HOW TO SHADE MATCH WITH 5 EASY STEPS, by Monica Ravi-Conway on YouTube. 2 min 11 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 11 s
- Time to do it
- 15 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Start with clean, bare skin on your jaw and neck. Foundation looks different over moisturiser, sunscreen or old makeup, so remove everything first and let your skin settle for a few minutes.
Work out your undertone before you look at any shade. Hold a white sheet of paper next to your face in daylight: yellow or golden hints mean warm, pink or red hints mean cool, and a green or grey cast usually means olive.
Match the depth, meaning how light or dark the shade is. Line three testers against your jaw, one close to your skin and one a step lighter and darker, so you can see which sits closest.
Swatch each shade in stripes down your jawline and onto your neck. The right one blends into both, while a wrong shade shows as a visible line or a grey, orange or ashy patch.
Step into natural daylight near a window and check the stripes again. Indoor bulbs and phone screens change how colour looks, and most bad matches only show up outside.
Wait 10 to 15 minutes before you decide. Foundation oxidises and warms up as it dries, so a shade that looks perfect wet can turn too dark or too orange.
Check the match against your chest and neck, not just your face. Your face is often a shade or two different from your body, and the neck is what people see next to it.
Buy the closest match and test the full face at home before you commit to a second bottle. Apply a thin layer, blend with a damp sponge, and wear it for a few hours in daylight.
Tips and common mistakes
If you sit between two shades, buy the lighter one and warm it up with bronzer, since a too-dark shade is harder to fix.
Olive undertones often pull green or grey, so shades labelled neutral can still look pink or orange on you.
Never share applicators or double dip fingers into testers, and use a clean sponge for anything you apply to your face.
Photograph your jaw in daylight with your phone to compare swatches side by side before you buy.
Questions
Should I test foundation on my jaw or my hand?
Test on your jawline and neck. Your hand is usually a different colour from your face and will send you home with the wrong shade.
Why does my foundation turn orange after an hour?
That is oxidation, and it happens faster with shades that are too warm or too light in coverage. Test the shade for 15 minutes before buying and go slightly cooler if it shifts.
How many shades should I try at once?
Three is enough: one that looks close, one lighter and one darker. More than that gets confusing in shop lighting.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
