How to choose your foundation shade, and why it is the most common mistake
When clients ask me what they get wrong most often doing their own makeup, my answer always starts the same way: first of all, they pick the wrong foundation shade.
It is not carelessness. It is the hardest decision in the whole of makeup, and the reason is that you do not have one single skin tone to compare against.
Why you do not get the shade right first time
Natural-looking skin is the hardest thing to achieve. First, the colour of your skin changes constantly. We do not have the same colour all day, we warm up, we sweat, we get cold.
Then skin reads differently depending on the light. One colour in the sun, another in the shade, a different shade again indoors. And once you have product on your face, light reflects off it differently than off bare skin.
That is the hard part: getting your face to look the same as the rest of your body, even though it has product on it. That is the only correct reference. Not how the foundation looks on the back of your hand, not how it looks in the shop, but whether your face matches your neck and your shoulders in daylight.
Your skin type matters more than the brand you pick
Oily skin and dry skin are made up differently. And not only that. Oily skin comes in several types, it can also be dehydrated, with a tendency to flake, which means two clients with "oily skin" can need opposite products.
The bases and the type of foundation are chosen according to the skin, and so is the setting powder, applied on the areas where it is needed, so that it sets as much as it should without weighing the skin down.
That is why I cannot recommend a specific foundation without seeing your skin. The very product that holds impeccably on one person can settle into lines on another, and that is not the product's fault.
Prepping the skin, but not the way you think
Prepping the skin matters, but not the way clients imagine. The more products we apply under the foundation, the more we risk it not lasting as well, or the skin looking heavier.
The bases and creams used beforehand are chosen strategically and applied by area, only where they are needed, in the thinnest possible layers, so they do not weigh the skin down and do not change the formula of the foundation.
In other words, more layers under the foundation do not mean better makeup. Most of the time they mean exactly the opposite.
How much foundation, really
For makeup that looks as natural as possible I use the lightest foundations, with the lowest coverage, layered only where I need more. The rest of the face stays almost untouched.
Sometimes a foundation is not needed at all. On mature skin, for instance, a cream that simply gives the skin some colour can be enough.
Skin is skin, it will move, we will sweat, sebum will come to the surface. But the more lightly it is built, the less those changes make the makeup worse.
That is the difference between skin that degrades over the evening and skin that simply shifts a little. See also why makeup does not last.
Foundation alone takes your face away
When you apply foundation, the face loses its features, it looks like a sheet of paper. That is normal and it happens to everyone, because foundation covers exactly the shadows and highlights that give the face its relief.
Which is why the next step is not optional. Bronzer, concealer, blush and highlighter bring the shadows and the light back to the skin, which is what brings the makeup to life. A perfectly applied foundation with nothing after it looks flat.
What to do in the days before an event
Before makeup it is very important that the skin is well hydrated and exfoliated. Ideally you would not expose it to the sun for a few days beforehand, because the skin stays red, and that changes the foundation shade and how the whole outfit reads.
If you want to learn to choose your own foundation and shade, that is exactly what we work on in the self-makeup course, 1000 RON, one to one, across two sessions. The course is personalised, so we start from your skin and from the products you already have at home.
For an event, bridal makeup without a trial is 600 RON and a bridal makeup trial is 400 RON, and at the trial we can test exactly how the shade behaves on your skin, in daylight.
All prices and what each service includes →
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out which foundation shade suits me?
The correct reference is the rest of your body, not your cheek on its own. The goal is for your face to look the same as your neck and your shoulders, even with product on it. Always check in daylight, because skin reads one way in the sun, another in the shade and another indoors.
How do I find out what skin type I have?
The surest way is to watch how your skin behaves during the day, not how it looks in the morning. Oily skin comes in several types, it can also be dehydrated with a tendency to flake, and that completely changes which base and which foundation suit you. At an appointment I look at your skin before choosing any product.
What do I put on before foundation?
Less than you think. The more products we apply under the foundation, the more we risk it not lasting as well, or the skin looking heavy. Bases and creams are chosen strategically and applied only on the areas where they are needed, in thin layers, so they do not change the formula of the foundation.
Why do I look flat once I put my foundation on?
Because foundation covers the natural shadows and highlights of the face, and it ends up looking like a sheet of paper. Bronzer, concealer, blush and highlighter bring the relief back and bring the makeup to life. Foundation on its own is not finished makeup.
Can I learn to choose my own foundation?
Yes, it is one of the things we work on in the self-makeup course, 1000 RON, one to one and across two sessions. We start from your skin type and from the products you already own. I teach and do makeup in Bacau, and for events I travel to Onesti, Moinesti, Comanesti, Buhusi, Roman, Piatra Neamt and Adjud.
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