Thank goodness for sunlight!

[Weathergirl]

Had to Chuck 3 QVC foundations in a the bin this week. Gutted! I was convinced I had the right shades in both Tarte and Doll 10. Because I usually apply my make up in the early morning, with the curtains drawn. How wrong was I!?

I had a day at home earlier this week, and I was putting my make up on downstairs in the living room for a change. Sunlight was streaming through the window. My usual foundation looked yellow! I tested my other one and, that too looked yellow! So a few days later I had a meeting fairly close to our local John Lewis. At lunchtime I wandered over to the Bare Minerals counter and got colour matched. I actually have a Cool skin tone. Yes... cool. After years of wearing "light" and after a few years ago Bobbi Brown colour matched me to 'warm sand".

I can't believe the change in my skin tone. Apparently Fairly Light is my original foundation shade. Porcelain or shell (yes porcelain! ) is my shade for the serum foundation. (I took a couple of samples).

 

[Tinkerbelle]

In Bare Minerals speak Fairly Light is neither cool nor warm. Its a neutral. BM have three skin tones rather than the usual two. I'm a neutral in BM terms too. I don't know if that helps or hinders or neither one!

Skintone does change over the years for sure but I wouldn't think you'd change from cool to warm or vice versa.

 

[Enigma]

I'm more of a "bag on head" skintone. Saves loads of hassle (and money)

 

[Tiddlywinks]

Try getting a small LED desk lamp - they seem to be good for doing make up on dark mornings.

 

[Weathergirl]

In Bare Minerals speak Fairly Light is neither cool nor warm. Its a neutral. BM have three skin tones rather than the usual two. I'm a neutral in BM terms too. I don't know if that helps or hinders or neither one!

Skintone does change over the years for sure but I wouldn't think you'd change from cool to warm or vice versa.

That would make sense, A few years ago Bobbi Brown "Warm Sand" was spot on. Perhaps a step from warm to neutral is more usual as I age. To be honest "neutral" answers the confusion I have had over the years reading magazines about skin tone. I could never decide one way or the other with warm or cool. For example I look absolutely dreadful in lilac and purple, but great in cornflower blue. I look dreadful in mustard but great in some soft, pastel yellows and coral pink. I look awful in Orange but good in raspberry pinks. Thanks Tink.

Thanks also Tiddlywinks, I will definitely try that in the winter months. If I open the curtains to let light in my husband complains as he is trying to get dressed!

Neutral in make up also makes sense. Mally did 3 shades of nude lipstick, warm, cool and neutral. Only the neutral looked good on me.

 

[donna255]

I after years found out that rose tones suit me. Now the weird thing is I can wear yellow toned foundations as the pink or cool ones can be too light on me. The old style (we are talking 80s and 90s) rose tone foundation were far too pink on me. These days what they do is more beige/rose, YSL Touche Elcat Teint BR30 was perfect on me. They have revamped it and actually made it more beige and that shade is too light on me but the next up is still far too dark.

What I notice is the US based brands do tend to be very yellow compared to say the EU ones. They will sneak in a rose toned one or two in, but QVC will never stock these. Of course the brand ambassador will never say this on air, they are there to sell and not put customers off. I remember the Tarte TSV last year and the total confusion about shades. People loved the TSV but the foundations shades way off, being too yellow.

I was chatting to Darren the UK makeup artist for By Terry last year at an event. He matched me to shade 5 Peach in a By Terry foundation, I thought er no. But it actually was perfect oh, and it was not peach. He explained unfortunately if you put rose in the name of a foundation people think its going to be pink and won't even try it. Think that is a throw back to the 80s and 90s again.

I can be all over the place with brand shades and tones. Chanel always 20, I did try a pink tones one and it was too light, Guerlain 02 Beige Clair(this has no yellow), they do a rose range but these are actually aimed at Indian skin which can be ash so pink warms them up. I was given a sample of the new Becca Aqua foundation which QVC now sell, loads of complaints on beauty forums about the shade choices. I was given Fair which is the lightest, and it was golden on me. I could see the golden tone on my face.
Laura Mercier on her site does tell you shades are yellow or pink tones and fair, fair/light, light, light medium etc. Which is a great help when you go to try them in real life. Turns out I am Ecru which looked way too dark in the bottle, but given two samples Vanilla(too light) and the Ecru which did match me. If walking into a store or even buying online I would never have thought I would be that shade at all, Its light cool but does not actually look yellow or even pink.

 

[Silver Fox]

Thanks for the pointers on different foundation colours.I need a pink tone & years ago I used a Dior one which had 'Rose' in the shade name.I too keep away from Bobbi Brown (always too yellow) but have used Bare Minerals original in Medium on & off for some time.I don't order any foundation from Q as the chance of getting a good colour are remote & most are American so probably more yellow toned.I am on the hunt again but will probably start with Dior & YSL.

 

[spartacus]

I'm neutral in foundation too, took me decades to figure that out! Most brands were too yellow, yet their lighter shades were too pink. Lily Lolo website has shade charts showing neutral, cool, warm and they do samples. Blonde and Barely Buff are the neutrals I bought (I was Fair 02 in clinique even better makeup). M&s autograph have foundations light and neutral enough for me. I wear their matte mousse foundation in beige, in other brands beige would be too warm and dark.

