This Is How You Tweak The Shade Of Your Foundation
No need to bin that foundation that’s way off your skin tone.
There are a few things in life that are particularly challenging for women. Finding the perfect jeans is one of them, but what’s arguably even harder to do, is finding a foundation that matches your skin tone to a tee.
While some makeup brands offer dozens of shades, humankind’s skin hue diversity seems to be a tough one for the cosmetics industry. On top of that, the lighting in stores is often not ideal when swatching foundation, as the shades look completely different in natural light, which is why every woman has at some point in her life bought a foundation that turned out to be way too light or dark when she got it home.
Besides the sheer disappointment we feel when applying the wrong shade at home for the first time, this dilemma gets worse when we spend a fortune on holy grail foundations we’re desperate to try. And with some industry faves costing close to $100, there’s no way we’d just chuck our foundation in the bin if the shade’s not quite right.
This is why we have to get a bit creative and tweak the shade to match our skin. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to make your foundation lighter or darker, which also means you don’t need to buy a different product when the seasons change. With these genius foundation-hacking tips and tricks, not all’s lost for your mis-purchase…
1. Mix it with bronzer
If you have an old compact bronzer you don’t use anymore, it can be a lifesaver for foundations that are too light. Just note it has to be a matte one without any glitter or shimmer added, unless you want your entire face to sparkle.
Simply crush a small amount of the compact bronzer and mix the powder with one or two pumps of your light foundation to achieve a darker shade.
2. Add foundation adjuster
It seems the beauty industry is well aware of the fact women often mis-purchase foundation, as brands such as BYS and The Body Shop are now selling foundation adjusters. They’re basically liquid pigments you can mix with your foundation to either lighten or darken the shade. Genius!
3. Blend it with concealer
If you have a concealer with a consistency similar to your liquid foundation, simply adding a drop to your foundation will produce a similar effect to using an adjuster product.
If the products don’t blend well, applying your concealer more generously all over the face after your foundation is another easy way to lighten or darken the overall look.
4. Cheat with finishing powder
Chances are you have a translucent finishing powder you use on your more oily areas or those you would like to highlight, but if you need to lighten the look of your foundation, applying it more generously all over your face will do the job.
The most important thing to remember with all of these tips is to ensure that, regardless of the shade, you always carefully blend your foundation into your neck, ideally using a Beautyblender, for a totally seamless result.
Images via bloglovin.com, pinterest.com, heleneinbetween.com.
