Here’s how to never choose the wrong foundation shade again
Imagine the money you’ll save!
Buying a new foundation can be a tricky task. Not only do you have to choose a brand, but the correct shade, undertone, finish and level of coverage all need to be considered as well. As a result, there have been countless times when we’ve purchased a new foundation and excitedly applied it, only to have it turn out too light, too dark, blotchy or just plain wrong.
If you too have experienced similar frustrations, we have good news! There is in fact a plethora of websites designed to help you find your perfect foundation match. Our favourites include Findation, Temptalia’s Foundation Matrix, Match My Makeup and the L’Oréal Paris Face Makeup Consultation service.
Essentially, the first three sites work by having the user enter the details of their current foundation brand and shade (the more foundations you enter the more accurate the results) before the site automatically matches their choice with an extensive list of different foundations, concealers and face powders in a very similar shade. The sites also enable users to rate the makeup suggestions in terms of how they worked for their particular skin tone and type.
Match My Makeup
Additionally, Temptalia’s Foundation Matrix allows users to refine their search from the extensive list provided (mine was 114 pages long!) by sectioning products into finish, coverage, brand, price and type i.e. liquid, cream, mineral, tinted moisturiser and so on. The Foundation Matrix also provides an option for those who are new to makeup to start from scratch. To do so, users first identify their skin’s undertone from a list of pink, neutral, olive, yellow and red before choosing what shade their skin falls under, either fairest, fair, light, light-medium, medium, medium-tan, tan, dark tan and deep dark. From there an abundance of base makeup suggestions are provided.
L’Oréal Paris Face Makeup Consultation service differs slightly from the other three, in that users are asked to describe their skin’s tone, undertone, type and any skin concerns they have before selecting their favourite foundation formula, their desired finish and their desired makeup benefit i.e. anti-ageing, all-day wear, flawless coverage, comfortable wear, mineral formula and all-in-one. A full list of L’Oréal Paris base makeup products from foundation to blush is then recommended, with prices and the option to buy.
The results were amazingly accurate across all four websites based on the data I submitted, with most suggesting foundations in shades that I had already tried but hadn’t remembered to entered in. So, if you’re on the hunt for a new foundation and are unsure what to look for or where to start, these website have more than got you covered!
If you’re looking to up the glow on your face makeup without relying on your foundation or highlighter, these new primers that work like real-life Instagram filters for you face are perfect for you.
Image credit: Getty, Match My Makeup
Kate started working for BEAUTYcrew in early 2016, first as a contributor, and was then named Beauty Writer in 2017. She loves picking the brains of the industry's top experts to get to the bottom of beauty's toughest questions. Bronze eyeshadow palettes are her weakness and she's forever on the hunt for the perfect nude nail polish to suit her fair skin. Her words can also be found in Men's Health magazine, and she now works in PR.
