How To Buy The Right Shade of Foundation and Concealer Online

It feels like in the past few years the majority of foundation and concealer launches have happened online before landing in stores.

I wish that it would be possible to see all the shades in real life before ordering, but when you can’t, here is my exact method how I order the perfect color or foundation and concealer online.

STEP 1

Find Your Skintone  There are generally five skin tone categories used to group foundations: fair, light, medium, tan, and deep, figure out which group you are in.

STEP 2

Match Undertone There are different undertones: silver (cool) pink (cool) yellow (warm) peach (warm) olive (cool) red (warm)

STEP 3

Search Website Product Description Most stores and brand websites now give shade and undertone descriptions on the website. I always go through the skin tone and undertone descriptions to find my match.

STEP 4

Match Your Body Always make sure your foundation is the same color as your chest and neck area. Test a little foundation there and if it blends in perfectly, you’ve got a match.

STEP 5

Tried + True Still feel unsure? Go with a brand that nails their shade undertones. There are a few brands that have accurate, true-to-life undertones.

STEP 6

Google, Pinterest, + Instagram This is what I do when I’m ordering a  foundation that I’ve never tried before. Type the product name and then the word “swatches.” Then, hit “images” at the top menu bar of search results. You can see what the shades look like on real people.

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