We Aim To Slay

One of the most frustrating aspects of wearing makeup is picking the correct foundation shade to match your skin. Years ago I came across the Temptalia Foundation Matrix and it has been my secret weapon to correctly matching foundation shades – no matter the time of year!

As a mixed-background, woman of color, I struggle to find a foundation shade that will match my skintone, especially because the time of year plays such a significant role in what my skin looks like. I was real lazy this winter, and simply stopped using foundation as my go to, the Clinique Stay Matte Oil Free or the Clinique Even Better SPF 15, is the perfect match for my skin in the summertime – when I spend nearly every possible moment out in the sunshine. 

Let’s Get Started!

When you first open the Foundation Matrix – linked above for your ease – it will ask if you have an existing account. Establishing an account isn’t necessary to take the quiz, but it will allow you to save your results, and input information about the foundation brands and shades you’re currently using. You can also start a new quiz by selecting “Match by Skin Tone.” 

What is your primary undertone? 

The first step is to determine what your undertones are! You will be presented with the six primary undertones – Pink, Peach, Neutral, Olive, Yellow, and Red – and a brief description of each to help you pick the correct choice. Not sure how to determine your undertones? Check your wrist! If the veins look more blue or purple then you most likely have cool undertones. If your veins look more green, then you most likely have warm undertones. If after looking at your wrist you are still unsure, you most likely have neutral undertones.

How Strong is Your Undertone? 

After selecting your primary undertone (mine is olive), it will ask how strong your undertones are – do they lean more cool? Neutral? Warm? While my veins tend to look more greenish (olive undertones), they still look quite blue, so my undertones tend to be more neutral.

What is Your Skin Tone? 

At this point, the Matrix will present photos of Fenty Beauty Foundation, and asks you to select the shade that looks most similar to your skin tone. Depending on the time of year, I fall in the “Light Tan” to “Deep Tan” range, so I’ll select the tones that most closely match my skin for the season. For the purposes of this post, I’ll be matching my summer tones.

What Matches are you Looking for? 

Now that the Matrix has a good understanding of what range of shades to offer, it will ask if you want to “Match by Formula” or “View All Matches”. Selecting “Match by Formula” will bring you back to the Matrix homepage, where you can enter or select the brand you like best. Selecting “View All Matches,” brings you to a large list of the foundations that have been tested and reviewed by the Temptalia team. 

Each suggestion lists price, finish, coverage level, and what end of your range that product is selected for; for example, the first item that came up on my results was the Giorgio Armani Power Fabric + Longwear Matte Concealer, which Temptalia explains is recommended for tan and deep tan skin tones with olive undertones. 

What Do You Think?

How do you prefer to select foundations? And, if you have tried the Foundation Matrix, what did you think of it? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great rest of your week, and remember to SLAY!