Foundation: How To Choose Right Foundations for Skin

Choosing the right foundation is essential to flawless makeup. Foundation evens out your entire skin tone hiding any flaws, be it blemishes, scars, acne or just plain dullness. But there are loads of different foundations available out there in the market.

You’ve to consider 3 things while buying a foundation:-

1. Skin Type
2. Shade
3. Coverage

Foundations for Skin Type:-

Check out this post to know what your skin type is.

Normal Skin: - Lucky you! You can use just about any foundation from mineral powder to tinted moisturizer; depending on your required coverage & shade.

Dry Skin: You need the added moisture in your foundation. The best foundations for dry skin are oil-based foundations (oil based tinted moisturizer for light coverage & oil-based cream or liquid foundation for heavier coverage), mousse foundation, tinted moisturizers & mineral foundation. Look for words like hydrating & moisturizing while looking for a foundation for dry skin. Avoid matte foundation as they will make your skin look dull.

Oily Skin:- An oily skin secretes enough oil on its own so use only an oil-free liquid foundation or moisturizers. A matte finish foundation is also great for controlling oily shine and breakthrough shine later. Use a pressed powder after your liquid foundation to set it right.

Aging Skin:- If you notice signs of aging skin like wrinkles, fine lines & probably a little saggy loose skin, don’t get freaked out and start opting for a heavy coverage foundation. It will just worsen things. Choose a medium coverage foundation with light reflecting pigments that will make your skin glow naturally.

Combination Skin:- If you have a normal-dry skin but an oily t-zone (nose and chin area & the skin below forehead), you should avoid normal liquid foundations. The best foundation for this skin is the powder foundation followed by 2nd best foundation for combination skin– liquid to powder foundations.

Acne Prone skin: - Go for foundations labeled as ‘non-comedogenic’ or have ‘salicylic acid’ listed in their ingredients as this will keep your pores & frequent breakouts at bay & also make sure it is an oil-free foundation, though it can be powder or liquid.

According to shade:-

Choosing a foundation to your shade can be quite a task.

• Make sure you test the foundation in broad day light and not just in the store lightning as it can be deceiving.
• Narrow down to 2-3 foundations matching best to your skin tone.
• Never test the foundation on your hand. Always test it on your jawline & then double test it on your forehead to see if the foundation matches your natural skin tone.
• Also try clicking pictures of yourself while testing the foundation. You don’t want to purchase it later on & realize it causes your face to appear white in photos.
• Don’t feel shy to ask for samples of foundations for usage of 2-3 times from SA’s as you can test it according to your convenience during day/night & decide for yourself if it’s right or not.

According to coverage:-

• Sheer – This is the lightest coverage for those people who want to just even out their skin tone & have a natural look.
• Medium – These foundations are thicker in consistency and provide some coverage for people with blemishes, discolorations or other minor imperfections.
• Full – This helps erase severe imperfections such as acne scars. Also it’s the best form of foundation to use for photo shoots or for occasions like wedding etc.