How to match your foundation shade, a professional's guide

A shade match that reads perfectly in daylight, holds under studio lights and doesn't drift by lunchtime, that's the target. These are the steps our team walks through every day. You can do the same at home in ten minutes.

1. 01

   Test in daylight, never under a bathroom bulb

   Bulbs skew warm or cool, which is exactly the mistake you're trying to avoid. Take swatches to a north-facing window or step outside. If a shade only looks right under one light source, it's not the right shade.

2. 02

   Swatch on your jaw, not your wrist

   The skin on your inner wrist is a different tone from your face and neck. Swatch three candidate shades in a vertical stripe from cheek to jaw. The one that disappears is yours.

3. 03

   Match to your neck, not your face

   A foundation that lifts brighter than your neck looks like a mask on camera. If your face has caught more sun than your chest, match down, the base has to belong to the whole head.

4. 04

   Identify your undertone before you commit

   Cool (pink/red/blue), warm (yellow/golden/peach), or neutral. Our HD Foundation is built across ten global undertones so there's a genuine neutraliser for each, not a compromise.

5. 05

   Wait five minutes before deciding

   Foundation oxidises slightly on contact with skin. The swatch that looked right at minute one can shift by minute five. Give it time before you buy.

Between two shades? Layer them

One of the professional shortcuts: buy the two closest shades and mix on the back of your hand. Skin isn't uniform, and neither are seasons. A summer-and-winter pair is often a smarter investment than one 'perfect' shade.

“If you can see the foundation, the shade is wrong. That's the whole test.”

Still not sure?

Upload a selfie to the Shade Finder and we'll do the reading for you, or order the Foundation Trial Kit for three shades to test at home in real light, on real skin.