By Monica Perry, Allure
I once tested 17 brands of foundation—three shades each—in the course of one hour, hoping to find one that would complement my warm undertones and oily skin. (Reminder: I work at Allure.) It was a tedious, messy, and skin-irritating process, but I emerged victorious: Finally, I'd found the one formula that created the illusion of clear, flawless skin. Then, an hour later, my face was so ashy that I looked like I'd treated myself to a powdered-donut facial. (That's not, for the record, the weirdest facial I've ever heard of.) That's when I learned that foundation oxidizes, and on dark skin, that means it can look especially chalky and ghostlike. I turned to the pros to find out how to cope.
[post_ads]"Makeup oxidation is a reaction that happens when makeup shifts color due to exposure to oil, change in pH, or other chemicals that it might come in contact with," explains cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, who's also the founder of beautystat.com. "Body chemistry can play a role here, too." Because of this, your makeup can turn darker, yellowish, orange, or ashy or white depending on your skin tone. Here are five ways to avoid this weird makeup phenomenon:
Don't just swatch-test your foundation. Find your undertone (cool, meaning red or pink; warm, so yellow or olive; or neutral). "If someone has a very yellow undertone—green or olive—you want to use something that has a little warmth to the foundation because they'll go ashy if you put yellow base on them," says Ashunta Sheriff, a makeup artist who has worked with Taraji P. Henson and Alicia Keys.
Pay attention to expiration dates. All beauty products have a shelf life, and just like food, when they expire, they begin to deteriorate. Most products have either a clear expiration date printed on the bottle or a code signifying the date it expires. If you don't see either, just keep track of when you purchased the product. Foundation can last for about 6 to 12 months, concealer for about one to two years (depending on the texture), and powder for up to two years.
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Prep your skin properly before applying makeup. "For me, it's all about priming skin," says makeup artist Janice Kinjo, whose clients include Uzo Aduba, Mindy Kaling, and Mary J. Blige. "So if someone tends to be oily, I'll use Black Up Perfect Mattifying Primer, which helps their makeup last throughout the day. Priming is very, very important because it helps hold makeup on top of your skin as opposed to allowing it to settle in as the day goes by."
Avoid foundation and moisturizers that contain zinc oxide. The compound, often found in products containing sunscreen, can lighten foundation, causing an ashy effect.
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Try a foundation one shade lighter than your skin tone. "When picking a foundation, always educate yourself on the brand and how many shades the product will actually oxidize, as each foundation runs on a different technology," says Lilit Caradanian, a makeup artist and the founder of Elcie. "The key is to know if it oxidizes instantly or hours later. In general, it's always best to go a shade lighter, which will give you room to bronze and contour, should you need to darken your face."
[post_ads]"Makeup oxidation is a reaction that happens when makeup shifts color due to exposure to oil, change in pH, or other chemicals that it might come in contact with," explains cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, who's also the founder of beautystat.com. "Body chemistry can play a role here, too." Because of this, your makeup can turn darker, yellowish, orange, or ashy or white depending on your skin tone. Here are five ways to avoid this weird makeup phenomenon:
Don't just swatch-test your foundation. Find your undertone (cool, meaning red or pink; warm, so yellow or olive; or neutral). "If someone has a very yellow undertone—green or olive—you want to use something that has a little warmth to the foundation because they'll go ashy if you put yellow base on them," says Ashunta Sheriff, a makeup artist who has worked with Taraji P. Henson and Alicia Keys.
Pay attention to expiration dates. All beauty products have a shelf life, and just like food, when they expire, they begin to deteriorate. Most products have either a clear expiration date printed on the bottle or a code signifying the date it expires. If you don't see either, just keep track of when you purchased the product. Foundation can last for about 6 to 12 months, concealer for about one to two years (depending on the texture), and powder for up to two years.
[post_ads_2]
Prep your skin properly before applying makeup. "For me, it's all about priming skin," says makeup artist Janice Kinjo, whose clients include Uzo Aduba, Mindy Kaling, and Mary J. Blige. "So if someone tends to be oily, I'll use Black Up Perfect Mattifying Primer, which helps their makeup last throughout the day. Priming is very, very important because it helps hold makeup on top of your skin as opposed to allowing it to settle in as the day goes by."
Avoid foundation and moisturizers that contain zinc oxide. The compound, often found in products containing sunscreen, can lighten foundation, causing an ashy effect.
[post_ads_2]
Try a foundation one shade lighter than your skin tone. "When picking a foundation, always educate yourself on the brand and how many shades the product will actually oxidize, as each foundation runs on a different technology," says Lilit Caradanian, a makeup artist and the founder of Elcie. "The key is to know if it oxidizes instantly or hours later. In general, it's always best to go a shade lighter, which will give you room to bronze and contour, should you need to darken your face."
