Matching your skins undertones to your foundation/make up

RealDealGirl

Addicted to pink
May 2, 2007
1,401
12
Ok, I have been getting a lot of conflicting information every time I try to figure this out. I am in the process of getting rid of my liquid foundation and switching to either a tinted moisturizer or BB cream. Now that I'm getting older, I'm finding that foundations (liquid or powder) settle into the fine lines on my face and actually make them look worse, so I need to go with something lighter and its been a pain trying to get a good color match.

I am very fair with pink skin undertones and light freckles and dark hair and eyes (that's me in my avatar). When I went to Sephora last week, the SA told me that if I am pink toned, I need to get a yellow based foundation to "neutralize" the pink. I have always believed the opposite- that I needed to go with pink based make up to compliment my undertones. I got matched by her with a yellow based bb cream, but hated it and returned it. I got another bb cream (Two Faced) which I loved because its super moisturizing, but its a slightly yellow-base and wearing it right now, it feels great, but the color is too orangy. So I think I'm right about going to pink based make up, however I just did a google search and half the things I read said go for pink if your skin is pink to compliment and the others said go for yellow if your skin is pink to counterbalance. Now I'm questioning what I should do.

Am I obsessing? Do you ladies pay attention to the color base when you pick foundations or tints? And if you do, do you match you skin undertones or go for the opposite?

Thanks a bunch!!
(If there's already a thread on this, please send me to it, 'cause I couldn't find it.)
 
I can't believe the SA told you to go with yellow. Your skin tone seems very similar to mine - I'm porcelain with pink undertones, and I need to avoid yellow. It makes buying foundation a pain. My makeup needs to always be pink or blue based.

Have you tried Tarte's Smooth Operator? It's a tinted moisturizer that I love to use. For your skin tone, I would suggest trying Agent 08 - for light complexions with pink undertones. I buy mine from Sephora. Here's the link: http://www.sephora.com/smooth-operator-spf-20-P67617?skuId=759779

Hope this helps! :smile:
 
I don't see why she would steer you towards yellow? Some people with surface redness, like myself, use more yellow tones to neutralize that specific area. But if your complexion is cool, I think pink leaning bases would be a match. The next time you go in, search for a different SA and get samples:smile:
 
I'm a bit pink and I own a yellow-based foundation to balance out my pink cheeks. (I believe it's NARS in Stromboli) I don't use it regularly and when I do I use it sparingly only on the redder parts of my face and blend it out with my regular foundation, MUFE in 127, which is less yellow, on the outer parts of my face. (Then I top it with Chanel translucent powder, which I love.) NARS Stromboli is the only yellowish foundation I've ever bought and I actually am glad I did. It covers the pink parts of my face well but if I blended it alone out out to my neck I'm sure it would look horrendous and fake. So, what I do may go against what experts say but it works for me the way I do it. (Usually I just use the MUFE 127 because I don't like to spend too much time doing my makeup, but I like having the Stromboli yellow-based shade in my makeup collection.)
 
I have very light skin w/pink undertones & only would use a foundation
with pink undertones..

I think you need to experiment more & get some samples.

Armani maestro & the new YSL base have very lovely shades that would compliment
your skin.

I have used them both & they work beautifully..
 
You are a cool toned person so you need a pink toned foundation. Yellow is good for correcting redness but not for the whole face if you are cool toned which you are. I wouldn't go back to Sephora but to Nordstrom, Macy's, a department store instead. Consult with the SAs and get samples. Chanel has foundations with pink undertones.