Many make-up artists agree that most Thai women use the wrong foundation colour. The reason for this common mistake is rather straightforward: these ladies want paler skin and believe that coating their faces in a light-hued foundation will give them a lighter skin colour.
Using the wrong foundation colour not only looks odd, but it has the effect of ruining a person’s entire make-up, explained Premyuda Thongon, a Boots Brands make-up consultant. “In my experience, about half of the women who come in to buy a foundation end up choosing the wrong colour for their skin. Thai women seem to like lighter tones and do not really consider whether the colour matches their original skin tone.”
Another problem is that many women do not try the product before buying it, mostly because they come to the store with a face already covered in make-up. “It can be difficult to try a foundation if your face already has make-up on it, and testing it on an arm is not recommended because the skin tone is not the same. What I usually suggest is that they remove some make-up from the jaw line and test the product on that area because it’s not so obvious,” said Premyuda, adding that you should always try a foundation before you buy it as there are so many variations in colour and texture which you need to get right — and you won’t be able to spot these simply by reading the label on the bottle.
When testing foundations, you will find that the right hue will “disappear” into your skin. Lighting is important and you should test your foundation in natural light as this will give you the best indication of whether it matches your skin tone. If you’re standing under artificial lighting in a shop, head towards a window through which natural light enters.
It can, however, be very time-consuming to test all the different brands and colours on the market. But now matching devices are being made available at beauty stores such as Boots and Sephora to help make the quest for the best match as hassle-free as possible.
Boots recently introduced a Foundation Match Made Service using a hand-held device that assesses the exact tone of the customer’s skin in minutes to determine skin-true shades. The device precisely measures four values related to the hue of one’s skin: saturation, intensity, colour and tone. This can all be done in just a minute.
Interestingly, in a specially commissioned study by make-up brand No. 7, 78% of women said they would change their current foundation if they could find a better colour match. The research also revealed that women take almost six years to find the perfect shade of foundation to cater to their needs. That means six years of wearing the wrong foundation on hot dates, special occasions and other, never-to-be-repeated big moments!
An expert beauty advisor will start by removing a small amount of make-up from both sides of the client’s face, just above the jaw line, and will then hold the Match Made device against the skin for a few seconds. The device will measure the exact colour of the skin in just seconds so that it can be matched to one of the specially developed foundation shades. The beauty advisor will then help you find the right range for your skin. Two thirds of clients follow the advice they are given, we were told.
Apart from choosing the right colour, picking a foundation with a texture that best suits your skin also matters. Oily skin does not go well with heavy, shiny foundation, while a matt foundation can make dry skin look even drier. For the duration of the current rainy season, a matt texture makes more sense since the daytime humidity makes most people’s skin look a little oily.
The advice from Premyuda is that if you really want to make your facial skin appear paler that it is, choose a foundation that is a shade lighter than your real skin, but always use loose powder of the exact same colour as your natural skin tone. “Only apply the powder lightly to your face in order to avoid that cakey effect. A translucent finish is better than heavy powder. Never reapply pressed powder during the course of the day because it will give your face a streaky look. Loose powder does a better job at covering up shine and controlling oil.”
Another thing to consider is how to wash it all off at the end of the day. Long-lasting foundation can leave stubborn residues on the skin. “Only apply a small amount of make-up to begin with, as too much makes you look too plastic anyway. Find a good cleansing oil and gently massage it into the skin with a circular motion. Never rub it in too harshly as that can damage the skin, and you will need more make-up to cover that [damage] up.”
No. 7 match made.
Mind the gap
Traditional moisturisers can break down after being applied to the skin, resulting in gaps that allow moisture to evaporate, creating dry patches that leave the skin looking dull. Jergens recently launched an illuminating Hydralucence blend which, it claims, can eliminate dullness and dryness by creating a continuous layer of moisture on the skin. "This unique technology prevents hydration loss with a uniform moisture barrier." The smooth surface then powerfully reflects light, for more luminous skin. Reveal your skin’s beauty like you’ve never seen before, simply by moisturising.
Get rid of redness
Sensitive skin is characterised by a tendency to be prone to redness. With ageing, this redness accentuates the loss of complexion uniformity and adds to wrinkles and loss of firmness. Building on this expertise, La Roche-Posay laboratories have developed a formula for sensitive skin highly concentrated in vitamin C, a recognised reference in anti-ageing for its efficacy to even out the complexion. It helps stimulate collagen production to reduce the look of deep wrinkles and fill in the dermal mattress. Skin firmness is improved, fine lines are faded and deep wrinkles corrected.
