Women of all skin tones deserve flawless makeup. But finding the right shades for you can be difficult, and too often women are left with streaky concealer, nudes that don’t match their skin and mismatched face and body coloration. Perfect products exist for basically every skin tone if you do enough research. Here are a few ways to find makeup for your skin tone.
Find Your Undertones
Before you start looking at makeup, figure out what kind of undertone your skin has: cool (pink or blue), warm (yellow or golden) and neutral (a combination). If you’re not sure which tone you have, there are a few methods for figuring this out, like checking the color of your veins in your wrist. A cool-toned person will have blue or purple veins, while a warm-toned person will have green veins and a neutral person will have blue-green. Another method is to think of how your skin reacts to the sun. If you tan easily, you are likely warm toned, if you burn easily, you are likely cool toned, and if you aren’t sure, you’re likely neutral. Most makeup companies will divide their foundations and concealers by cool and warm tones, so completing this step will help to narrow down your choices when you start shopping.
Quality Products
The quality of your makeup is of utmost importance. Even if you find a perfect match to your skin tone, makeup that settles in your pores or melts throughout the day is not flattering at all. Do some research before you make a purchase, and learn from the pros. For example, the professional makeup artists at New York Fashion Week use the best in the industry, like the Artistry collections from Amway, so the models are runway ready. Find the brands that the professionals turn to from reading blogs, watching YouTube videos and following their social media accounts. They may be a bit more expensive than a drugstore product, but when seeking out flawless skin, the investment is worthwhile.
Application Tools
You’ve found your perfect shade and bought a high-quality product, now it’s time to put it on. It may seem like common sense to use the tool that is included with your foundation to put it on, or even just your fingers. But this can lead to streakiness and uneven coverage. Makeup sponges like the beautyblender have been gaining popularity in recent years. Since they have no edges they create a seamless look, and are simple to use. There are also many foundation brushes that work well to blend out makeup. Read reviews on sites like Sephora, Ulta and Amazon to find one that will work for you.
Complimentary Tones
Once you have a great base in place, move forward to the rest of your makeup: eyes, cheeks and lips. As with finding foundation, it’s good to keep in mind what your skin’s undertone is, as different colors compliment undertones differently. For example, a cooler pink blush might fit in perfectly with warm skin. Women with darker skin tones can also experiment with more dark and bright shades than those with pale skin.
Perfect makeup is achievable. While you may have had trouble finding the perfect match and coverage for your skin in the past, following these tips will help you achieve an effortless and smooth look.