Building the proper foundation - part 1

A noted trend in Orlando is wearing the wrong shade of foundation. Many people overcompensate for when they think they will be tan due to the Orlando sun, and they wear colors that are either too pink or too yellow.  Finding the right foundation shade is very tricky, but the best thing to do is to purchase a few different shades to make sure you are covered.

I am NC 42 (nose bridge to cheeks), NC 43 (sides of face), NC 44 (temples), and NC 45 (forehead) in Mac Cosmetics Studio Fix Fluid and those colors can tend to look too orange on me. It is easier to start with a shade that may be too light (NC 42) for my entire face and layer a corrective colored powder over it than to start off too dark (NC 44) and look orange. Using an NW 30 or NW 35, I can balance out the yellow tones with red and adjust accordingly with changes in my skin color and seasons.

Many people are used to getting tan, so they wear the same shades year round. Most of the people with whom I have worked in Orlando have yellow based tones, but I have seen them wearing red based. Foundations such as Urban Decay and Clinique usually have more red based tones and cannot accommodate us Floridians.  While you may feel out of your comfort level by using different brands, it would behoove you to be more venturous to find what really looks and feels best for your skin.

If you are having difficulties determining which color family is right, you can schedule an appointment with an Orlando makeup artist. Getting color matched at the mall seems easy, but it can provide erroneous results due to lighting and other issues.  A good rule of thumb is to check what color is predominant on your neck.  Most of our faces are different shades than our necks, but rarely are they so drastic that one is pink and the other is orange.

Another important thing is blending.  There are many different brushes that you can use for applying foundation.  It really depends on preference and product consistency.  If you have clearer skin, it is best to use a tinted moisturizer to avoid many of these color issues. Tinted moisturizers give a sheer veil of color without being heavy.

Skin tone is also dependent on diet and skincare products used.  Foods and products may have acids that react differently to your skin and adversely to the chemicals or makeup of the foundation you select. When you make drastic changes in your diet, test foundations to see which ones still work best for you!