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When it comes to foundation, matte makeup excels for its ability to cover up blemishes and smooth out uneven skin tones. But the wrong shade, or a faulty application, may give your face a fake, mask-like look. Avoid this major makeup no-no by knowing what to look for before you make the trek out to the beauty store. Once you get to know your skin color intimately, you’ll spend way less time trying on every shade in the makeup aisle and more time taking on the world with your fierce, flawless face.
1.
Find out whether your skin’s warm or cool by looking at it in natural light against a white T-shirt. Usually, dark brown skin is warm-toned (meaning it has golden or yellow undertones), but if it seems to have a pink or blue tint to it, you might be cool-toned.
2.
Select a few different shades of makeup to try on. They should all share your skin’s undertones. For example, if you’re warm-skinned, pick shades that have a golden base and look for warm descriptive words such as honey, caramel, cappuccino, tawny and chocolate.
3.
Pick a color that seems to match your skin in lightness. Obviously, a light golden brown may work for your fair, warm-skinned friends, but you’ll need something darker for your skin.
4.
Test the shades you’ve picked out by swiping them along your jawline. Compare two or three at a time by placing them close together on your skin. Whichever one matches your skin color, covers blemishes and doesn’t make your complexion look ashy is probably the one for you.
5.
Test your best pick one more time on your cheekbones or forehead, where your skin’s likely to be lighter. If it still matches, you’ve found the perfect matte makeup for you.
