face makeup How to Find Your Perfect True Match Foundation Shade

When it comes to finding your foundation match, the struggle can be real. But before you throw your hands up in distress — we have a solution. Rather than filling up your arm with several shade swatches or just guessing which foundation is suitable for your skin tone, we know a few product matching methods that actually work, and it starts with choosing a foundation that offers a range across a variety of skin tones.

The L’Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Makeup offers true-to-you shades that precisely match your skin tone and work with your skin’s texture for flawless results. With 47 shades, there’s a match for everyone, and to help you find yours we’re sharing tips on how to determine your undertone so that whether you're using a foundation shade finder or your amateur eye, you can find your foundation shade in this vast collection. 

Don’t worry, it’s simpler than it sounds. Keep reading to find out more about selecting your best True Match  foundation color. 

How to Find Your True Match Foundation Shade

To determine your True Match foundation color, you’ll need to know both your skin tone and undertone. The L’Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Makeup has shades in warm, cool, and neutral undertones, ranging from fair to deep. 

While most people probably already have an inkling of what their skin tone is, the same can’t always be said for undertones. The difference between the two is that your skin tone refers to your complexion, whereas undertones are the colors that come through your skin and affect its overall hue. 

Cool undertones appear in your complexion as hints of blue or pink, while warm undertones appear more yellow or golden. If your undertones are neutral, you’re in-between. To easily determine your undertone try one of these two methods below:

1. Look at the Color Of Your Veins

Look at the inside of your arm. If your veins appear blue or purple, you’re cool-toned, while green veins indicate warm-toned skin. If you’re not sure, you may be neutral.

2. Try the Paper Check

This method is bizarre — we’ll be the first to admit it — but we’ve seen it work. Hold a white piece of paper up to your skin. The white should create a cast of color on your skin. If your face suddenly appears more pink or blue, your undertones are cool and if you give off a more yellowish hue, you’re warm. If your skin seems gray, you have neutral undertones.

Once you’ve figured out your undertone, you’ll be able to look for your foundation shade. If you have a warm undertone, you should reach for the warmer tones. Cool undertones should go for shades that have hints of pink tones. And those in the neutral category should reach for shades that have a touch of gold to help warm up the complexion. 

True Match foundation comes with a label that signifies the undertones and makes it easier to find a match (for example, an N will correspond to a neutral shade, a W will stand for warm and a C for cool).

How to Color Match Your Foundation

We recommend testing out a few shades to find your best match. Below are a few helpful tips you can use to find the right one. 

1. Test On Your Chest

Just eyeing foundation in the package to find your shade will not work. After all, you won’t know how something will look until it’s on your skin. Play it safe and swatch a few shades by applying some foundation on the center of your chest. Since our faces and necks can be several different colors all over, due to sun exposure, hyperpigmentation, and more, those areas can be tough for an exact shade match. The chest area will often reflect your undertones better and give you the right hue for an overall even skin tone look that also matches your body. 

If you do want to test on your face, try an area that has dark spots so that you know that the shade you’re choosing will cover those blemishes and also blend with your complexion seamlessly. Many pros advise that you test on the jawline and the middle of the neck to make sure you'll get an even color on both.

2. Test Under Different Lighting

Depending on the season, your complexion might change. You may be lighter in the winter because of less sun exposure and darker in the summer if you tan. So be sure to look at your swatch under different lighting before doing your entire face. And don’t just rely on your bathroom lights, be sure to test out your foundation in natural lighting as well to get a sense of what it will look like when you’re spending time outside.  

3. Use A Virtual Foundation Try-On Tool

If you’re unable to test our foundation shades in the store try out the L’Oréal Paris Virtual Makeup Try-On Tool, which allows you to try shades from any of the L’Oréal Paris foundation lines. That’s more than 100 shades you can test right from the comfort of your home. All you have to do is upload a selfie or click on the live try-on button on the virtual foundation shade finder, which will automatically connect to your phone or computer’s camera. It's best that you test with a clean, makeup-free face so that you get the best possible match for your actual complexion.

How to Apply the True Match Super-Blendable Makeup

Once you have your foundation color match picked, you won’t want to waste any time putting it to use. Check out these quick and easy steps to add True Match foundation to your makeup routine.

Step 1. Start off by applying a primer, like the L’Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Pore Minimizer, to create a smooth and even base for your foundation. A thin layer can make all the difference in how your makeup lasts and looks — smoothing lines, hiding pores, and covering redness. 

Step 2. Next, use a damp makeup blender, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender, to buff your foundation, working from the center of your face, outward. Follow up with an under-eye concealer, like the L’Oréal Paris True Match Eye Cream in a Concealer, 0.5% hyaluronic acid, formulated to hydrate and brighten the eye area for up to 24 hours.

Step 3. To keep your foundation locked in place, be sure to finish with setting spray or powder. The L’Oréal Paris True Match Powder comes in more than 30 options to match your super blendable liquid foundation shade. Grab a powder brush and lightly dust it across your entire face. 

Next: 5 Foundation Tips Every Beauty Lover Needs To Know

Photo Design: Sarah Duvivier