Beauty Collective - ELES Cosmetics Perfect Foundation

Q & A – How Do I Choose The Perfect Foundation For My Skin?

Oily, dry, combination, blemish-prone skin…it’s important when choosing a foundation to select what is right for your individual skin type, but with so many foundations promising to deliver an array of benefits as well as the multitude of formulations from liquid to powder, stick to tinted, it is a wonder how any of us manage to get it right, and that’s before having to wrap our head around selecting the correct shade too!

Well you’ve asked us for our guidance and here we are to help! Read on to determine once and for all your perfect foundation match!

  1. UNDERSTAND YOUR SKIN TYPE

This is fundamental when choosing your foundation as the last thing you want to do is invest in a formulation that is only going to exacerbate your dry skin or pesky pimples.

Oily skin

If your complexion is prone to that 3pm shine, opt for a matte powder or oil-free liquid foundation and avoid dewy formulas. Mineral foundations work well on oily skin because the dry particles tend to absorb moisture and prevent shine.

You can also try prolonging the wear of your foundation with a primer and then setting with a translucent lightweight powder.

Try: ELES Mineral Powder Foundation

Dry Skin

If you tend to have dry skin, choose a hydrating liquid foundation. These have a creamy consistency which delivers moisture to the skin and offer great coverage too.

Try: ELES Mineral Sheer Tint SPF 20 for natural, radiant coverage or ELES Luminous HD Foundation for even more luminosity.

Combination Skin

Avoid powder formulations since they can make dry patches look even dryer, and treat extra oily spots with a mattifying primer before applying your base.

Try: Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation

Sensitive Skin

If you struggle with blemished or sensitive skin, you really need to navigate the ingredients in a foundation. It’s best to avoid skin irritants like alcohol and fragrance which can be found in many a foundation and opt for a mineral formula every time. These contain no chemical nasties and will allow your skin to breath freely.

Try: ELES Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation or ELES Mineral Powder Foundation

 

  1. PREP YOUR SKIN

It is important to have clean and well moisturised skin before trialling foundations, this will stand you in good stead for finding your perfect match!

 

  1. KNOW YOUR SKIN’S UNDERTONES

You want to choose a foundation shade that has the same undertones as your skin. Either ‘cool’ or ‘warm’. If you have a warm complexion go with a shade that has yellow undertones, if your complexion is on the cool side, a foundation with a pink undertone will be best.

To tell which undertones your skin has, look at your veins on the back of your arms. People with blue or purplish-looking veins usually have cooler undertones. If your veins, on the other hand, look a greenish colour, then you have warm undertones.

 

  1. FIND YOUR SHADE MATCH

Finding the perfect shade is the single most important part of foundation shopping. The ultimate goal is to find a shade that looks like your own skin but better!

Firstly select three shades that you think are a close match to your skin colour. Forget testing them on your arm and test directly on the face instead, swiping all three side-by-side down your cheek towards your jawline. The shade that seemingly disappears is the one you want!

Make sure you test in good natural lighting.

 

  1. ADAPT TO THE SEASON

In the winter months, our skin tends to be paler so you need to adapt your foundation shade accordingly. We recommend having one key shade for spring/summer and another for autumn/winter.

Now go forth and be flawless!