Foundations are in the literal sense the base for your make-up. Unlike the experimentation nature of eyeshadows, lipsticks, blushes, and a whole lot of more make-up products free-flowing in the market, purchasing the right foundation for your skin is more of a hit or miss.

With the beauty market flooding with a range of foundations, the mere tactic of matching the shade with your skin got way more complicated. Now, you will find the make-up racks in offline or online stores filling up with foundations for oily skin, foundations for dry skin, powder foundations, liquid foundations, and who knows what more!

We are here to rescue you from the unnecessary stress of picking the right foundation for your skin tone. Follow these tips to nail the best foundation for different skin types!

1. Find Out Your Skin's Undertone

Undertones are completely separate from your skin shade/color but crucial to factor in while going for a foundation shade. To get your foundation shade to match your skin type, you need to know your skin undertone.

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Typically, people with a warmer undertone sport peachy, yellow, or golden skin glow whereas the ones with a cool undertone show hints of pink, reds, and blue. Your skin color might change from season to season but your undertone remains the same. There are people with a neutral undertone wherein their skin carries a balanced or mixed glow of both warm and cool undertone. In short, you have three basic skin undertones, namely-

• Cool - Hint of pink, reds and blue
• Warm - Have an overall peachy, yellow, or golden glow
• Neutral - Balanced mix of the both warm and cool.

How to check your skin's undertone?

There are numerous tests you can do at home to find your undertone. You can figure out it from the color of your veins: purple or blue veins indicate a cool undertone whereas olive or greenish indicate a warm undertone. 

Do find out your undertone before purchasing the next foundation. 

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2. Figure Out Your Skin Type

Oily, dry, normal or combination? You got to identify your skin type before picking out almost any beauty products, and the same goes for foundation shades.

• Oily Skin: The best foundation for oily skin is mattifying & controls excess oil production
• Dry Skin: The best foundation for dry skin should have a dewy or satin finish as it adds hydration to the skin minus the greasiness.
• Combination Skin: Look for satin or satin-matte foundations. It makes the dry patches of skin glow all the while balancing the overall skin glow.

   The next step after figuring out your skin type is making sure that your foundation included the above qualities to give you a smooth base!

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3. Know The Level Of Skin Coverage You Want

You need to be aware of the level of coverage you desire when applying foundation to your skin. Your make-up style is a huge decider on the foundation to go for based on the level of skin coverage it requires. 

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For Full-Coverage Foundation- Opt for this level of skin coverage when you wish to negate the blemishes, spots, hyperpigmentation and are looking for a longer-duration coverage without the hassle of frequent touch-ups in general. 

For Sheer or Light-Coverage Foundation- Opt for a lighter level of skin coverage when you wish to even out your skin tone or hate the feeling of a heavy make-up look (as in the case of full-coverage foundation). 

For Medium-Coverage Foundation- You can opt for medium-level foundation coverage when not sure about the coverage level you wish. It is light enough to not feel too heavy on your skin but buildable towards full coverage as well. 

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4. Swatch Foundation On Your Neck/Jawbone

There is a trick to swatch foundation the right way while trying one out to avoid color mismatch or the obvious difference of your face's skin color from the neck. Word of advice: refrain from the swatching foundation on the back of your hand/forearm as it is darker in tone than your face. 

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Instead, you can swatch the foundation in the following ways- 

• Try out the shades by applying them on your neck. The shade does not necessarily have to be a perfect match rather it can come across as a shade lighter. This is because your foundation would anyway become a bit darker as you go by your day. Foundations tend to oxidize with wear and mix up with the elements and oils present on your face.
• You can also test it out by finding a spot in the middle of your face. Blend it in towards the hairline so you match the sides of your cheeks and down the middle of your neck.
• Or, choose to apply the shades in option on your jawbone and blend it in along your jawline. This way you will be swatching the foundation such that there is a bit of the shade on your neck as well as your cheek. It makes comparing the skin colors easier and avoids having a clear-cut line.

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Also, if your neck appears to be lighter than your skin and you don't wish your face to be as paler, then you can do down a shade than you originally would have. Whichever way you opt for, be sure to test out foundation shades in good lighting because it does make a significant difference in your purchase!

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5. Different Shades For Different Seasons

You might want to shake up your shades throughout the year as our skin has a propensity to shift its town throughout seasons. You would notice that even though you wear sunscreen while you are out in the Spring-Summer season, your tone is likely to warm up. 

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Finding your match is by no means an easy task! So, have fun while you are testing out foundations and be patient in discovering the one for your skin :D