By Brandon Walt, makeup artist, Pretoria ·
Why shade matching goes wrong online
Buying foundation online is tricky because screens, lighting and photos all change how colour looks. Most mistakes come from choosing by skin colour alone and ignoring undertone, or from testing on the hand, which is usually a different colour from the face.
Step 1: choose your formula first
Before you choose a shade, choose the foundation. For oily or combination skin, events and full coverage, choose the JU Quillage Foundation (13 shades). For dry, sensitive skin and everyday natural coverage, choose the Hydrating Skincare Foundation (6 shades).
Step 2: find your depth and undertone
Decide where you sit from fair to very deep, then work out your undertone. Cool skin has pink or rosy tones, warm skin is golden or peachy, neutral is a mix, and olive skin has a green or grey cast. My PHOERA shade guide has a table of starting shades for each depth.
Step 3: swatch on the jawline in daylight
Swatch two or three shades in stripes along your jaw. Blend lightly, wait a few minutes, then look in natural daylight. The right shade disappears into both your face and your neck. If your face is lighter or redder than your neck, match your neck so the result looks seamless in photos.
Step 4: fine-tune with concealer and powder
Your concealer can be one shade lighter than your foundation under the eyes to brighten. For setting powder, Translucent suits most people, Banana warms and brightens light to medium skin, and Medium Deep keeps deeper skin from looking ashy.
Still unsure?
Book a session or an online class and I will match you in person, or send me a daylight photo on WhatsApp and I will point you in the right direction.
