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Original poster

Is it necessary for foundation to match to skin tone?

34 replies

citygirl1961 · 17/01/2015 19:03

I know it might seem obvious but I tend to like some colour to my face yet I am conscious that when I buy a darker foundation I have tide marks, even with a darker colour tinted moisturiser.

I did once have the No7 foundation match thing done and was matched as 'cool ivory', I have never used an ivory foundation before. I had a sample and it did look natural but then I just bought the darker shade anyway.

Also I don't like to bother buying different foundation shades for different times of year so what if the match made one is too pale in summer when I get a bit of colour?

What do you do?

OP posts:

TheAwfulDaughter · 17/01/2015 19:07

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BiancaDelRio · 17/01/2015 19:07

I don't think wearing foundation that is a different colour to your face is ever a good idea. It looks really obvious and pretty awful.

I wear foundation that matches my skin. If I have a faint tan in Summer I wear one shade darker.

Picastyle · 17/01/2015 19:22

I can't imagine buying a foundation that's darker than my face. Foundation is all about making your skin look like yours only better. Warming up is best done with bronzers and such, not the base.

chipsandpeas · 17/01/2015 19:24

i get as close to my skin tone as possible and use bronzer and powder to go darker if i wanted

Fcukfifa · 17/01/2015 19:27

I do use foundation that is probably a shade or so darker than the colour of my face.
My face is always paler than the rest of the body, I'm not sure why, because I don't use fake tan, i think it must be all the exfoliating.
If I wear a foundation that is perfectly matched to the skin on my face I end up with a warm toned body with a weird white face stuck on top.

I just make sure I blend it in really well and never get the tide mark look.

Siarie · 17/01/2015 19:29

I don't see the point in foundation that doesn't match your skin tone. It will look very obvious, i prefer makeup to enhance rather than look like makeup.

You could build colour using blush, highlighter and bronzer instead? Would that suit?

Applebear · 17/01/2015 20:04

I think the most important thing is to match the colour of your neck. My foundation is actually a shade lighter than my face but it works because my neck is paler than my face. I would rather pale my face down a bit, than fake tan my neck, or have darker face than neck. I think a darker face than neck never looks great.

FlyingSpud · 17/01/2015 20:10

Foundation is supposed to match the colour and tone of your skin, therefor enhancing its appearance. It's not designed to change the colour of it. If you want to go down that route then hit the fake tan THEN the beauty counter.

I see women wearing the wrong shade of foundation every day. My first thought is never 'Wow, she looks tanned and healthy and glowing', rather 'Oh my god did she put that on in the dark?!'

I've recently discovered Laura Mercier stuff. It's lovely. Gives a nice colour and a beautiful glow without a hint of orange. They match my tone very well. Well worth a look.

chanie44 · 17/01/2015 20:14

I'd feel really paranoid if it didn't match, that's why I use tinted moisturiser, as the coverage is light.

I did try for a foundation and the one she choose for me matched my skin, but didn't look like 'me'. The SA told me that the undertones were too pinky for my skin, so we tried another one which matched.

I really dislike the tide marks on people or when you can see faces which are a different colour to necks.

TheHappinessTrap · 17/01/2015 21:10

I really struggle with this! My neck is pale but my face is freckled and red. I try to bring it all together in one tone including coverage on my neck. Thankfully ive not had tide marks but I hate not feeling confident enough and having to wear all this makeup!

beavington · 17/01/2015 22:35

Thats me happiness! I have a lot of freckles, if i end up matching the freckles then it looks great til im in natural daylight and then it looks bright orange. If i match my skin i look like the walking dead because there is suddenly too much white on mty face once the freckles are covered.

I also have problems with the rims of my eyes when i wear a paler foundation. They look really pink and sore! Cant wear too much eye make up either as i have small eyes (my attractive features are piling up here)

Unfortunately i cant get away without make up as i have a ton of scarring (see?) so ive just stopped looking in a mirror in natural daylight

rosyrose79 · 18/01/2015 00:40

Outdoor lighting is the worst, I've had estee lauder counters match me to neutral foundation shades which look great instore but as soon as I get outside under natural light I can see the tide marks and it looks horrible! Foundation must match your undertone and shade or it just looks wrong, as others have suggested use bronzer to warm it up.

squoosh · 18/01/2015 02:21

I always match my foundation to my neck. As people have already said the point of foundation is to make your skin look naturally flawless rather than obviously made up.

