On Foundation: Top Tips & Tricks

CHOOSING THE PERFECT COLOUR

1. Figure out your perfect foundation shade with a swipe test first, sweeping a bit of foundation along your cheek or jawline to see which shade melds perfectly into your skin tone. Try several hues to be sure which matches best. 2. If your neck is much lighter than your face or chest, you should go for a foundation in between the colour of your face and neck. This way, everything looks like it blends together seamlessly. 3. Faces with strong freckles usually have a lighter base colour than may appear. Choose the colour one shade darker than your natural base and lightly blend into the face. If you go with a shade that’s too light, the freckles can appear ashy. 4. Use a foundation shade with the right undertones for your skin:

• If you have cool undertones, your skin will appear pink, red, purple or blue;
• If you have warm undertones, your skin will seem peachy, yellow, or golden;
• Neutral means you have a mix of warm and cool tones.

The right foundation undertone complements your skin, while the wrong one can make you look washed-out or ashy. Here are three quick ways to figure out whether you have warm, cool, or neutral undertones:

1. The metals test: if you look better in gold jewellery, you have warm undertones. If you look better in silver, then you have cool undertones, and if you can wear both, you have neutral undertones. Look out for products in the Code8 range starting with W or NW. 2. If white clothing enhances your skin tone, you have warm undertones; if it washes you out, you have cool undertones. Look out for products in the Code8 range starting with C or NC. 3. Look at the veins on your wrist: if they're slightly greenish, then you have warm undertones; if they appear blue or have a purple tinge to them, then you have cool undertones. We have compiled a chart to help you find your Radiate Beauty Balm shade and your Day to Night Foundation shade.

APPLICATION

1. When applying Day to Night perfecting foundation, start from the centre of your face and work outward and downwards. This leaves you with the most natural finish and prevents mask-like edges of foundation to be visible around the edges of your face. Smooth really lightly towards the hair line and brows, to avoid getting product into the hair. 2. Use a makeup sponge, fingers or a brush to apply and buff out your foundation. If applying with a sponge, damp it first to avoid product waste. Use fingers for lighter application: they warm the foundation and give it a smoother finish. 3. To make your foundation last all day, run a fluffy makeup brush over a translucent powder and dust it over your T-zone or all over the face for more matte finish.

EXPERT FOUNDATION TIPS:

• For glam events: blend foundation lightly over your neck to even out the colour. If you're wearing a low-cut top, blend the formula lightly over your chest too.
• Lightly apply foundation over your eyelids to reduce redness or darkness and even out skin tone. Having brighter, even-toned lids instantly makes you look fresh and awake.
• Always check your foundation application in natural light - the one in your bathroom could be showing your foundation in a different colour.
• If you have break-outs, always use less foundation than advised, and after, apply concealer with a thin brush to perfect the complexion, instead of caking on a thick layer of foundation in the first place.
• If you find yourself without concealer, place a small dot of liquid foundation on the problem area, and wait a few minutes for the formula to set, then lightly blend it out.
• Turn your foundation finish into a dewy one by applying a drop or two of a facial oil or liquid illuminator into the foundation. This is an especially great way to lift tired or mature skin and give it a jolt of freshness.
• Tone down the coverage into sheer coverage by applying a drop or two of serum or moisturiser into the foundation and blend into the face.
• If your skin tone slightly lightens or deepens with the seasons, alter your foundation shade with just one shade darker. With two shades you can blend them and slowly start working in the opposite with the seasonal shifts.

• To mask rosacea, redness, blotchiness or broken capillaries, use yellow-toned foundation to tone down redness. Any Code8 Day to Night - Natural Polish Longwear Foundation in shades starting with NW or W would be suitable.
• For dark circles which have a blue/green/grey undertone, use an orange or red-toned concealer or foundation. Try Seamless Cover Perfecting Concealer in shades N25 and NW50 for darker complexions, or Day to Night foundation in shades NW30 and NW40 for medium skin tones.
• For dark circles which have a red/pink/purple undertone, use a yellow-toned concealer or foundation. Look out for shades staring with NW or W.
• For pigmentation, which will appear as darker brown spots, use a warm-toned concealer shade that’s darker than your skin. If you try to use a lighter tone to cover pigmentation spots, they can appear ashy or grey.