Your Ultimate Guide On How To Choose The Right Foundation For Flawless Base

Knowing your skin tone is a crucial first step in selecting the perfect foundation. It can be broken down into categories like light, medium, and dark, which will help you make a better choice within those ranges. It also gives you a better understanding of the brands that offer an inclusive shade range. Additionally, if you have uneven skin tone, you can use the colour of your jawline as a reference. Skin type is another important factor in making the right decision. If your skin is oily, you should opt for a mattifying foundation; if your skin is dry, go for a hydrating foundation. For combination skin, satin or satin-matte foundations work great and will leave you with a subtle glow that looks magical.

All the beauty gurus on the internet have made the importance of understanding your undertones and color theory quite clear. Knowing your undertone is essential for selecting the right foundation shade, but what exactly is it, and how do you identify it?

Undertone refers to the color that appears underneath the skin and gives it an overall hue. It has nothing to do with your skin tone and is unaffected by changing seasons or fake tans. Here are two ways you can determine yours:

1. Check your veins in natural light: Take a closer look at the veins around your neck, wrist, and face to know your undertone. 

If your veins appear blue or purple, you have a cool undertone. If your veins appear olive green, you have a warm undertone, and if your veins appear a mix of green and blue, then you have a neutral undertone. 

2. Do a jewellery test: If gold looks better on your skin, then you have a warm undertone, and if silver is your go-to metal that flatters your skin, then you have a cool undertone. And if you can rock anything, then consider yourself lucky and categorise yourself in the neutral undertone category. 

LBB Tip: People with warm undertones have a peachy, golden glow to the skin, and people with cool undertones have hints of red, blue, and pink. 

For a flawless complexion, knowing the coverage you desire is essential. If you're aiming for sheer coverage, choose something lightweight. It will allow your skin to shine through and provide a texture that looks like your skin, but better. If you want to cover slight imperfections, a medium-coverage foundation that’s buildable is ideal. A full-coverage foundation is perfect for a more elaborate look, covering blemishes, hyperpigmentation, spots, and more.

How many times have you swatched a product in the store, only to later realize it's not the right shade for you? Swatching in proper lighting can make all the difference. Swatch on your neck, jawline, and the back of your wrist to ensure your foundation matches, then analyze it in natural light. This will also help you understand the consistency and texture of your foundation.

LBB Tip: We recommend buying your foundation in-store to avoid the risk of getting the incorrect shade online.

Maybelline is the OG brand when it comes to all things beauty. Their 'Fit Me' foundation range offers 22 shades, all well-aligned with various skin tones. It also contains SPF 22, provides a natural matte finish, and offers 16-hour oil control, making it the best foundation range that is economical, accessible, and overall great.

Kay Beauty by Katrina Kaif has been making waves with each of their products. Many of their items have become absolutely irreplaceable in our vanity (cc: their waterproof eyeliner), and their foundation is one of them. Available in 20 brown-skin-friendly shades, the foundation offers a natural dewy finish that is lightweight and feels like second skin. The consistency and texture are luxurious, and the price point is also quite reasonable.

Make Up For Ever is definitely on the steeper side of the hill, but ask any beauty guru or enthusiast, and they will say it’s worth every penny. Their foundation comes in 19 shades, blurs and covers imperfections for 24 hours, and is powered by a micro-skin system that syncs with the skin for a true-to-skin finish. It offers 24-hour wear, is waterproof, and we highly recommend it for all the brides and bridesmaids out there.

Check out 8 brands that make foundations for brown skin here, and the best recommendation for combination skin here.