Finding Your Foundation Color

Finding the foundation color that matches your skin tone can be a process, especially when switching to a new makeup brand or shopping online for foundation. To make the process easier, our makeup gurus at VKosmetik are sharing their best tips for finding the best foundation color for your skin tone.

Determining the Tone of Your Skin

The first step in finding your ideal foundation color is determining the tone of your skin (light, medium, or dark), as well as the undertone (warm, neutral, or cold), which appears under the surface. To determine the undertone, observe the wrist veins in daylight.

• If your wrist veins are blue, your undertone is cool
• If your wrist veins are green, your undertone is warm
• If your wrist veins are between blue and green, your undertone is neutral

If you’re having a difficult time seeing the color of the veins in your wrist, you can also find your undertone color by holding a white sheet close to your face.

• If your complexion looks yellow, your undertone is warm
• If your complexion looks pink, your undertone is cool
• If your complexion looks in between yellow and pink, your undertone is neutral

Testing Foundations

When testing foundations, the ideal spot to test them is along the jaw. Always test foundations in daylight and allow the product to dry for 30-seconds. 

Testing foundations on your jawline allows you to accurately match the color to your face and neck. Always avoid testing foundations on the back of your hand, as the skin is paler than the face, especially in dark skin.

Finding a Formula for Your Undertone

Once you have found the foundation shade that leaves no demarcation on the skin, it’s time to find a formula that corresponds with your undertone.

Beauty brands are now adding the letters W (warm), N (neutral), and C (cool) to foundation colors that represent the three undertones, making the search for a new foundation easier than ever.