Make-up Mondays: 4 steps to consider when choosing foundation

CHOOSING the right foundation is all that is standing between you and flawless skin. There is a foundation to meet every possible skin concern – from varying levels of coverage to finishes, from dewy to matte and a plethora of shades to choose from, selecting the right foundation can be daunting.

When picking out the perfect foundation for your skin, all of these factors and a few more must be considered for you to find the perfect match!

Foundation is one of the most important parts of the make-up process, and if you do not get it right, it could ruin every other part of an otherwise glamorous look.

Here are a few simple steps to follow to find the perfect foundation for you!

Identify your undertone

Undertone refers to the colour from underneath the skin’s surface that affects the overall shade and hue of the skin’s surface. There are three undertone shades – cool, warm, and neutral. An age-old trick to determine what your undertone is is to take a look at the veins on your wrist. If your veins look greenish, then you may have warm undertones. People with blue or purplish-looking veins usually have cooler undertones. If you have neutral undertones, then your veins may appear colourless or match the colour of your skin.

If your undertone is cool, look for a foundation that is more pink or beige. If your undertone is warm, you should go for a foundation that is golden or yellow. And if you happen to fall under the neutral category, select a foundation with a peach hue and avoid yellow and warm foundations.

Identifying your undertone is a very important part of selecting the correct foundation – make sure you get this step right as it affects every other step along the way.

ALSO READ: How to: Fluffy Brows #Make-upMondays

Consider your skin type 

Next, determine what skin type you have, as this will affect how the foundation settles on your skin.

There are three skin types to consider: oily skin, dry skin and combination skin. If you have oily skin, consider getting a foundation with a matte finish. If you have dry skin, look for a moisture-rich foundation, that will provide your skin with a light, dewy finish. Lastly, if you have combination skin, opt for a foundation with a satin finish. Satin-finish foundation falls on the spectrum between matte and dewy, giving you the best of both worlds. When considering your skin type, always bear in mind that dewy, radiant foundations will suit dry skin, matte formulas are best for oily skin, and satin formulas last best on combination skin types.

Consider what level of coverage you will need 

Foundation coverage refers to the level of camouflage a foundation provides for your skin. There are light-coverage, full-coverage, and medium-coverage foundations.

Light coverage: Light-coverage foundations are the foundations that resemble the skin the most. The foundations will provide a thin layer of coverage, which will even out the skin and provide a natural-looking finish. Freckles or beauty spots on the face will still appear. A light-coverage foundation is perfect for a minimal make-up look.

Medium coverage: Medium-coverage foundation is the most versatile of the three, as it can be used to provide minimal coverage for the skin and leave a natural finish, or it can be used to provide slightly more coverage by building foundation layers on the face. This means however much you apply to the skin will determine how high the level of coverage is. This makes it the most multi-dimensional of the three types.

Full coverage: Full-coverage foundation completely covers the skin – this includes scars, blemishes, freckles, and acne. It is ideal for night events, stage performances, or photo shoots. Depending on the occasion, full-coverage foundation will give your skin a completely polished finish, for those days when you want to go full-glam!

ALSO READ: Motivation Monday: Chef offers meal-prep tips and advice

Beauty-store sample method 

After you have determined your undertone, skin type, and what level of coverage you would like, you can head to the makeup store to find your perfect match. One of the best places to test a potential foundation is on your jawline – this is the part of the face where your complexion is the most even. Don’t select or discard the foundation right away – wait a while for the foundation to oxidise on the skin. Oxidisation occurs when the foundation formula reacts to the oxygen in the air and changes colour. Lastly, find a spot in the store where there is natural light coming in and observe how it looks in natural lighting before making your final decision.

A foundation that is on the market right now, that I am loving at the moment and would highly recommend, is the Catrice All Matt Foundation. It is available in 17 shades and is a shine-control foundation which means that it’s ideal for people with oily skin. Watch this video by Cosmetix South Africa representative Bertram Hendricks about how to use the Catrice All Matt Foundation with a new and improved formula, that will give your skin that perfect matte finish!

Catrice is spoiling its Catrice Beauties with 25% off their range of foundations. Shop your favourites for less from June 1 – August 31, 2022. Shop now on https://houseofcosmetics.co.za/

And to stand a chance to win a R500 Catrice cosmetics hamper, answer the following question correctly:

How many shades are there in the Catrice All MATT Foundation range?

Fill out the entry form below to stand a chance to win!

Sorry! This competition is now closed.

Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za). At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.        Do you want to receive alerts regarding this and other Berea community news via Telegram? Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5409. You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.   PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts. Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.