I'm pale and makeup counter assistants who suggest a darker foundation to 'warm me up a bit' are my bête noire.

hauntedhenry · 18/01/2015 08:09

Nooo! You should never do this, it looks rubbish. Get a foundation that matches your skin exactly, and then use blusher and bronzer if you feel too pale.

Inthedarkaboutfashion · 18/01/2015 08:14

You have to match foundation to your skin tone otherwise you end up with an orange face and white neck like those teenagers who are just experimenting with make up and really haven't got a clue what make up looks good or how to apply it properly.

Eastpoint · 18/01/2015 08:20

Last time I bought a tinted moisturiser the assistant asked me if I wanted something which matched my skin tone, apparent lots of people now want darker.

PunkrockerGirl · 18/01/2015 08:21

It's very noticeable if it doesn't match your skin tone, particularly round the neck/jaw line.
I use blusher/bronzer depending on whether I have a tan or not, but the base colour should definitely match your skin tone.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 18/01/2015 08:25

I've got a lot of freckles on my cheeks, plus some redness, I've found that a lot of foundations just make them look grey and dirty. After starting a thread on here for advice a few months ago I am now using Laura Mercier tinted foundation which miraculously evens out the redness and general colour while letting the freckles show through in their natural shade. I tried Clinique, Clarins, Lancome, Dior counters, always etying samples to try at home in broad daylight, LM was by far the best.

GloopySoupy · 18/01/2015 08:49

Also I don't like to bother buying different foundation shades for different times of year so what if the match made one is too pale in summer when I get a bit of colour?

I have 2 different shades of the same foundation. I wear the lighter one when I am pasty, the darker one when I am tanned and I blend them together on the back of my hand when I am somewhere in the middle.

coffeenut · 18/01/2015 08:57

Hmmm .... as much as i dont like obviously mismatched foundation, my facial skin is naturally darker/redder than my neck. So matching to my neck is a big mistake for me - I look unwell (think grey/pale) to the point that ppl comment. I have had to return at least two professionally "matched" foundations, a chanel and an LM, for this reason. I have to match my face and do a lot of blending.

cashmerecardigans · 18/01/2015 09:06

Try looking at the Lisa Eldridge foundation videos on Youtube - there's one called how to find the right shade. She suggests matching to the skin just above and below your jawbone, by your ear. As PP have said, do this in daylight. She says you should avoid the bit of your neck just below your chin as it's paler amyway. She des a really good example of matching to the redder part of her face and putting it all over and in her own words looks like an Oompa-Loompa!

bryonyelf · 18/01/2015 09:12

If your foundation is too dark you are going to look awful.....sorry. Make up is meant to enhance you, not make you look like you haven't washed in days.

You need to rethink.

coffeenut · 18/01/2015 09:46

I wouldnt match to the redder parts of my face, to be clear. I'm about half a tone darker on my cheeks/forehead/jawline than I am anywhere on my neck. It works for me to match half a tone darker than my neck (rather than half a tone lighter than my face). If LE had put a foundation over her face that was half a tone lighter than the majority of her face colour then she would look as odd as putting a red/orange toned one on. I think the key is that I am still matching my face - I just have to blend well into my neck as well!

GetLow · 18/01/2015 10:14

Controversial, but I always wear a shade darker.

I've been to various make up counters where they match the foundation to my (pale, pinky) complexion and I always look ill!

I wear a light beige CC cream and blend it right down across my jawline and into my neck (and even chest if I am wearing a v-neck top and back of neck if wearing my hair up).

It gives me a slight hint of colour as well as the coverage and makes me look much more well.

FlyingSpud · 18/01/2015 11:40

I think I once seriously (but unintentionally) offended a Clinique lady with my reaction to her offer to match my foundation to her (bright orange) shade.

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