Part of the fun about shopping for beauty products in stores is the ability to swatch and sample testers. Especially when it comes to trickier color cosmetics like foundation, you want to make sure that the shade is compatible with your unique skin tone. Now that we’ve officially said goodbye to product sampling in our post-COVID-19 world, some brands have gotten a lot savvier in helping customers nail down their foundation color. (And, to be honest, even before the pandemic, we’ve always questioned in the back of our minds the sanitary conditions of these beauty testers at retail stores anyway.) Get ready to meet your match:
Dear Dahlia
Each of Skin Paradise Sheer Silk Foundation Shade Finder Kits comes with seven different shades within your skin tone so you can try out a color before buying the full-size version. The mini samples (which are about the size of nail polish) come in fair, light, medium, tan, and deep so you can find which of the specific 35 shades are best for you. We love that you can definitely squeeze out a couple of full-face applications with each bottle so that you have the opportunity to test out each shade in different lighting scenarios — a perk that you don’t get under the harsh fluorescent lighting of retail stores. The liquid foundation is made of a breathable formula packed with mineral powders, sweet almond oil, and argan oil to blur out skin and give your complexion a natural, luminous glow.
Editor’s note: Since I’m still slowly transitioning from my summer tan, I also love having a couple of samples of lighter shades to mix in with my current foundation to adapt to my skin tone.
Charlotte Tilbury
The cult-fave beauty brand has a new buildable, medium coverage foundation that focuses on helping your skin show off a glow. Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Foundation is available in 30 colors and you can use the foundation finder that uses light technology, beauty AI, and an expert skin algorithm to find your perfect shade in less than 60 seconds. It’s so accurate that if you don’t find your flawless match, you’ll get a refund back. If you have a shade from another brand that you already use, you can find a comparable color with their shade match tool.
Editor’s note: The brand’s foundation finder is incredibly easy to try out. All you need is a selfie of yourself with a bare face on your phone with good lighting!
Fenty Beauty
Ever since Fenty Beauty hit the scene, we’ve long been fans of its commitment to diversity with an inclusive shade range — 50 shades in all of their different foundation formulas, plus 25 shades of the Skin Tint. With the Fenty Face Shade Finder, you take a comprehensive virtual quiz to get matched with one of the brand’s shades. The questions include choosing which type of jewelry (silver or gold) looks best on your skin, how your skin reacts to the sun, what the color of your veins looks like, and how your skin appears in its natural state. Once you get your shade recommendation, you can choose from the Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, Pro FIlt’r Soft Matte Powder Foundation, Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation, or the Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint.
Editor’s note: The Shade Finder landed me on
Physicians Formula
Already have a foundation formula that you love, but the shade isn’t quite right? Physicians Formula Shade Adjuster Foundation Adjusting Drops contain Light drops that lighten your foundation shade (from any brand) while the Dark drops make it a shade darker. The Shade Adjusters are also formulated with vitamins C & E, so it gives your makeup an antioxidant boost. Because the drops are liquid, it works best on your liquid foundations. In order to mix the formulas together, you can get a makeup palette like this one or apply the foundation to the back of your hand. Add one drop of your Shade Adjuster and mix together with your makeup brush.
Editor’s note: I loved being able to play makeup artist and give new life to some of my existing foundation shades that were just a tad too dark. All it takes is just one small drop of the Shade Adjusters, so just make sure you don’t squeeze the tube too hard so you don’t waste any product.
bareMinerals
If you already have a foundation from another brand that’s a good match, but you want to try out bareMineral’s fan-favorite vegan formulas, their site has a handy tool on each product page that lets you select foundations from dozens of other brands to find a comparable option. Just select “Match From Another Brand” under the shade ranges for your preferred bareMinerals product. If you’re brand new to the foundation, there’s also the virtual Shade Finder Quiz. The quiz walks customers through the type of foundation they prefer (bareMinerals offers everything from liquid to loose and pressed powders to tubes and sticks), their skin type, top skin concerns, the level of coverage they desire, and undertones. Once you land on your match, it’s also helpful seeing compatible brushes and concealers in the recommended shade to complete your look. Plus, bareMinerals will donate one percent of your purchase (of any items) to The Power of Good Fund, which supports educating women and girls and fights for gender equality in literacy and technology.
Editor’s note: I particularly love the recommending bareMineral’s Original Loose Powder Foundation (which comes in 30 shades) for makeup newbies. The texture is lightweight, the coverage is buildable, and it’s truly hard to mess up, especially if you have the corresponding brush that picks just the right amount of pigment.
Clinique
The ultimate try before you buy: Give Clinique’s Even Better Makeup a whirl for a full 14 days and if you don’t love it, they’ll refund you and cover the cost of return shipping. You can choose from either the best-selling, original version of the foundation that comes in an impressive 56 shade range or any of the 42 shades of the new Clinical Serum that’s formulated for oily skin types. To help you find your shade before you purchase the full-size version, you can request a sample card (free with any Clinique purchase) with 14 shades that are closest to your skin tone so you can swatch in the comfort of your own home.
Editor’s note: I was already due for a refill for some of my favorite Clinique makeup, so it was super convenient to add the foundation sample card to my cart. You definitely get the most variety of samples (14!) to swatch from so you don’t have to settle for a shade that’s “good enough” — you’ll find one that perfectly blends into your skin. Thanks to the formula’s 24-hour coverage, you also get to see how it wears throughout the day.
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