Choosing the right Foundation

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT MY SKINTONE IS? AND HOW WOULD I KNOW WHAT IS THE RIGHT FOUNDATION FOR MY COMPLEXION? 

In order for you to assess your skin tone successfully; you should first  determine if your skin colour is light, medium or dark.  Knowing your undertone is very critical to selecting a foundation colour that would be natural for you.  Skin tones fall into two basic categories cool and warm.  Cool colours have a bluish undertone, (pinkish/mahogany/darker skin tones) whilst warm colours are more yellow (light/medium browns).  It’s easy to figure out, look at the inside of  your arm or wrist in natural light, you should see a  reflection of either a yellowish, reddish, greenish or bluish tone, which ever colour is most prominent that is your undertone.  

The right colour for you foundation wise  should  match your skin, try  blending about two to three different colours along the jaw line, the right shade would be the one that blends in giving you the most natural finish.   However, it may be necessary to have two foundations, a lighter one for the center of your face and a darker one to use around the outer parameter for those of you who have an uneven skin tone.  For most women the forehead is usually darker as it is the area of the face that is mostly exposed to the sun.  Black Opal, Iman, Revlon, Avon and Mary Kay are a few of my favourites that carry the widest selection of foundation colours that blends perfectly with our Caribbean hues.

pic courtesy Allure Magazine 

Do I really need a foundation or may I just use my brown powder? 

Foundations help to even out the skin tone and disguise minor blemishes and imperfections, while powder mattes the skin but may not give adequate coverage.   Powders that are translucent are of a fine texture they are designed to be used over foundation, not necessarily by itself. The compact powders are more pigmented so it is possible to get some amount of coverage just using your press compact.  If you just need to take away excess shine you are good to go, however if you are looking for coverage, foundation is definitely your best option. Recently some manufacturers are using skin enhancing ingredients in their products including SPF protection.  Foundations also protects the skin from the elements in the atmosphere, so there are lots of benefits, but the most rewarding is skin that appears to be flawless and perfect.

How do I go about selecting a foundation that is perfect for me?  I would try it in the store and when I get home it does not look the same and they always test it on the back of my hands. 

In most instances the lighting in the stores are not always the best, I recommend trying a few shades of foundation across the jaw line close the neck area, look at it preferable in day light, go outside of the store if you can and then select the shade that blends in for the most natural finish.  DO NOT TEST YOUR COLOUR ON THE BACK OF YOUR HANDS, in most instances the back of your hands and the colour on your face are shades apart.