Foundation Matching

You should perform a stripe test on your face with sample sizes before purchasing any full-size foundation. What's a stripe test?  It's simply applying a small swatch of foundation in a vertical manner on a specific area of your face to test for a color match. Contrary to what you may have heard, testing makeup colors on the underside of your forearm or back of your hand is NOT the correct area for color analysis. 

The Correct Way to Perform a Stripe Test:

• Caucasian to Medium Skin Tones: apply a small amount of foundation from the bottom of your jawline down onto the neck.

• Women of Color: apply the foundation from the side of your cheek to just at the jawline.

Why do different skin tones stripe test differently? Mainly because women of color can have a condition called 'facial masking', which is when portions of the face are either lighter or darker than others. Sometimes more than one foundation color is needed to correct this problem; one to deepen and one to brighten (not lighten).

Choose the Correct Lighting.

Conduct your stripe tests in natural daylight- either outside or by a window. Indoor lighting, whether it's incandescent, LED or fluorescent, does NOT give you a true, full-spectrum light source. Perform the stripe test with 3 different shades of foundation at the same time next to each other and use shades that most closely match your natural undertones.
 

Wait For Results.

You must wait at least 3 to 5 minutes for the product to begin reacting with your skin's own natural oils and pH chemistry. Deciding if a color is right or wrong before the allotted time is up will not give you an accurate color reading.

If you are performing a stripe test with loose mineral foundation, you'll need to make a few minor adjustments as opposed to testing with a liquid or cream product. You can't just smear on a stripe of mineral powder and expect to see accurate results. Apply the mineral foundation in a vertical manner with a small brush and gently work the product onto the skin. No heavy buffing or blending is needed.

Check Your Results.

After 3 to 5 minutes check your stripes. The color that has blended in seamlessly is your match. If the first 3 shades weren't a good match, then simply remove and perform a new stripe test with 3 new colors until you find your correct shade. Just be careful & gentle when removing product. No harsh rubbing. You're stimulating your skin and it may flush slightly. If this happens, wait until your skin calms down and then proceed again with the stripe test. 

*Conduct a new stripe test every six months because your skin tone can change that often from season to season.


Once you've found the color that is your match, now it's time to learn how to apply your foundation correctly: PERFECT FOUNDATION APPLICATION