Women who have a darker skin tone may find it difficult to choose the right shade of foundation. Firstly, there is a lack of choice. Until recently, not many brands had options when it came to foundation shades suitable for a darker skin tone. Even if shades were available, they did not suit all skin types.

Thankfully now, the options have increased and brands are trying to create foundations in multiple shades. Before buying a skin foundation, here is everything you should know about the shades available and the techniques for choosing the right one.

Check your undertone
This is one of the first things you should do before buying a skin foundation. The undertone is the color of your skin below the actual surface and people can have completely different undertones. Undertones can be warm, cool or neutral. There are different ways to identify the undertone of your skin including checking if your veins are green (warm undertone) or blue (cool undertone), or the color of jewelry that suits your skin (silver means a cool undertone and gold, a warm undertone). Knowing your undertone will help you choose the perfect foundation shade.

Match with the color of your chest
Many women match the foundation with the color of their wrist. This absolutely won’t work if the skin at your wrist is darker than your face and the neck. One smart tip is to check the shade with the color of your chest before buying a foundation for your skin. This will ensure the shade and the undertone both work right.

Test near your jawline
Picking a foundation without testing it out is a complete waste of money. If you want to buy online, you can test out samples from stores nearby, identify the shade and then order the same from online portals. The best area to try out the shade before buying a foundation for your skin is near the jawline. This will give you the best comparison with your actual skin color and make it easier to pick the right one. Take some foundation and apply it on your jawline and start tapping it with your fingers. Blend it well until you see a seamless finish on your skin.

Understand your skin type
Some foundations give a matte finish while others make you look dewy and glowing. The choice, however, is based on your skin type. Before buying skin foundation, know if your skin is dry, oily or combination. Using a matte finish on already dry skin can result in excessive dryness and rashes on the skin. Similarly, using a dewy product on oily skin can cause an acne flare-up.

Have different products for different seasons
Your undertone and skin color can change with every season. The foundation you use in winter may look pale and lighter during summer. You can only know by experimenting during different seasons. Be open to using different shades throughout the year.

These are all vital points to keep in mind before buying a foundation for your skin. Wear the foundation for a couple of hours to see how it looks before narrowing down on the shade you like.