Open the YouCam Makeup app, and tap either Makeup Cam to try foundation shades with your front camera, or choose Photo Makeup to test the shades on your photo.
One of the quickest and the most common ways to determine your undertone is to check the insides of your wrist. If your veins appear blue or purple, you have a cool undertone. If they look green, you're warm. If you're having a hard time narrowing down between blue or green, you most likely have a neutral undertone.
Always swatch it on bare face
The best thing about bringing a sample home is that you can easily try it on bare face. Trying it on your bare face gives you a more accurate idea as to how the foundation look and feel on your skin, as well as how it will look as it transits from your face to neck.
Flip over your arm and take a look at the inside of your wrist. If your veins appear to have a blue or deep purple tint, you likely have cool skin undertones. If they look more greenish, you likely have warm or olive undertones. If you can't tell one way or the other, you may have neutral undertones.
The experts have spoken, and the answer is, foundation should be one or two shades lighter than your skin tone. This is because when you use bronzer or contour then the foundation should be able to blend and give the perfect look to your face.
Blend The Foundation Lighter Than You
When in doubt, always pick a shade that is slightly lighter than your complexion rather than darker. This can prevent your complexion from looking darker than the rest of your body. It is the safest way to go when unsure about two shades that may look too light or too dark.
In a place with bright, natural light, hold up a piece of printer paper and look at how your skin reacts to it. If your skin looks pinkish against the paper, you probably have cooler undertones; if your skin looks yellow against the paper, you're probably a warm tone.
The Slapp app.
Just take a selfie (or upload a photo,) to find your shade in: Charlotte Tilbury, Bobbi Brown, Fenty Beauty and many more! We only match to brands that cater to all skin tones; so whether your complexion is: fair, medium or rich, you will always find makeup for you.
Finding your undertone: The colour of your veins
Take a look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. Do they appear more blue or green? If your veins appear more blue, you're cool-toned but if you see more green, you're warm-toned. If you see a fair amount of both both green and blue, you have a neutral undertone.
Take a look at the inside of your forearm or any area of skin where you can easily see your veins. If they look blue or purple, you probably have cool undertones. If they are green, your undertones are warm. If they're a mix between blue and green, you probably have neutral undertones.
According to our experts, the sweet spot for foundation testing is the jawbone. Many sources recommend the neck for foundation swatching, but the color discrepancy between the face and the neck proves too drastic for a natural match.
If your makeup is too light, you will look ashy or as if you have a gray cast on your skin. If the formula is too dark, it can make your complexion look muddy. Look for the shade that disappears into your skin most is your right match.
Instead of matching the shade of your foundation to the usual spots people list off — like your jaw, neck, or the back of your hand — Vo suggests swatching it on the highest point of your cheekbone, the same place where you sweep on highlighter. She considers this area as the "median" skin tone of your complexion.
Your ideal foundation shade probably won't match your face or hands or neck exactly. The idea is to find an undertone match with your body, and pick a foundation which is a cross between your face's colour, and that of your chest. This is because the skin on the chest reflects your undertones better than your face.
How do you know if your foundation is too dark? If you use the wrong foundation shade, your face will appear tanned, but the rest of your body will not, and your skin will appear as if it has an additional layer.
“Always match foundation on your jawline where your complexion is most even. You want to match both the surface tone and under tone of your skin. It's more important to match the color in your chest than your neck which is normally always slightly lighter than your face.
Your foundation should blend seamlessly with your natural skin tone. You don't want there to be an obvious difference between where your foundation ends and your bare skin begins. Otherwise, your foundation will look unnatural and caked on.
If you have a warm complexion, go with a foundation shade that has yellow, gold, or peach undertones. And if your complexion is on the cool side, a foundation with pink undertones is your best bet. Those with neutral undertones should look for a foundation shade with both gold and pink tones.
Look at your wrist veins under natural light.
If your veins appear to be green, you probably have warm undertones. If they're blue or purple, you probably have cool undertones. If they are a mix of both, you may have neutral undertones.
If you are COOL and pick a WARM or NEUTRAL foundation, it will look yellow on you. If you are WARM and pick a COOL foundation, it will make your skin look pale and icy. If you pick a NEUTRAL foundation, it will look grey.
Powder foundations are a go-to for beginners because they're quick and easy to apply. Boswell says she likes to use powder foundations on oily skin as they can help to absorb excess oil.