Like the name suggests, foundation truly sets the base for your beauty look, whether you’re opting for coverage that’s barely there or going ultra high-glam. And because foundation is so key to your final look, choosing the right one — in terms of color and finish — is crucial to achieving your desired result.
It’s hard to know where to begin when looking for your next favorite foundation, but Sephora has so many great options and they take the guesswork out of the equation. Not only that, they will even find your perfect shade match. We’ve highlighted five brands found at Sephora to test on everyday women of various hues with the help of makeup artist Starr Blackshere.
Testing
“When one is discovering a new foundation shade or formula, it’s important to apply a stroke of product on your cheek and jawline for the purpose of making sure you find the best shade that matches the interior of the face (t-zone and cheekbone area) and outer perimeter (forehead, chin and jawline),” Starr explained. “Rarely are women of color the same complexion in both these areas. It is very common for an individual to be lighter in the center of their face and darker in the outer perimeter.
The Match
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in Color 350, which is for tan skin with neutral undertones, turned out to be the perfect shade for Brande. After going through the matching process, Starr applied the product all over her face and added soft highlighting and lashes for a natural final look.
“Fenty has so many shades, you truly do have to try the product on to know for sure which one is perfect for you. With the shade ranges of Fenty, there is a shade for every one of your family members no matter what their undertone is,” Starr said. “Fenty also provides a nice natural matte finish which is helpful for someone on the go who does not want to carry powders. Also, the finish of Fenty, to me, represents the current makeup trends on Instagram, allowing the wearer to add pops of glitter, shimmer, or glow highlight where they choose to really pop a feature.”
Model: Kim Hill
Brand: Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup. Available in 42 shades, this long-wearing, waterproof formula is non-acnegenic which may prevent breakouts and help control shine. The medium-to-full coverage foundation also comes in cool, neutral, and warm undertones and has 24-hour staying power.
The Match
After seeing Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup in Rich Caramel 5W2 was the right match, Starr applied the shade all over Kim’s face using a sponge.
“There are three common tools most people use to apply their foundation, a brush, a sponge or fingers. A brush can be most useful with applying sheer to full coverage amounts of liquid or cream foundation product, depending on how much you load the brush. A brush can also assist with excellent blending on the face,” Starr explained. “For one, the longer handle allows you to blend product using both your wrist and grasp to buff, stroke, or pat the foundation on your face with ease. The bristles assist with the build and blending of the foundation shade.
“A sponge can be useful with applying sheer to medium coverage amounts of product on the face using liquid, cream or stick foundation. Using a sponge can be easier to control product application because the material and size of a sponge allows for an easy grasp and blend. Sponges also absorb a bit of product. So, for the heavy handed, a sponge will allow you to blend out product and add more where needed, avoiding a fully loaded look.”
“I loved how the finish was so satin and bronzed,” Starr said of Kim’s final look with Estée Lauder’s Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup. “It wears like a veil of silk fabric, just lays on the skin, fluid undisturbed, for a super chic and sophisticated finish.”
The Match
It turns out, both shades were a perfect match.
“I used two shades on Keyaira because she is a perfect example of a deeper skin toned woman with a lighter t-zone area, and darker forehead, jawline and neck area,” Starr explained. “For her, the color that best matches the inner area of her face would look light and possibly “ashy” on her forehead and jaw, but the deeper shade I used, if used alone, would make her skin look too deep and flat. Which is often described as, ‘muddy.'”
When using two different makeup shades, it’s important to blend the edges of each shade so that the overall finish is even.
“When blending foundation, I recommend blending past the jawline up to the neck, but not actually on the neck for daily wear,” Starr advised. “If you are having a photo shoot as many of us do participate in, blending onto the neck can be a good technique to ensure even tone and blend in photographs.”
As for Keyaira’s final look, Starr said, “I love the easy blend and wearability with this foundation. Anyone can use it and look like they’ve been on a magazine cover. I carry Lancôme in my kit, it’s a finish I can always be proud of.”
