Hey Brownies,
The key to not looking like Lil Kim when you wear makeup is all about the right color foundation. I am sick of seeing women with this off color cakey makeup that ruins their beautiful brown complexion. I look at them and think "Did you really think that looked good? The best part of being a woman of color is that we have so many various skin shades from honey to dark chocolate which sadly makes "foundation shopping" harder. So here is some tips to help you find the right shade for your complexion.
Enjoy Brownies.
Step 1 Find Your Undertone
What is undertone? Undertone is the color underneath the skin that determines the pigmentation of the skin.
The most common undertones are
Yellow/Golden
Blue
Pink/Red
Olive
Olive is neutral yellow is warm and pink and blue are cool undertones.
Most companies organize their foundations by warm and cool. For example MAC has NC and they have NW. w=warm c=cool
A good way to figuring out your undertone is to:
1. Look in the mirror in natural light. See if you notice any of the above colors in your skin tone. Like a lot of women of color you may have more than one undertone. So go with the color of your neck because you have less undertones in your neck. You want the foundation to match your neck. My make-up artist friend mixes foundations to get the right shade for her clients with warm and cool tones. If you have that skill than by all means go ahead. If not stick to one undertone.
2. What color are your veins?
If they are green your undertone is more likely warm. If your veins are blue your undertones are more likely cool. Now if you are like me and your body complexion is a lot lighter than your face than this may not be the best method for you. Because your veins will reflect that skin tone which is not the same as your face.
3. Does gold or silver jewelery flatter your skin tone best? This might sound crazy but if you put up gold or silver earrings to your skin it can help determine your undertone. Does silver look better on you? If so its a good chance you are a cool tone. If gold earrings look better than you probably are a warm undertone. If it doesn't matter either way you are probably neutral.
Step 2 Find your skin type
If you know your skin type already than great you can skip this part. But if you don't than lets get down to business. If you are a makeup novice you probably don't understand what this has to do with makeup. Well honey, let me tell you that your skin type helps you get the right kind of coverage. For example if your dry you will get a cream or liquid foundation if your oily you will get a powder or liquid that is oil free. Because you don't want your makeup to make your skin look more dry or oily. If your like me you get confused by finding your skin type because every other day it changes from dry to oily. But this is a good method in helping you find your skin type.
How to find your Skin Type?
Wash your face with your normal cleanser. Let your skin dry for about 15-20 mins.
Supple/Soft skin = Normal type
Taut/Dry= Dry type
Moist/Oily= Oily type
If you are only oily on your T-zone (forehead & nose) and normal everywhere else you are Combination type.
When your looking for foundation choose types that are labeled towards your skin type. Trust me this helps in so many ways. This was my problem when wearing foundation I thought I was oily when really I was combination so my skin would look so matte and it wasn't cute!
Step 3 Determine your Skin tone
Now that we have your undertone and your skin type. We have to determine your skin tone. Now me personally I like to go into stores where the makeup can be professionally applied to my skin. Trying to find a foundation in a drug store is just not my twist because I can not try it on my skin. But regardless of how you find your foundation these are the steps to help match your skin tone.
1. Apply two-three shades on your jawline and BLEND BABY BLEND! Whichever one disappears into your skin is the best choice.
2. Go into natural light. It is harder to see if there is any discoloration in your skin when you are under fluorescent lights. If you are in a mall you can go right outside the store with the artist and see if there is any difference. I have done this plenty of times and it really helps.
3. Get a sample if you can if not you/artist apply the foundation to your face and WEAR IT ALL DAY. After a while, the oils in your skin mix with your foundation and if its the wrong shade your skin will appear lighter or darker. Wearing it for 24 hours really gives you an idea if that shade is good for you.
Step 4 Choose your type of coverage
There are 3 types light weight , medium , and full coverage. You also have tinted moisturizers and bronzers.
So how do you choose? Look below.
Lightweight- aka sheer foundation this is good for women who have clear skin and want "natural" coverage. (good for daytime and work purposes)
Medium- this is good for if you need a " a lil" help with achieving that flawless skin effect. It gives you just not coverage but not too much that it looks like you have a "fake face"
Full- this option is for blemish and large pore skin. Full coverage can help hyper-pigmentation and troublesome areas. But be careful because if you apply too much you will look like a drag queen at 3pm in the afternoon. A good idea is to apply it only to problem areas wait 5 minutes and than layer if it needs too be.
So that's it brownies! It was a lot of info I hope you take full advantage and this helps you find the perfect foundation color.
