Cheat a Beat: Switching Swatch

Hi!

As I put on my “This Gal” section, I bet this is no longer new for you. I FANCY MAKEUP TOO MUCH. Let’s get into unnecessary flashback!

Started from how I amazed by my sister works on eyebrow, I swore myself, I’m going to have that thick beautiful eyebrows! That was the starting point. Then it got deeper, and I started digging to foundation, lipstick, and other-equally-important-makeup-products. Now, here I am, rejoicing my fourth year into makeup.

You bet. I’ve been into ups and downs of putting makeup. From an ashen foundation, fading eyeshadow color, smudged eyeliner, nasty eyebrows, up to many other things, you name it! Well, after four years learning, I come into conclusion… Well, here we go. Entering a Personal-Opinion-Zone, so please take this in a very chill manner. (Did I just put disclaimer over an opinion? I did. This is internet everyone!) So, back to my conclusion which is, Foundation Is The Base. I don’t think I can stress this enough, but, if you have a well-swatched foundation, your makeup will most-likely look fine. Well, makeup is actually a whole process in one, but for me, foundation takes more than fifty percent of the overall look.

Okay. Too much opening. So, before any further ado, let me share you a know how to get your perfect foundation swatch:

1. Understand The Undertone – usually, there are two undertones for skin. Warm, and cool. And which one are you, is the first thing you need to know before anything else. It’s like, this understanding is the BAE (Before Anything Else) of Switching Swatch. You can check them on your forearm while putting under the sun, and watch attentively if your forearm skin is more to yellow, or pink. If you fit the former, you are a warm-undrtonee (let’s just call them that), and the latter you are the cool-undertonee. Or you can also check the vein on your arm wrist. If the vein is blue, means you are on the cool undertone, while green vein means the opposite.

After you understand which undertonee are you, you can start looking for a foundation that share the same color as your skin. This is important! Because, the implication of having a wrong swatch will only get you an ashen foundation, too dark face, too light, or even the different skin color between face and neck.

Below, I applied one of my foundation with cool undertone (that’s a shame, because I actually love this foundie finishing 😦 ) to my skin (warm undertone). It turned my skin into kinda greyish, which is a result that we need to avoid. Foundation supposedly need to enhance your skin look, but having a wrong swatch will wash out your undertone, and give you an ashen look which is a big N O.

2. Not Too-Day – do not ever have your day wasted by having a TOO foundation. TOO much, TOO light, and TOO dark. Not Today, not any other day. Attention! Your skin, that was given by birth, is the best color that suit you. Having a lighter skin doesn’t make you prettier, and so does having a darker skin. You are prettiest with what you have right now. Well, sorry for being overly passionate to talk about this, but a stigma of I need to have a lighter foundation so I can be pretty need to be gone. It didn’t even need to be exist from the first place. So yeah, have a foundation that well blended in with your skin color. After you understand the undertone, does choosing a wrong swatch even stand a chance? It does. Because I experienced that :p

Below, I have a too light and too dark foundation that have the same undertone as mine. You don’t need to hire a magician to see the result. Simple math, too dark foundation will get your skin darker, and too light foundation will get your skin lighter. And these are still a big N O

3. A Time Well Spent is A Money Well Spent – #relatablequote. At least, for me. And for you. To buy a good foundation, you need to spent extra hella plenty a lot so much and so many time. Spare at least, three hours in minimum to look for a foundation. Me? I approximately spare seven hours to look for foundation. Don’t judge me, I take a round from department store, Watson, and drugstore, and can swatch more than seven brands before finally choose the best three.

Why does it take so much time? You can’t rush thing… in love… I mean foundation. In love of foundation, to be exact. After have some swatches on your skin (I put them under my chin or my arm wrist), you need to leave it there for hours. One hour in minimum. This is to help you how does the foundation look on your skin. What would be the matter? Here they are:

• Is it oxidized – Foundation oxidization most likely to be visible after ten to fifteen minutes. Most of oxidization cases, will turn the foundation color to darker shade.
• The Halo Effect – While swatching on the store, the foundation can be seen so pretty like ain’t no better. The reason is, because I simply believe, and you may want to join my train, that every makeup store installed Halo as their bulb. Cause, every swatches look so heavenly good on your skin, but turn totally different just right after you get out the store. No! Nu-uh, you eyes don’t play on you, the store does. And this is what I call a The Halo Effect. So, to anticipate this, you need more time, to check on the swatches on different lighting, and observe how well blended they are.

In my case, I swatch those foundations as soon as I get to the store, and spend my time have a meal as I observe the oxidization and different-light test.

4. Finishing Then You Finish – as the continuity of the point number three, you need to check on the finishing of the foundation before finally come into purchase decision. To have a perfect finishing, you need to consider your skin type, whether you have the oily or dry skin. Oily skin will match perfectly with a matte finishing, while the dry skin can have a nice glow with the dewy finish. Other than that, you can also check how the foundation feels on your skin. Is it tacky after few hours? Is it so light on your skin? Or is it feel like your skin but much better? After these, then you finish!

There you go, some helpful tips to find a perfect match! Please do note, makeup is a personal experience, and the result is purely based on the whole process, foundation alone can not give you an enhance look without a good baking, sculpting, and other supporting elements. But mark my words, a right foundation can’t go wrong (indeed)!