Hello, and happy Monday!

I thought I’d start at the very beginning (…a very good place to start, so says Maria Von Trapp), and here in makeup-land that means color-matching your foundation to your skin. If you think about it, it’s called “foundation”, indicating that it’s what all your other makeup is built upon. If you have a weak foundation, all the rest of your makeup will look “off”. If your foundation is perfectly matched and expertly applied, your skin is a flawless, glowing canvas, allowing the rest of your makeup to really shine.

(Also, I love matching things… I’m a hopelessly matchy-matchy person. You know those people who can pull off pattern mixing like it’s no big thing? Yeah, I’m not one of those. I was the little girl who squealed with delight when her turquoise highbrow matched the turquoise part of the flowers on her shirt, which matched her turquoise shoelaces. I’m not even kidding. So matching is kind of a big deal to me. Anyway, back to makeup.)

The first thing you need to do is determine your skin’s undertone, which will either be warm or cool. If you follow us on Facebook, you will have seen that I posted an easy little step-by-step guide to help you figure out your undertone. (If you don’t follow us on Facebook, what are you waiting for? DO IT NOW!)

Once you have decoded your skin’s secret undertone (maybe a tad dramatic, but it can act like a code: if you get it wrong, everything else will be wrong too), you are all set to begin the color-matching process. We have handy color-matching kits that include several samples of foundation in various shades and undertones.

Pop over there and check them out… they’re grouped by shade (light, medium, or dark) and each contains both cool and warm-toned foundations. The great thing about these kits is that they come with a travel-sized kabuki brush (so cute!) and a coupon code for TEN DOLLARS OFF your foundation purchase. So even though you’re paying for the sample kit, you’re getting $17 worth of freebies and discounts. Totally worth it!

Now that you have your undertone figured out and your sample kit in hand, let’s dive right into the matching process, shall we? I’ll show you exactly how to do it in a step-by-step video!

First, wash and moisturize your face, and wait about 10-15 minutes for your skin to dry and return to its most normal state (scrubbing can stimulate blood flow, temporarily skewing your coloring). Then, find an area with a lot of indirect natural light; this will give you the truest color.

Next, hold up each baggie to your jawline and set aside the ones that are obvious “no’s”. Once you’ve narrowed it down to about three “maybes”, it’s time to start matching!

Pour out a pea-sized amount onto a plate and swirl your brush around in it, being sure to coat the brush really well- don’t just leave the foundation sitting on top of the bristles. Buff it into a quarter-sized area on your jawline. Now wipe your brush off on a dry paper towel and repeat with your other “maybe” colors, putting each one next to the other so you can compare. What you’re looking for is the makeup that disappears into your skin without an obvious line where it the makeup ends. Once you’ve found The One (cue the Hallelujah Chorus), mark the baggie so you remember it (!!) , and get thee over to the store and order that bad boy straight away! (Don’t forget to use the coupon that came with your sample kit!)

And now for the fun part: we’re giving away one foundation matching kit to one lucky reader! To enter, visit us on Facebook and follow the Giveaway instructions!

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Next week’s Makeup Monday post will be about mineral foundation application techniques. You should have your foundation by then so you can follow along; I’ll show you three different types of applying your brand spankin’ new foundation to get the look that’s best for you.

See you next week!

~Rosanna