Always BSB,
Miss BSB
The key to not looking like Lil Kim when you wear makeup is all about the right color foundation. I am sick of seeing women with this off color cakey makeup that ruins their beautiful brown complexion. I look at them and think "Did you really think that looked good? The best part of being a woman of color is that we have so many various skin shades from honey to dark chocolate which sadly makes "foundation shopping" harder. So here is some tips to help you find the right shade for your complexion.
Enjoy Brownies.
Step 1 Find Your Undertone
What is undertone? Undertone is the color underneath the skin that determines the pigmentation of the skin.
The most common undertones are
Yellow/Golden
Blue
Pink/Red
Olive
Olive is neutral yellow is warm and pink and blue are cool undertones.
Most companies organize their foundations by warm and cool. For example MAC has NC and they have NW. w=warm c=cool
A good way to figuring out your undertone is to:
1. Look in the mirror in natural light. See if you notice any of the above colors in your skin tone. Like a lot of women of color you may have more than one undertone. So go with the color of your neck because you have less undertones in your neck. You want the foundation to match your neck. My make-up artist friend mixes foundations to get the right shade for her clients with warm and cool tones. If you have that skill than by all means go ahead. If not stick to one undertone.
2. What color are your veins?
If they are green your undertone is more likely warm. If your veins are blue your undertones are more likely cool. Now if you are like me and your body complexion is a lot lighter than your face than this may not be the best method for you. Because your veins will reflect that skin tone which is not the same as your face.
3. Does gold or silver jewelery flatter your skin tone best? This might sound crazy but if you put up gold or silver earrings to your skin it can help determine your undertone. Does silver look better on you? If so its a good chance you are a cool tone. If gold earrings look better than you probably are a warm undertone. If it doesn't matter either way you are probably neutral.
Step 2 Find your skin type
If you know your skin type already than great you can skip this part. But if you don't than lets get down to business. If you are a makeup novice you probably don't understand what this has to do with makeup. Well honey, let me tell you that your skin type helps you get the right kind of coverage. For example if your dry you will get a cream or liquid foundation if your oily you will get a powder or liquid that is oil free. Because you don't want your makeup to make your skin look more dry or oily. If your like me you get confused by finding your skin type because every other day it changes from dry to oily. But this is a good method in helping you find your skin type.
How to find your Skin Type?
Wash your face with your normal cleanser. Let your skin dry for about 15-20 mins.
Supple/Soft skin = Normal type
Taut/Dry= Dry type
Moist/Oily= Oily type
If you are only oily on your T-zone (forehead & nose) and normal everywhere else you are Combination type.
When your looking for foundation choose types that are labeled towards your skin type. Trust me this helps in so many ways. This was my problem when wearing foundation I thought I was oily when really I was combination so my skin would look so matte and it wasn't cute!
Step 3 Determine your Skin tone
Now that we have your undertone and your skin type. We have to determine your skin tone. Now me personally I like to go into stores where the makeup can be professionally applied to my skin. Trying to find a foundation in a drug store is just not my twist because I can not try it on my skin. But regardless of how you find your foundation these are the steps to help match your skin tone.
1. Apply two-three shades on your jawline and BLEND BABY BLEND! Whichever one disappears into your skin is the best choice.
2. Go into natural light. It is harder to see if there is any discoloration in your skin when you are under fluorescent lights. If you are in a mall you can go right outside the store with the artist and see if there is any difference. I have done this plenty of times and it really helps.
3. Get a sample if you can if not you/artist apply the foundation to your face and WEAR IT ALL DAY. After a while, the oils in your skin mix with your foundation and if its the wrong shade your skin will appear lighter or darker. Wearing it for 24 hours really gives you an idea if that shade is good for you.
Step 4 Choose your type of coverage
There are 3 types light weight , medium , and full coverage. You also have tinted moisturizers and bronzers.
So how do you choose? Look below.
Lightweight- aka sheer foundation this is good for women who have clear skin and want "natural" coverage. (good for daytime and work purposes)
Medium- this is good for if you need a " a lil" help with achieving that flawless skin effect. It gives you just not coverage but not too much that it looks like you have a "fake face"
Full- this option is for blemish and large pore skin. Full coverage can help hyper-pigmentation and troublesome areas. But be careful because if you apply too much you will look like a drag queen at 3pm in the afternoon. A good idea is to apply it only to problem areas wait 5 minutes and than layer if it needs too be.
So that's it brownies! It was a lot of info I hope you take full advantage and this helps you find the perfect foundation color.
Always BSB,
Miss BSB
Yeah nobody should look like mo'nique at the end of precious.
ReplyDeleteyes so true..but they do!
ReplyDelete