Picking the appropriate foundation for your skin colour as well as the right formula can be a daunting task. But when you get it right, the results are truly worth it because the flaws will be hidden and you face will look smooth and blemish free.

As much foundation is supposed to hide our flaws and the blemishes on our faces, it is also important to know how to best apply it and how to go about choosing the right foundation depending with our skin types.

The most mistakes that most women do is to use wrong shades, making one’s face have a different colour from that of the rest of the body. Showing lines from where the foundation ends and where your neck begins can be very unattractive. To ensure that your make-up foundation looks effortless and subtle, follow the below steps;

• Finding out the type of skin you have and choosing the right formula. Oily skin does well with powder or oil controlling liquid foundations. Women with normal skin can use any foundation formula that is comfortable, while crème or moisturising liquid foundations work best on dry skin. The better the condition of one’s skin, the sheerer a formulation should be picked since foundation offer finishes that range from satiny to matte.

• Test the colours of your preferred formula on your jaw line, which offers the truest facial colouring since is the area where your foundation will be applied, so forget about testing the foundation on the wrist or the hand. Any foundation will look slightly darker in the bottle, so keep this in mind when assessing your options.

• Blend in the foundation gently with a makeup sponge. The foundation should disappear into your skin. If you find you are between shades, blend two colours together, or keep looking for a brand that offers the perfect shade. Bring a hand mirror along so you can view your options in natural light, this will give you a true reading of what it will look like on your face when you apply it.

• Look for yellow-toned foundation or tinted moisturizer if you're Caucasian or Asian; Hispanics should opt for foundation or tinted moisturizers with yellow-orange undertones. For us Africans, it's a good idea to use light, medium and dark shades of foundation to allow for different gradations of colour on different parts of the face.

How to apply the foundation is also very important, if one misses on the steps to applying their foundation   they risk looking like a Christmas tree, below are the tips on how to best apply your foundation after choosing the right shade according to your skin type and colour.

Begin with clean hands and a clean face.

• Apply moisturizer appropriate to your skin type. Let it set a few minutes, particularly if your skin is oily.
• Camouflage under-eye circles and blemishes with concealer.

• Select a foundation that is appropriate to your skin type and the coverage you wish to achieve. The color should match your skin, disappearing when blended well. Shake the bottle well to mix the formula. Or, simply open a stick or compact version.

• Place a small amount of foundation on the back of one hand. Dip your makeup sponge or your middle finger into it.
• Apply to the centre of your face: cheeks, forehead, and chin.

• Blend out to your hair and jaw line until the foundation vanishes. Pay special attention to blending around the nose, mouth and jaw line

• Set the foundation with loose powder immediately following application. Take a look in the mirror, and take a long walk and experience that glance from all sides.

Remember that you have plenty of options to choose from, so if you don’t find a good colour match, keep looking for one until you get the right shade for your skin.

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