A lot of beauty brands has seen an increase in foundation matching services being offered online. By being able to color match makeup virtually, you can prevent unnecessary stress of mismatched products and hassles of returns or shade swaps.
Color matching is not complicated! With my few tips and guidelines, you can find your perfect shade with confidence.
Complimentary Color Match Service
Remember that makeup experts like myself offers complimentary color match service to help you find the right shade for their skin tone. My service is done online or in person and there is no pressure to buy.
If at the end of this tutorial, you would rather avail of the free color match service, just follow this link and it will take you to my color match quiz.
Finding The Perfect Shades
With 3D foundation, you need to find more than just one shade – two highlights, a contour and a blush.
Seint’s 3D concept aims to show through the natural dimensions of the face even with makeup on.
The complete foundation uses at least 4 shades to achieve the three-dimensional look namely main highlight, a brightener, a darker shade for contouring and a pink or red hue for blush.
Rather than relying on a monochromatic foundation, the 3D foundation creates a more natural looking finish.
And since you will need to be matched to 3 or more shades, this is where most of the confusion begin. But continue reading and you’ll be amazed at how easy this actually is!
Why Finding Your Perfect Match Important?
As with any makeup, it is important to find your perfect match! Wearing the perfect makeup shade can actually enhance the natural look of your skin.
Nobody wants a makeup that is too light, too dark, or too orange. The goal is to achieve that natural, radiant look we all aim for.
Your Skin Undertone is the Key
It may be a surprise for you but knowing your skin’s undertone is already half the battle.
Here are my practical tips to determining your skin’s undertone.
The Veins Test
You can look at the color of the veins in your wrist.
- If they appear blue or purple, it means you have a cool undertone.
- If they appear green, then you have a warm undertone.
- Bluish-green veins suggest you are neutral.
The Garment Test
You can start looking for garment colors that looks more flattering to you.
Cool tones usually look best in blue, green, and purple garments, while warm tones usually look best in orange, red, and yellow garments.
If not sure about a particular color, try holding it up to your face to see if it makes your skin look brighter or duller.
- If blue, green, and purple garments make your skin look brighter, then your undertone is cool.
- If orange, red, and yellow garments make your skin look brighter, then your undertone is warm.
The Jewelry Test
Another effective method is the jewelry test.
Hold up a piece of jewelry against your skin and observe the way it enhances or dulls your complexion.
- Gold jewelry is ideal for those with warm undertones, as it tends to bring out the natural warmth in their skin
- Silver jewelry is more suited for individuals with cool undertones, as it enhances their natural coolness
Tan or Burn Test
- When you tan, your skin tends to develop warm undertones, which can range from golden to olive hues.
- If you burn, it typically indicates that your skin has cooler undertones.
Natural Hair Color Test
Once you know your skin tone, the next thing you need to check is the color of your eyes and hair. Opt for contouring creams that are close to your hair and eye color.
Color Recommendations Based On Skin's Undertone
If your skin is Cool
This means you need to pick highlights and contours that have a pink base or undertone.
If your skin is Warm
This means you need to pick highlights and contours with yellow undertones. Common words that are used to describe a warm undertone are Golden, Yellow, or Olive.
If your skin is Neutral
This means your skin is neither pink nor yellow based, and mostly white. Combining cool and warm highlights would be ideal for you.
Cool Tones
- Highlights
- Versailles
- Moonlit
- White Peach
- June
- Candlelit
- Palace
- Athens
- Sandy
- Hazel
- Fiji
- Muse
Cool Tones
- Contours
- Aspen
- Henna
- Ash
- Astoria
- Shadow
- Cola
Warm Tones
- Highlights
- Linen
- Aura
- Sunlit
- Amber
- Wheat
- Mango
- Golden Hour
- Goddess
- Nutmeg
- Papaya
- Icon
- Cinnamon
- Mirage
Warm Tones
- Contours
- Walnut
- Olive
- Stone
- Cedar
- Indigo
Understanding Skin Color Levels
There are 12 levels of skin color from the lightest to the darkest.
Level I: Lightest
Level II: Light Cool
Level III: Light Warm
Level IV: Medium Warm
Level V: Medium Cool
Level VI: Warm Tan
Level VII: Cool Tan
Level VIII: Warm Tan
Level IX : Dark Cool
Level X – Dark Warm
Level XI – Deep Warm
Level XII – Very Deep
The Dewy Finish
When you use cream makeup, it gives the appearance of a dewy finish. Cream makeup will have more moisturizing properties and good for long term use. They will leave the skin looking hydrated. Other words used to describe a dewy finish include Luminous, Radiance or Glow.
But don’t confuse dewy with oily, cream is not meant to be oily. The skin will adjust to the extra moisturization that cream makeup brings, so it is recommended to use Vanilla Setting Powder during the first few weeks to absorb excess oil.
Build Your Desired Coverage
Cream makeup is buildable and you can work toward the preferred coverage . While other makeups only provide a single coverage type, cream makeup allows you to build the coverage you wanted. This is perfect when you want versatility for an all-natural look for the busy days or more glam for night events, it can be used for both occasions.
Sheer
This kind of coverage evens out the skin tone but does not cover any blemishes or pigmentation. This coverage produces the most natural-looking makeup. Apply creams with low-density brush like the Blush + Bronzer brush.
Medium
This kind of coverage will even out skin tone and cover any imperfections on the skin. It will also cover the redness from rosacea, but it will not cover dark pigmentation caused by blemishes or sun damage. Use brushes like the IIID Brush to apply the creams for medium coverage.
Full
This coverage will conceal most skin imperfections. It conceals pigmentation and acne scars significantly. But care must be taken to avoid looking cakey. Buff Brush is a highly dense brush and is best for full coverage.
No More Off-Looking Foundation
Because Seint is not limited to just a single shade, the result is more natural.
Picking just one foundation shade looks off for most parts of the face. This is because our inner face is brighter than the outer.
Mix and Match the Creams
Sometimes you won’t get the perfect color using just a single shade. In this case, it’s time to mix and match!
Use two shades and mix them together to create the perfect main highlight.
Also, if your skin becomes lighter or darker, depending on the season, you can mix your main and brightening highlight.
If trying to choose between 2 highlight shades, always pick the darker one. This ensures you will apply a small amount and avoid the cakey look.
