How To Pick the Right Foundation Online

Shopping online for makeup can be difficult. And more and more women are taking advantage of shopping from the comfort of their own homes. I know that I do! It can be convenient and a huge time saver! But how do you pick that perfect shade when shopping from home? Today I am going to help answer the question, of how to pick the right foundation online!  

I don’t know about you, but I used to have foundation after foundation that didn’t work for me. I didn’t realize what I should be looking for when buying one. We have undertones in our skin, what’s that?! Understanding our skin helps to have a better outcome. And btw did you know that most big box stores have a return policy with makeup? If the shade doesn’t work for you, you can return or exchange it?

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Figure out your skins undertones.

The goal of foundation and concealer is to even out our skin. Figuring out your correct skin undertone is important and once you do that the rest will be a piece of cake!

Undertones are your skin’s natural color underneath the surface of your skin. You might commonly hear them referred to as warm, cool, and neutral. Your undertones aren’t always the same as your skin color.

• Warm – Your skin will have hints of peach, yellow, and golden colors in it.
• Cool – Your skin has pink, red, and blue colors in it.
• Neutral – If you have a neutral skin undertone this pretty much means that your undertones are the same as your actual skin tone.

How to figure out your undertones if it’s not obvious?

• How is your skin in the sun? If you burn easily then you probably have a cool undertone. (Pink & Red). And if you can tan easily you probably have a warm undertone. (Golden). If you burn and it turns into a tan, then you probably have a neutral undertone.
• Look at your veins. Look at the inside of your forearm. If your veins are blue or deep purple, you probably have cool undertones. Greenish-looking veins lean towards warm undertones. If you are having a difficult time telling which you have you probably have neutral undertones.
• Grab a piece of white paper. Stand by a window so you have natural light. If your skin looks red or pink you have cool undertones. Does your skin look yellowish? If so, then you probably have warm undertones. And if your skin really doesn’t bring out either you guessed it! You have neutral undertones.

When going to choose a color of foundation online most brands have a description under the color of foundation. As an example, fair skin with cool undertones. Once you have figured out what your undertone is you will be able to find what shade of foundation should work best for you.

Decide the type of coverage and formulation you need.

There are two things you need to decide when picking a foundation online. What kind of coverage do you need? And what formulation do you need for your skin type? If you need help figuring out what skin type you have, I did a blog post a while ago that can help you with that. You can read that here.

There are a lot of other things to consider when buying a foundation. Most are more of a personal thing, so I am not going into all of them. Things like finishes and different types. Please feel free to send me a message if you have questions and I will try to help.

Foundation Coverage

There are 4 basic types of foundation coverage. After that, they have different features you might be looking for. Some have a blurring effect or are good for aging skin, etc. My favorite foundation is Giorgio Armani, Luminous Silk. It is a medium-coverage foundation.  You can find it here.

• Sheer Coverage – This type is a very natural coverage. It is great for people who don’t like to wear a lot of makeup.
• Medium Coverage – This can still be natural looking but helps to hide imperfections.
• Full Coverage – This type will hide most imperfections and blemishes. Leaving most with a flawless finish. Some women do not like a full-coverage foundation because it can feel heavy.
• Buildable Coverage – This is a nice one because you can start sheer-medium and build as you go. Some days you might want/need a lighter finish. And other days you can have full coverage if you need it. It is very versatile.

Formulation

It is important that you choose a formula that will benefit your skin type. So, depending on if you have sensitive, normal, combination, or oily skin. If you aren’t sure what your skin type is, please read my post; What Is My Skin Type? It will help you figure it out.

If you don’t choose a foundation that works with your skin type, then it could irritate it. You might have a blemish flair-up, dry skin, or it just won’t wear well.

Read reviews

This is one thing that I love to do. Read reviews and see what other people have to say about the foundation. Sometimes a full coverage foundation isn’t so full coverage. Or that blurring effect isn’t so blurring. Granted reviews aren’t always correct so use your judgment. And ask around. Do you have a friend whose makeup you love? Ask what she uses. But keep in mind that you need to make sure that it will work with your skin type.

Don’t forget what I told you about earlier! Most stores that carry makeup have a great return policy. If the shade doesn’t work out or you just don’t like it, most of the time you can return it if it’s in a specific window of time. Check the store’s policies. You don’t have to hang onto failed foundation after failed foundation!

Have you tried to buy a foundation online? How did it work for you? Was it a success or did it not work out so well? I would love to hear how it went in the comments below!

I hope you found these tips helpful. Either for when you go to buy your next foundation online or just to help you figure out what your undertone is!