i am not an expert in makeup, but i love makeup, and i am very very picky about the products i use.
there is some information about foundation that i have acquired in last 5 years, that i want to share with you guys.
**Foundation color match. **
if you have a MAC counter near you, go and get your self color matched to one of their foundation. if you can color match your self it’s good, but if you are getting the SA’s help, ask her to give you a sample of the color she matched you with, a shade lighter than that, and a shade darker than that, because most of the time, the SAs at any makeup counter can’t color match desi skin very well, so if you get a sample of few different shades you can come home, and try them to know which one is best for you.
the reason i suggested getting color matched to a MAC’s foundation is NOT because i think MAC is the best or anything. that is only because MAC is very famous and has tons of different shade. if you know ur skin tone in MAC’s foundation it will become very easy for you to find your skin’s matching foundation in any other brand. for example i am NC 42 in mac. if i want to buy a foundation in revlon i will google which revlon color matches best with mac’s NC 42, and i will most probably get an good answer. (i have tried that).
Good foundation shades for desi skin.
I am going to refer to mac shades only for reference.
Most of very fair desi skin tone girls can use mac’s shade NC 30 or 35. it has the right amount of yellow undertone. i personally know a lot of desi girl, who are quite “gori” in desi standards and NC 30, or 35 looks perfect on them.
girls who are usually more tanned or darker skin tone can use NC 40, and 42. i use NC 42 in studio sculp foundation, and few times i did makeup on my friends who aren’t exact same skin tone as me, but still that shade of foundation matched a lot of my friends even if they are shade lighter, or darker than me.
MAC carries many different formulation of foundation like studio scult, studio fix, mineral etc. Even though the shade numbering (ex. NC30, 35, 40, 42) are same on all of their foundation, but sometimes, NC40 of studio sculpt might not be the same shade in Mineral foundation’s NC 40. so if you are buying a mac foundation just try the testers a little. but if you are checking the foundation color only for reference, studio fix foundation is what you should get ur skin matched to.
Using foundation to look “gori”.
Now no matter what anyone says, a lot of desi girls wants to look lighter. personally just for my own self, i don’t chose that look. but if that is what you want, and makes you happy then go for it.
but there are some rules you have to follow even if you wants to go lighter. don’t just pick any shade. If you have a warm undertone complexion, stay in warm tone foundation even if you are going lighter, don’t jump in to pink shades. (if u don’t know what is ur undertone, ask the SA at any makeup counter, they will help you with that too)
5 years ago, when i didn’t used to use any foundation a woman at work (she was desi) gave me her MAC foundation because it was breaking her out. that shade was NC35, way lighter than my skin tone. i didn’t know anything about foundation back then so i used it. but it looked way too white on me. Then i started to sheer it out by mixing it with moisturizer, and it started to look much more natural on me without giving me that gray cast that a foundation would give you if you have a lighter shade. so if you are dark, and wants to use a lighter foundation i would suggest using NC 35 mixed with moisturizer.
If you do get a gray cast on your face when using a lighter shade of foundation do few things. buy a light shade of bronzer, and lightly tap ur brush or sponge in it, and go over high points of your cheeks, nose, forehead and chin. very lightly. and only on the highpoints, don’t brush ur entire face. that will give a more healthy look to ur face, which is more flattering than just white face. also make sure to use blush for that same reason.
Few extra tips and tricks
Desi skin tones are different. we can’t follow the same foundation rules that white skin tone people follows.
in to my personal experience, going just a tiny bit lighter than ur own skin tone gives you more brighter and healthier look. Now be careful, there is a difference between having gray cast due to light shade of foundation and having that brighter look. but when i went to MAC counter i was torn between two foundation NC 42, and NC 44 i applied both on either sides of my face, and in normal light, i couldn’t even tell a difference until i point it out that i am wearing two different shades of foundation, but NC 42 was definitely looking more brighter and alive.
Going just a tiny bit light is ok to me. But not all the foundation have colors where going a shade lighter is not a big different, some foundation have a huge difference of color from going to one shade to another, so just check and see what you are buying. two foundations that i know have a ton of colors are MAC and revlon color stay. Or like me if you can’t decide between two color, go with the shade that is lighter.
ofcourse those rules will not apply on all brands of foundation, so just check and see what works best for you.
If you can’t find ur exact shade, try mixing two colors. you can also mix color of foundation, and face powder/setting powder to make the end result more desired. If the foundation is too light, buy face powder to apply on top that is darker so it can warm up the foundation, and the other way around.
