Foundation Tips for Skin of Colour
How to choose and test cosmetic foundation for women of colour.
Your skin type and reason for wearing foundation has a direct influence on the type of foundation you should be using. Have a look at some of the reasons for wearing foundation below and what type of foundation might suit you best:
Hyperpigmented skin or acne scars: Go for a stick or cream foundation as they tend to camouflage discolouration while blending to a naturally looking, creamy finish.
Minor spots: Try a full coverage liquid foundation or a cream-to-powder foundation. They provide slightly less coverage than a stick, but still great for hiding trouble areas.
Good skin but want extra polish: You need a sheer liquid foundation or a tinted moisturizer. Either provides ultra-light coverage with a slight tint.
Oily or acne prone skin: Oil-control liquid foundation is a must-have. It prevents midday greases and leaves you with a clean, matte finish.
Combination skin: It’s all about a balancing liquid foundation, which makes the T-Zone matte and hydrates drier areas like cheeks, forehead, and chin.
Radiant glow: Use iridescent, illuminating liquids or sticks. They don’t hide, they highlight. Dot and blend along cheekbones, bridge of nose, forehead and chin.
How does your skin colour affect your choice in foundation?
Black, Asian, Latina and Arabic skin come in many different shades. Here are some tips for different shades of skin:
Fair skin tones – To add warmth to your skin tone wear a neutral toned foundation.
Tanned skin tones – For an effective look it is vital that your foundation has a glow to match your tanned skin, isn’t matt looking and matches the rest of your body.
Medium skin tones – A golden foundation with a slight glow will help to set off your natural skin tone.
Dark skin tones – women with dark skin tones should wear two different foundations. A lighter shade should be used in the centre of the face, and darker around the perimeter.
Testing Foundation on Your Skin
Never purchase a foundation without testing it first. It's simple:
Step 1 – Pick three shades to try: one that looks about right, a lighter colour, and a slightly darker one.
Step 2 – Swipe each one on your jawline.
Step 3 – The shade that disappears or perfectly matches your skin is the one.
Top Tip – When choosing a foundation, don’t ignore the rest of your body. Compare the shade to your neck, does it match? If you are not sure about a foundation, wear the tester for the day to see how you feel about the colour, does it run, separate, get dry, patchy or oily.
Source: Extract taken from ‘The Beauty of Colour: The Ultimate Guide for Skin of Colour by Iman’.
