There is a great variety of skin care products available online and foundation is no different in this vein. A vast profusion of finishes, coverage labels and shades available in the market makes foundation as customizable as a subway sandwich order. And wherever there is so much choice along with a host of individual skin care preferences and requirements, choosing a single product becomes really hard. The final objective we need to aim for is to find one that looks like our skin but only better. However, walking in a makeup store with insufficient lighting and weird looking mirrors make it really hard to achieve. Some people resort to getting their foundation shade matched professionally in order to avoid that terrible foundation line on their necks but there are many other concerns that still need to be catered for. For instance, there are factors like texture, coverage, finish and formula that also need be accounted for before you start opening up your wallet. In order to keep things simple for you we have gathered all the relevant information from some of the best celebrity makeup artists, so you can continue to focus on looking your best with minimal effort.

There’s an artist within all of us – start mixing the palette

We have already touched upon the first major consideration i.e. to pick the perfect shade. How does one go about it? Simple, there is plenty of room for trying different swatches on your arm even though the skin on this area is quite darker than on the face. A better option is to try the shades you feel have got potential on your chest area and check if they seem to hit the mark. Remember, you are not exactly looking for a hundred percent match but perhaps something a bit on the lighter side since the color shifts as the day progresses. The longer you put on foundation the darker it gets as the oils and elements of your face add on to it and as it begins to oxidize. If testing out the shades on your chest does not seem like the right option, you can always keep things simple and test them on your face. While doing so, just ensure that you pick a spot towards the center and blend it outwards near the hairline in order for it to be compatible with the tone on the sides of your cheeks as well as the middle of the neck. Sometimes the neck is also lighter compared to the face, in that case pick a lighter shade so that your face does not come out to be pale. If the end result still seems a bit light you can warm it up with a bronzer to get the complexion right. This will help blend the skin on your face and neck to give it an overall balanced and smoother look. Regardless of the swatching process you choose, it remains pivotal to test out the shades in natural lighting according to the experts.

Hear the undertones, get the coverage right and pay attention to your skin type

The next consideration is to never lose sight of the natural undertones of your skin, otherwise you would have use color correction later on. If your complexion is relatively cool pick a foundation with pink undertones whereas if your natural complexion is more on the warmer side the shades with more yellow undertones have a better chance of working for you. You can also exercise other options like going with neutral and warm shades because they tend to go with a broad array of skin tones.

Believe it or not, there are those who hate wearing makeup and for such ladies going with a full coverage foundation is just going to feel like extra burden. In this regard, you need to understand the look of each coverage level so that you are able to choose the one that suits your needs best. Remember the best skin care products online are the ones that best suit your requirements. If you are one of those who feel full coverage is heavy, go with a sheer foundation. You can also pick one that is either light or medium and work your way up if you feel that you need more. Nonetheless, if you want your foundation to last the entire day, have discoloration or acne prone skin then full-coverage foundation is your best bet.

Your skin type has to be the key determinant for choosing the right finish. If your skin type is normal or dry then choosing a dewy finish is generally the better choice. For oily skin, matte foundations work much better as the extra radiance can make them look oiler. If your skin type is mature, go for a satin finish.