Do you always match foundation exactly to your skin tone?

[citygirl1961]

I always try to go a shade darker but am worried about looking like I have a tide mark. What do you do?

Get the colour that matches your face and use a bronzer on top in the areas where the sun would naturally tan your face, like cheeks, forehead etc. The wrong colour foundation will leave an obvious tide mark which you won’t be able to avoid.
If you use fake tan on your whole body including your neck but not your face, then get the foundation to match your tan, but don’t use it when you aren’t tanned.

Sorry to hop in to your thread but I have a question about foundation too which is similar that I was about to post.

I am quite red toned, with rosacea in parts but generally just quite red faced. Do you know a good foundation to tone this down? The few that I’ve tried just make me look a bit orange. Thanks and sorry again.

IT cosmetics do something called Bye Bye redness. I found it very good but my redness seems to be gone now. You need something to tone it down. Not sure what your skintone is but for instance I have warm colouring but am somewhat light skinned. So I suit ivory/beige tones with yellow in them. Be careful with bronzer as it can make you ruddy toned.

Perhaps start with a concealer (you may not need make up all over your face. The idea is to match the skin on your neck/chest I believe.

It also does some cc creams that cover roseacea so should cover your redness.

To be honest I rarely wear foundation, I prefer to put primer on my tzone which blurs any imperfections then bb cream all over which is a bit darker than my skin tone anyway. I do blend it into my jawline carefully. I apply it with my fingers actually.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat Go on bobbi brown website and chat with one of their artists, they can link up to your phone camera and colour match you. I did it and when the foundation arrived it was a perfect match and cancelled out all red.

Thank you this is really useful! I actually don’t need make up everywhere- just the t zone where the redness is.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat I used to use IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness but I kept seeing recommendations for Clinique Redness Solutions foundation so now I use that and it’s fab.
You do need a primer underneath though, I use a Becca one and it doesn’t cause me any irritation at all and I have really, really sensitive skin.

I tend to go a couple of shades darker as I find I only need to use the tiniest amount, it covers redness well and it sits better on my skin. If I use my exact shade, I find I need to use a lot more and it doesn't melt into my skin - it sits as a really obvious layer on top.

I think it's one of those 'rules' that are meant to be broken. I use a darker one and don't care at all. You can easily avoid the tidemark by blending down your neck. I also use fake tan drops on my face so my face looks too dark for my body, but I don't care.
As long as you avoid orange, it's OK I think. I look healthier with a slightly darker tone.

I can't get a match. I'm pale, with lots of darker freckles and rosacea. I just do my best!

I try to match. There are so many areas where I have seen it on other people, hairline, jawline, round ears, neck changing colour as it goes down away from the face. I also see a lot of people with what I can only assume is an unflattering under tone. Sort of yellow grey where a pinker time would be more fitting. But that’s generally quite a heavy look so maybe it is caused by application