skin for your entire life; there’s no possible way you don’t know what color it is by now. On the contrary, skin tones are complex enigmas that can’t be described by a single color or hue. In fact, your skin tone is not the same thing as your skin color at all. Your skin tone is the base hue that hides underneath your skin color and that’s the shade you need to match when it comes to choosing skin makeup products.
There is one easy way to really examine your skin tone and determine whether it is warm or cool. Finding out whether your skin tone is warm or cool will help you a lot when it comes to choosing skin makeup products, as many of these products are specifically designed for warm or cool skin. Put on a white shirt and stand in the most natural light you can find (your backyard is a good bet). If your skin has yellow or red tones, you have a warm skin tone; if it has blue or pink tones, your skin tone is cool. It’s really that simple.
2. Make Seasonal Switches
As the seasons change, your skin color changes, too. In the summer, when there is more bright sunlight, your skin likely gets darker. On the other hand, in the cold, winter months, you probably spend a lot of time indoors and your skin color naturally lightens.
Most people don’t account for the changes their skin color undergoes depending on the season, which can lead to frustrating foundation mishaps. Even if you’ve found the perfect shade of skin makeup that exactly matches your skin in the winter, that makeup might look totally off on your skin in the summertime. Remember that your skin color is a changing being and account for that by rematching your makeup regularly and investing in different shades for different seasons.
3. Test In the Right Place
Smearing foundation all over your face or, God forbid, testing a swatch on the back of your hand, is not an effective way to test out skin makeup to see if it is a good match for your skin color.
The right place to test out new skin makeup products is in the region of your skin that falls between your jawbone and your lower cheek. Apply the makeup to both sides of your face in this area and examine it in as as many lightings as you can to determine whether or not it really matches your skin.
4. Find an Exact Match
Never, ever, and I mean EVER, purposefully purchase a shade of foundation, tinted BB cream, or any other skin makeup product that does not exactly match your skin tone. Many people purchase liquid foundation that is one to two shades darker or lighter than their actual skin color in the hopes of appearing more tan or fair. Unfortunately, this never works out well and almost undoubtedly leads to an ashen or orange complexion.
Foundation and other skin makeup products are meant to provide coverage to smooth and perfect your skin, not change its color. Use bronzer, blush, contour, and highlighter if you’re hoping to shift your skin tone through makeup and stick to an exact match when it comes to foundation.
5. Pay Attention to Titles
Even though the titles of makeup products might seem silly and just for fun, they’re often there for a reason. Oftentimes, the title of a certain shade of foundation or powder can tell you whether or not it’s going to work well with your skin before you even lay eyes on it.
Many shades of foundation or skin makeup have a “warm” or a “cool” at the beginning of their title. This simple word indicates whether the shade of makeup is ideal for warm or cool skin tones. Once you’ve figured out which skin tone you have, this tidbit of knowledge can make your makeup matching process significantly more simple.
Matching your makeup to your skin color can be frustrating and discouraging, but don’t give up before you’ve tried these five easy ways to match your makeup perfectly every time.
