Do you have trouble picking out a foundation shade? You’re not alone! Landing the perfect foundation shade can be tricky, but it comes down to figuring out your undertone. Undertone refers to the natural coloration underneath the surface of your skin.
The goal of the foundation is to mimic your natural skin tone and even out its overall appearance. Understanding your own undertone is key to discovering the perfect shade that will allow your natural skin to look its best.
There are three traditional undertones: warm, cool, and neutral
Warm undertones range from peach to yellow and golden. Cool undertones include pink and bluish hues. If you have a neutral undertone, this means that your undertones are roughly the same color as your actual skin tone or possibly a combination of warm and cool.
Keep in mind that your undertone isn’t the same thing as your natural tone: the color of your naked skin without any makeup. This is why matching a product to your skin color can be tricky.
Image Credit: Shannen Prijatna
To find your undertone, check out those veins! You may be able to use their color as a guide. If your veins look olive or green, then you probably have warm undertones. Blue or purplish veins usually suggest cooler undertones. If you have neutral undertones, then your veins may appear to be a combination of blue and green, or just colorless.
Still having difficulties? An aesthetician or beauty expert at your local department store can quickly assist in finding your undertone!
Best Foundations For Warm Undertones
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Foundation – $34
The hype over Rhianna’s highly sought-after makeup line is REAL for a reason. Not only did the brand assist in redefining the way in which women of color are represented in popular culture, but also provided more inclusive options for all complexions.
With a remarkable 40 different shades available, Pro Filt’r offers an impressive selection of undertone hues. This buildable foundation has medium to full coverage and dries quickly to a matte, natural finish.
Another bonus? The price tag is considerably less than many competitors.
Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF 15 – $46
Bobbi Brown’s Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation is for everyone. Available in what the brand calls 30 “skin tone–correct” shades, from porcelain to deep espresso.
VP of Global Development Gabrielle Nevin explains that in order to tailor to all undertones, the brand produces foundations with more yellow in them in order to get the most natural-looking skin correction possible.
It was also designed to hydrate the skin while covering and controlling grease all at the same time, so there’s that, too.
Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation – $7.99
Don’t let its price fool you, Thet Fit Me foundation can hold its own against most high-end brands. It comes in 40 super-pigmented shades–relatively unheard of for drugstore lines.
Many shades tend to pull more towards warm-yellow undertones without looking unnatural. This may not be ideal for other undertones but all too perfect for those with warm tones.
Ideal for normal to oily skin, this matte foundation formula features micro-powders to control shine and blur pores.
Best Foundations For Cool Tones
Georgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation – $64
Sure, it’s a bit of a splurge, but for cool-toned babes looking for a quality beauty investment, look no further. It will be love at first sight.
Almost like it belongs to your skin, this foundation feels uniquely lightweight and silky on the skin. It helps maintain clear skin and minimize shine all day, while “Advanced Sensing Technology” adapts to your skin’s unique condition for a glowing complexion.
It’s also formulated with SPF 20 to help prevent premature aging caused by sun damage.
Lancôme Teint Idole Ulta 24H Long Wear Foundation – $47
This foundation has a silky, serum-like texture which allows the skin to look like, well, skin. It is very easy to blend, and it does not dry up quickly. It’s also highly buildable without cakiness or settling into fine lines.
It comes in 40 diverse shades so it’s easy enough to find the perfect one to match your cool tone.
If you’re searching for a foundation that will last you from the office to the club, look no further! Lancome included “24H” in the title of this product for a reason! It’s incredibly long lasting – by the end of the day, it still looks like you’ve just applied it.
IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream With SPF 50 – $38
The tube says Full Coverage Cream, and boy they’re not kidding. You need only a small amount to get a full, satiny coverage!
There may only be seven shades currently on the market but trust us when we say these babies can blend into almost any skin tone. With broad-spectrum mineral sun protection and line-smoothing, pigment-fading ingredients, you can even add a few drops of this to your favorite moisturizer to get a dewy, natural finish if full coverage isn’t your style.
Dermatology nerds will also love this CC cream’s ingredient list: glycerin, niacinamide, vitamin C. Oh, and snail-secretion filtrate. Yep, the magic ingredient favored by Korean beauty products, so it has to be good!
Best Foundations For Neutral Tones
Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation – $50
Creamy, comforting and luxuriously lightweight, this fluid foundation instantly revitalizes your complexion. The medium-coverage formula blends flawlessly for perfectly smooth, radiant skin.
Formulated with ingredients that specifically target dry, dull and uneven skin, and moisturizing agents that hydrate and comfort. Marine Extract helps to enhance radiance while light-reflecting pigments smooth away imperfections, creating a soft-focus effect. Walnut Extract revitalizes and protects skin.
So basically, it’s FaceTune in a bottle–but with extra benefits.
Koh Gen Do Moisture Foundation – $70
A cult-favorite for over twenty-five years, Koh Gen Do’s Moisture Foundation was formulated in the early days of high definition filming. Today, it remains an insider favorite for skin-pampering ingredients that enhance the beauty and luster of your natural skin tone.
The feather-light foundation boasts the coverage of a cream with the flexible and comfortable moisture of a liquid. Light-diffusing mineral pigments visibly blur pores, fine lines, and imperfections while plant-powered moisturizers contribute to lasting skin health.
Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick – $46
If you’re fuss-free when it comes to makeup and prefer to keep your routine low maintenance, this little tube might be a life changer.
A foundation and concealer in one, the Seamless Finish Foundation Stick has a concentrated formula that offers twice the pigment of traditional foundations. This allows for easier and faster coverage. The formula is also designed to adjust to your body temperature so that it blends completely seamlessly.
Another pro? The unique packaging makes it much simpler to apply compared to other concealer/foundation hybrids, which tend to be slightly messy.
