Here’s some practical advice from my go-to Los Angeles makeup artist, Nicole Evans. She breaks down tips for you to make an informed makeup decision. And keep reading for my top picks of 8 affordable foundations for brown skin! Take it away, Nicole!
“Skin is one of my favorite parts of doing makeup. Creating flawless and healthy skin is a look that is always on trend, any season. It’s not without challenges. Finding the right foundation can be a pretty complex subject, there a few things to keep in mind when finding one for yourself. The first thing I want to tell you about finding the right foundation for yourself is what a foundation actually provides for you. The purpose of foundation is to help the wearer have the appearance of an even toned skin. There are a few things that need to be taken into consideration:
1. What does your skin look like and how would you like it to look? For help with this answer, take a look at people around you, in magazines, or even on television whose skin has a quality that you admire or want to emulate. Take note of that. The right foundation will help you achieve that.
2. Know your skin type: Are you dry? Oily? Combination? Sensitive? Are you already using the skincare regimen that keeps your skin in a state you are happy with? I caution you not to use foundation to mask skincare concerns, and instead to embellish and perfect what you are already happy with. The better you know your skin type and take care of it accordingly, the less you will need to rely on foundation.
3. Color: I have tried many great ways of finding the right color, this is always tricky, no matter the shade of skin. This is the simplest way of matching a foundation that I have found; match to the tone of your neck or décolletage. The reason this works the best is because the skin on your face is thinner in certain areas, which causes the color to differ and can make it difficult to find one shade to match the whole face and still look natural. When you see someone who looks as if they are wearing the wrong shade of foundation, this is usually because their head doesn’t match their body. This is never a good look. The skin on your neck/upper chest area is denser, therefore, more even toned. If you match to the tone of your neck/upper chest area that won’t happen.
Keeping these things in mind, the next time you go to your beauty counter, should lead you to the perfect look! Make sure to try several types to compare and find what is truly the best for you! The reason there are so many different foundation types is because foundation is not “one size fits all”. Get lots of samples and have fun!”