How to choose the right foundation for yourself

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Choosing the right foundation makeup for your skin is actually daunting! So always go for testing the products before buying it. I suggest to choose the shade and type of foundation in a makeup store before buying it online. As many women (including me) just go by the shades displayed on the websites and order and when we get the product, we sit with a long face after finding out its not the right shade for us!

Foundation’s formulation : First, think about the formulation of the foundation you are looking for. If you are oily skinned, go for foundations which claim to be “oil-free”, “mattifying”. And if your skin is dry, look for words like “hydrating” or “moisturising” on the bottle. For combination skin, cream foundations or powder based foundations are better. And if you are having sensitive skin, or not sure in which category your skin type falls, you are better off purchasing mineral makeup.

Coverage of foundation : If you have more or less good skin, with only a bit of ruddy areas to be covered up, go for light to medium coverage foundations. And if you have a lot of acne scars and blemishes, go for medium or heavy coverage foundations.

Go to Make-up counter with no makeup/foundation on you : That’s very essential. You must have a clean face to try out the foundations. Though some sales assistants might help you to remove the makeup then and there, but some others might not give you so much of time. Just be ready from before.

Choose foundation close to your natural skin tone : Most women consider yellow-based makeup, as it looks natural in most of the cases. However if you are having a very fair complexion, try out pink cool shades.

Apply foundation on the cheeks/jaws to test the shade : Unlike the popular belief, that you should try foundations on the inner wrist to find out the shade, apply the foundations on the cheeks. Try upto 3 shades at a time. When a particular shade dissapears with your complexion, then that is the right shade for you.

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Have a good look at yourself in natural lighting : Always see how the foundation looks on you in natural lighting. So just stand in the doorway or near window and test the shades. If a shade is right for you, you wont be able to see it properly, as it will be blending with your skin tone easily.

Whether the foundation is having sunscreen or not, is not of utmost importance, as it is always a safer bet to wear sunblock underneath foundation. It is highly advised by many cosmetologists and beauticians all over the world, to not wear foundations on a regular basis. Now if you are having blemishes, put concealer right at those places and skip the foundation. If you going for a daytime look or for the office look, then use a light foundation. While for evening makeup, foundation with subtle shimmer can be great. Also you can wear a foundation with heavy coverage then.

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