 

[Lady Madonna]

Well I went to 2 different Lancome stands, House of Fraser and Boots to get a sample of the new foundation. Both matched different colours and IMO and hubbies, neither look right. Been for walks in the sun and got a bit of colour and look much better, keep telling these cosmetic people I need slight pink in my foundation. Can't get on with BM, goes on blotchy as I get breakouts with primers.

 

[yorkrose26]

I'm more of a "bag on head" skintone. Saves loads of hassle (and money)

Amen to that!

 

[iloveshopping]

Had to Chuck 3 QVC foundations in a the bin this week. Gutted! I was convinced I had the right shades in both Tarte and Doll 10. Because I usually apply my make up in the early morning, with the curtains drawn. How wrong was I!?

I had a day at home earlier this week, and I was putting my make up on downstairs in the living room for a change. Sunlight was streaming through the window. My usual foundation looked yellow! I tested my other one and, that too looked yellow! So a few days later I had a meeting fairly close to our local John Lewis. At lunchtime I wandered over to the Bare Minerals counter and got colour matched. I actually have a Cool skin tone. Yes... cool. After years of wearing "light" and after a few years ago Bobbi Brown colour matched me to 'warm sand".

I can't believe the change in my skin tone. Apparently Fairly Light is my original foundation shade. Porcelain or shell (yes porcelain! ) is my shade for the serum foundation. (I took a couple of samples).

You may want to get those foundations out of the bin. Your face skin colour is its winter colour. As spring and summer progresses our skin tones darken with the sun. I am quite neutral at the moment but in a few weeks time my skin will be much more yellow after exposure to sunlight.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I'm always neutral, no matter where I am in the tanning spectrum. I can use a cool one in the summer when I'm full on two week holiday tanned and get away with it but a neutral is always best for me.

I range from fairly light to medium beige to tan but I can also wear medium tan. And I'm Julia Roberts type dark olive type skin, rarely without colour but never fake tanned.

 

[donna255]

Well I went to 2 different Lancome stands, House of Fraser and Boots to get a sample of the new foundation. Both matched different colours and IMO and hubbies, neither look right. Been for walks in the sun and got a bit of colour and look much better, keep telling these cosmetic people I need slight pink in my foundation. Can't get on with BM, goes on blotchy as I get breakouts with primers.

I remember being asked at a Lancome counter if I wanted the foundation actually match my skin or go a bit darker? Seems most people think if matched properly the foundation is too pale and prefer to go a shade up.

 

[Marina]

I remember being asked at a Lancome counter if I wanted the foundation actually match my skin or go a bit darker? Seems most people think if matched properly the foundation is too pale and prefer to go a shade up.

Boots No7 asked me this too and I asked to match my colour but it was still dark as I don’t think they had a suitable shade.
Later I took my Doll 10 foundation in Fair with me and no brand I’ve looked had a similar shade.

 

[Lady Madonna]

Boots No7 asked me this too and I asked to match my colour but it was still dark as I don’t think they had a suitable shade.
Later I took my Doll 10 foundation in Fair with me and no brand I’ve looked had a similar shade.

Wasn't asked by either if I wanted to match my colour. The ones I have make me look washed out. Maybe give John Lewis a try.

 

[China Girl]

I remember being asked at a Lancome counter if I wanted the foundation actually match my skin or go a bit darker? Seems most people think if matched properly the foundation is too pale and prefer to go a shade up.

I was asked this same question by Lancome. I have used Dior foundation for a few years now, they have a gadget thingy that they press on your face, this shows a number that they match their foundation shades to. I am between shades so choose the slightly warmer beige 30 instead of the paler one, which is too pale on me.

 

[Starlight]

I bought some of the Foundation Shade Adjusting Drops from The Body Shop and can now use some of my foundations that were too dark or yellow.

They come in 2 shades to lighten or darken foundations but the dark ones are really only to make dark foundations darker as they tend to turn lighter foundations grey. The light ones are great though and don't change the consistency of the foundation - and they're good for concealers too.

 

[Marina]

I was asked this same question by Lancome. I have used Dior foundation for a few years now, they have a gadget thingy that they press on your face, this shows a number that they match their foundation shades to. I am between shades so choose the slightly warmer beige 30 instead of the paler one, which is too pale on me.

Boots No7 and Estee Lauder have this gadget too.

 

[donna255]

Wasn't asked by either if I wanted to match my colour. The ones I have make me look washed out. Maybe give John Lewis a try.

But that is the thing, foundation on its own does not give colour but suppose to match your skin. Its blush or bronzer that gives the colour. People think they look too pale or washed out when match to their true skin shade.

 

[iloveshopping]

I like foundation to match my skin colour. I worry that I won't have blended it in somewhere like the jaw line if I don't match the colour. I do think I then look washed out as I have also covered my nice pink cheeks but a dash of blusher and it looks ok.