A shade darker foundation? Or more bronzer? Or fake tan?

[MustStopOutingSelf]

I got a samplevof Double wear foundation the other day, it's really good and I'm planning on buying it. The only thing is it's rather pale. I mean I'm rather pale. The shade matches my skin tone well (ecru) but I hate how pale I am!

Is it worth sampling a shade darker or will I look like Peter Andre? I'm thinking my other options are more bronzer (I just use it for contouring at the minute) or some light fake tan?

Which do you think would look least orange!?

Just be pale, the bisto look is so over

Def stick with the colour that matches your skin, you can brighten up a bit with bronzer, if you go darker it might be harder I blend especially as your neck is most likely paler.

Honestly, I see what you're saying. Some people do the pale look extremely well (that redhead woman from Girls Aloud springs to mind) but I'm really not one of them. I look like a little girl!

I'm really not after the bisto look, just a shade darker!

Brush bronzer over top of cheekbones, across bridge of nose, above eyebrows and a teeny bit on your chin. That will make you look better than going a shade darker with foundation.

Go into a department store or boots, and try it one shade darker, to see.

You may even like the two colours mixed together.

I am very pale, and would look just like a little girl if it wasn't for the wrinkles!

Im very pale with dark brown hair , very pale. I use pale foundation but I use a Barbra Daley for Tesco thingy over my nose and across my cheeks. Its upstairs and i cant remember what its called. Its like a bronzer illuminator. Then use bronzer as my powder and blusher. It takes the look of death away from me, but doestn't make me orange .

I'll check the name of it after Ive been swimming

Go pale and perk up (emphasise) other bits with a darker colour like eyes or lips. Pale is good. Tangoed is not.

I didn't even think of mixing the two together! I'm going to NYC next week so will be buying it there because it's cheaper. I may well buy Ecru and whatever the next shade up is.

Thank you for all the comments, and thanks cocolepew I'd be interested to know what the bronzer thingy is!

I am another very pale one: what make up artists sometimes do apparently (though I've never tried it myself, a makeup artist did it to me) is to get two foundations and use the lightest all over and then the slightly darker as a kind of bronzer/contour, leaving the centre of the face pale. It did look great, very supernatural and I should probably get round to doing it myself. I use doublewear at the moment and use a bronzer as a contour.

I've been wondering about this too. I recently did the No. 7 Colour Match thing in Boots and the recommended shade for me is very pale but an amazing match to my skin.

Any bronzer recommendations for pale skin? I've always found it difficult to apply bronzer over foundation without it looking too dark and patchy.

Radiant Touch Highlighter is the Barbra Daley cream I use. A little bit goes a long way. I think you can use it under your foundation but I prefer to put it over. Then I use the Body Shop lip and cheek stain on my cheeks. I find powdery blusher too heavy when I'm so pale.

Pinkpaperpiggy, I use a Rimmel bronzer with a big brush. The NYC cheapy range of makeup do a nice light bronzer, it has different shades all swirled around in the palette.

I am a scarily white brunette. I use a light fake tan always (Clinique Self Sun for the face in Light). Sorry, faker haters .

I promise - I am not tangoed, or even tanned...it just takes the 'God, you look really ill' paleness away. I then use a foundation that matches my ever so slightly tanned complexion (a shade darker than my natural skin tone, I guess), a very light sweep of bronzer and a bit of cream blusher. It works for me. The overall effect is very subtle.

All this embrace your paleness thing is all well and good but I dont want to scare people.

I'm also pale. I use a foundation to match my skin tone but Bobbi Brown Shimmer brick is absolutely amazing for taking the pasty-ness away.

I don't look pale any more - I had my colours done and just look healthier by wearing the right shades.
(I'm converted!)

I too have embraced my paleness and find it really liberating. None of that fake tan faff ever again!

But now it's hard to find a foundation light enough, Bobbi Brown porcelain is great shade wise but shit in terms of coverage and staying power.

I wear the new Max Factor Face Finity foundation, the first couple of shades are very pale. Excellent coverage without feeling heavy, its concealer, primer and foundation in one.

Well, I went to get a sample of the darker shade and she gave me one called Ivory Nude. It's completely wrong! It makes me look even paler! And when I put my benetint on for blusher I seriously looked like a clown!

Bugger!

I mix my lightest shade of DW with the lightest DW light. This makes the perfect pale but not dead look and a nice texture. Touch of cream blusher for youthful(I wish) glow...

Well, I posted a week or so ago about my adventures at the Estée Lauder counter. At the time I felt that I was unhappy with the shade I was given as it wasn't quite pale enough for my insane paleness.
However, I tried it wearing it for a wedding recently and actually it was great event make-up, and was, I feel, pale enough. (I mixed it with a teeny dash of Clinique's Redness Solutions Protective Base.) It lasted beautifully, so it's a keeper after all - apologies to Estée Lauder!

For everyday coverage, though, I use Lily LoLo: I mix two-thirds of Porcelain (their palest shade) with one-third of Blondie. Tis the business.

And like others here I add warmth through bronzer/blusher. I do not ever want a tide line, thanks.

I bought a tinted moisturiser yesterday.
Was getting fed up with foundation just just looking ashy, and that's a shade and brand I've been very happy with this time last year.
Much happier now, just some coverage and looks much more natural.