1. Shade
With so many foundations and even more shades, sometimes finding your foundation shade can have you STRESSED AF. But have no fear, NYX Professional Makeup is here! It's easier than ever to find your shade with just a click of a button. Try out, Ultimate Shade Finder, your personal foundation match maker that analyzes your skin tone and finds your ultimate match by just taking a selfie video! Here's the tea, its algorithm is powered by a database of 22,000 skin tones so it’s totally customized, and you can be confident that you'll find your best match!
Pro tip:
The best way to know if your foundation shade is a perfect match is if it matches your neck! Try to always apply your foundation (and any other face product like blush, contour, and highlight) in good lighting. That way you can make sure you're blended in all lighting throughout the day or night!
Undertone 101
So what's an undertone? An undertone is the color beneath your natural skin tone - and there are three undertones - warm, neutral, and cool. Usually if your skin is yellowish or golden, you're warm, if it's pink, red or bluish you're cool, and if it's a mixture of both warm and cool, you're neutral. You can also use the color of your veins as a guide; if they're blue/purple you're cool, if they're green/yellow you're warm, and if they're a mix, you're probably neutral.
You can also check out our foundation color wheels below that include all shades and corresponding undertones!
2. Coverage
Just like you, skin types vary a lot. You could be dry, oily, blemish prone, red, or a combination. You could have scars you wear proudly and ones you want to cover. If you don’t know where to start, here’s an overview of our foundations and what to expect. And a feel good fyi—they’re all totally vegan!
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Full Coverage Foundation is all about full coverage. Known as the ‘Holy Grail Pick’ it’s long-lasting, sweat proof, and gives a matte finish. Try a hydrating primer like Plump Right Back with electrolytes to complement and add moisture.
Total Control Pro Drop Foundation gives medium coverage and is buildable—making it perfect for combination skin or day to night. It finishes satin smooth and its dropper allows for precision delivery of exactly what you need.
Bare With Me Tint Foundation is our new addition for an instantly blurred and smooth complexion with buildable, medium coverage. With these 24 diverse shades, 12-hour hydration you can forget about imperfections and welcome skin so smooth you’ll swear it was an IG filter.
Pro Tip:
Bare With Me Concealer Serum is the overachiever of concealers. It’s not technically a foundation, but we got the inside scoop from our NYX Professional Makeup Artist Too ba who loves to use it as one. It gives lightweight medium coverage for face and body, a natural glow, and of course, does all the things a concealer does best.
3. Preference
You do you, boo! Some of us want a natural look that mimics our skin tone, while others want to be bronzed gods and goddesses or to present a pinkish hue vas fresh as a Spring Day. And maybe you want it all because every day is a chance to be someone new. We love that. Play your heart out and have fun!
Good to Know
And let’s give a shout out to the support team! Professional makeup brushes make all the difference in application. Synthetic, vegan and customized to our foundations, they’re the tools Picasso would’ve used if he were a makeup artist.
There’s the Pro Dual Fiber Foundation Brush– a soft, full brush that can be used with powders too. Lightly sweep and blend for airbrushed perfection. Then you’ve got your Total Control Drop Foundation Brush angled with a slight inward curve to get all the hard-to-reach grooves. It’s ultra-soft and flexible to take your complexion from flat to fierce. And the Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Foundation Brush is soft and dense, designed to place and blend precise amounts of pigment rich foundations. Its angled top reaches all the contours of your face for a smooth finish worthy of the ‘Holy Grail Pick’.
And because every step counts, try your own killer combos with NYX Professional Makeup serums, primers, concealers, powders and setting sprays. Each contribute another layer of gorgeousness. Start from the bottom now you’re here!