For every redhead with porcelain & sensitive skin, you know the feeling when you find the right shade of foundation — it is basically like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Shopping for the perfect foundation for redheads can take a little bit of work and some time in the department store or drugstore, but how do you find the truest shade that perfectly matches your skin? Which foundations are the best for redheads?
Here are 5 tips to keep in mind when searching for a foundation:
1. The best foundation looks like you aren’t wearing one. Your skin should glow, look natural and not cover up your beautiful freckles. The truest foundation will disappear once applied to your skin, and when nicely blended. It won’t leave any obvious lines of different coloring, enhance pores or look heavy on your skin.
2. When shopping for foundation, from my experience, department stores can be the best because professional makeup artists at the counter will help you pick out the perfect shade and you can try them out until you’ve found the ideal shade. If you’re a redhead who has had trouble with professional makeup artists in the past, test and try products on your own! Whether at a department store or drugstore, use this mental checklist:
Does the foundation completely disappear?
Are there no signs of lines on the jawline?
Is there not a difference in color from the foundation and your skin?
If the answer is ‘yes,’ then you’ve probably found your match!
3. Natural daylight (NOT artificial store lights) is the biggest test when shopping for the right foundation. Take a handheld mirror, go outside or near a doorway and check if you see different coloring or obvious lines.
4. Have you noticed that your foundation turns orange? Just when you think you’ve found the right shade, it turns 1 or 2 shades darker and becomes an orange tone. This is known as oxidation or foundation oxidizing. It doesn’t mean that any particular brand of the foundation is bad. Foundation oxidizes and turns to a different color if: the bottle stays open for too long, if the skin isn’t moisturized enough, foundation components and if the foundation is too old.
5. Before you apply foundation, make sure to thoroughly clean the skin, moisturize, apply a primer and properly blend or buff the foundation.
Now that you know the basic tips about foundation, here are some of my favorite save or splurge ‘redhead friendly’ foundations:
1. SAVE: Rimmel Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation, True Ivory, $6. This foundation competes with the high-end foundations purely because it leaves a dewy finish that’s lightweight.
2. SAVE: Maybelline’s Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Foundation, $5. Maybelline’s foundation has been a favorite of ours for months. It provides such natural coverage and doesn’t feel heavy. Let your freckles shine through!
3. SAVE: L’Oréal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation, $8. Its formula is really long-lasting and provides full coverage, especially for those under-eye circles.
4. SAVE: Revlon ColorStay Makeup, $8. This foundation is perfect for those redheads out there with combination/oily skin. It controls excess oil and will not rub off throughout the day.
5. SPLURGE: tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation, $49. Full-coverage, bendable, weightless and contains UVA/UVB SPF 15. What more could a redhead need?
7. SPLURGE: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, $35. Offers medium-to-full coverage with a matte finish. The best part? The line offers 50 shades, including 17 fair to medium skin tones.
Which foundation is your favorite? Rock it like a Redhead!
