There is nothing worse than finding the perfect summer outfit, matching jewelry, with hair and makeup on point than to walk by a store mirror and notice that you’ve got the dreaded foundation line.  Okay, there are much worse things but when it comes to skin care, this is a major faux pas that has happened to all of us.

Luckily, there are plenty of hacks to help you avoid this problem and find a foundation that not only suits your skin type and tone, but looks flawless and seamless at the same time.  Keep in mind that if you need help finding the perfect foundation for you, team members at cosmetic counters and stores like Sephora and Ulta are always more than happy to help if you’re feeling lost!  In the meantime, here are a few things to keep in mind while shopping for the perfect foundation for your skin.

How To Pick The Right Foundation For Your Skin

Determining Your Skin Type

It’s a good idea to keep your skin type in mind when shopping for foundation so that your needs are met accordingly.  Whether you’re dry, oily, combination, acne-prone, or sensitive, your skin type can be accommodated when choosing a foundation.

If you have dry skin, you can look for foundations with a “dewy” finish or that contain words like “hydrating”, “moisturizing”, or “glow”.  Typically these foundations with have a thicker texture when they come out of their container and are best blended using a beauty sponge.

If you have oily or combination skin, foundations with a “matte” or “natural” finish are probably going to be your best bet.  Typically these foundations are thinner and more watery in texture and dry quickly so they’ll need to be blended quickly and/or in sections.

Acne-prone and sensitive skin types can usually find foundations that cater to these skin types with specialized ingredients for your concerns.  Foundations designed for acne-prone skin usually contain salicylic acid which will help kill bacteria during the day.  Sensitive skin foundations will usually omit irritating ingredients and scents

Deciding On Coverage

After determining your skin type, coverage is going to be your next priority.  Coverage can come in a range of options from very light tinted moisturizers all the way to full and high coverage foundations that will disguise any and all imperfections.  I definitely recommend, no matter what coverage option is best for you, that you find a product that is buildable.  That means that you can create multiple light layers without the product looking “cakey”.  This will give you the best and most natural effect because you can conceal where necessary and leave light coverage where you want without the texture or shade changing.

It’s All In The Undertone

I think that one of the most common mistakes that women make that may lead to the dreaded foundation line is choosing the incorrect undertone in their foundation.  There are many descriptors for the 3 most common undertones; but what you’ll hear most often are pink (cool undertones), yellow (warm or olive undertones), and neutral (a combination of both).

A good way to determine your undertone is to have a team member at a beauty counter help you or a friend or family member.  If you tan or brown easily, that may mean that your skin has warm or olive undertones.  If you burn easily, that may mean that your skin has pink or cool undertones. Also, if you have an especially hard time finding foundations that suit your skin and are too pink or too yellow; it’s a good indicator that you have a neutral undertone.

You’ve Got It Made In The Shade

If you’re anything like me, the shade of your skin may change with the seasons.  In winter and spring, my skin is much lower in the shade range and goes up in the warmer months.  But don’t worry, this is the simplest part!  If you self-tan your body but not your face, you’ll just need to find a shade that most accurately matches the skin on your chest and neck.  If you need to add color to account for a self-tan or spray tan, there are lots of effective color drops that you can add to your normal foundation to change the shade depth.  Cover FX makes really great ones that you can find at Sephora and NYX has a drop foundation at Ulta that makes the perfect color mixer.  Pro tip: Make sure that you check out your shade and matches in natural lighting.

Added Benefits

Okay, now you’ve got foundation to look as flawless and seamless and blended as you’d like.  Now you can consider what the additional benefits that are available in foundations.  Here are a few to take into account:

• Suncreen (my personal favorite)
• Skincare (AHA, BHA, Glycolic Acid, Retinol, etc)
• Moisturizer
• Primer and Skin-blurring Technologies
• Shimmer or Skin Illuminators

BB and CC creams can sometimes have less coverage but are always jam-packed with skin nourishing ingredients and are my go-to for day to day use. This one is my all time favorite!

Using these five criteria, you’re on a path to find the foundation you’ve been missing in your life!  Luckily now a days there are many more shade inclusive lines that suit a much larger shade range so that you are almost guaranteed to be able to find something that matches your skin.

I’ll link my favorite foundations below and don’t forget to share yours and why you love it!

PS for a flawless look, I totally recommend this primer from TULA! It is the prettiest finish and looks great alone on no makeup days or under your foundation. It’s blurring and moisturizing and leaves your skin glowing! It’s pretty much the best. Use code DESTINY20 on the TULA site! XOXO

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