AUGUST 2019 COSMOPOLITAN 125SHEER
WHAT IT LOOKS
LIKE: A super-lightweight
tinted moisturiser.
WHEN TO WEAR IT: Off-
duty. It’ll quickly blur
imperfections, allowing
your real skin to shine
through.DEWY
WHAT IT LOOKS
LIKE: Weightless. These
formulas have hydrating
ingredients (like glycerin or
hyaluronic acid) that give
you light, buildable
coverage.
WHEN TO WEAR IT:
Whenever you want that
I-just-got-the-most-amazing-
facial-aren’t-you-jealous kind
of glow.SEMI OR
DEMI MATTE
WHAT IT LOOKS
LIKE: Soft and smooth with a
velvety texture.
WHEN TO WEAR IT: Every
day. This bb leaves behind a
layer that’s most similar
to your skin’s natural
appearance—aka not super
glowy, but not matte either.MATTE
WHAT IT LOOKS
LIKE: A shine-free layer of
full-coverage foundation.
WHEN TO WEAR IT: When
you go out (because clubs
are hot and dancing is non-
negotiable). As the longest-
lasting finish, it shouldn’t
budge no matter how much
you sweat.WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE
FINISHES?
If we had to
guess, we’d bet
you’re wearing
the wrong
foundation right
now. That’s not
to say you’re
totally clueless,
it just means
there are a
billion different
shades, finishes,
formulas, and
coverage levels
to choose from,
making your
base both as
customisable
and confusing
as your
Starbucks order.
But don’t
freak—we’re
here to help you
figure it out.
TRY ON SOME
JEWELLERY
You already know
where you fall on the
basic foundation
spectrum—light,
medium, dark, or
somewhere in
between. The right
undertone though?
Trickier. “It’s a
secondary colouring—
warm, cool, or
neutral—that
determines which
shade complements
your skin,” says
US-based make-up
artist Robin Black. To
find yours, pull out your
necklaces and
bracelets. If gold looks
best against
your skin, you have a
warm undertone. (To
confirm, check your
veins. Greenish? Yup,
you’re warm.) If silver
suits you better, your
undertone is cool (with
bluish veins). Able to
mix metals? You’re
neutral.DECODE THE
LABEL LINGO
Brands usually organise
their shades from light to
dark on numerical scales,
which, for example, might
start at 100 for fair tones
and go up to 500 as shades
deepen. Packaging can also
include undertone letters:
W, C, or N. So a ‘200N’ is
generally for someone
with light-medium skin and
neutral undertones.
Some brands like Fenty
Beauty spell it all out: ‘498—
for very rich, deep skin with
neutral undertones’.STEPSTEP12CROSS YOUR EYES
The next time you’re at a
store, grab three different
foundations that seem like
they’d match your skin.
Swipe on a little of each one,
side by side on your cheek,
look in a nearby mirror, and
cross your eyes. This blurs
your vision, making the
swatch that’s right for you
practically disappear, as if
it’s already blended in. The
shades that aren’t great
matches will still stand out.
Buying foundation online?
Guess as best as you can
(and throw a few neutral
tones into your cart; they
work with both warm and
cool undertones).SHADE
MATCHING
101STEP
3