Last Updated on June 18, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti
How many times have you bought the wrong foundation shade? If you’re anything like me,, too many to count. When I first started getting into makeup, I didn’t have much of a choice. I was a broke teen and none of the foundations at the drugstore were available in light shades that matched my skintone. I always had to get a darker shade. It wasn’t a big problem in winter, when I wore high-neck sweaters.
But in the summer? I’d have to go barefaced or look like I’m wearing a mask. But even when I finally had more money to invest in a pricier foundation, I would still often end up purchasing the wrong pale shade. Awful lights in the shops, had something to do with it, but it wasn’t the main reason… I was trying on foundation shades in all the wrong places… So where should you match your foundation to get the best results?
- Why Foundation Matching Is So Damn Confusing
- Should You Match Your Foundation To Your Inner Wrist?
- Should You Match Your Foundation To Your Jawline?
- Should You Match Your Foundation To Your Neck?
- Should You Match Your Foundation To Your Chest?
- Do You Need Different Shades For Winter And Summer?
- Should You Match In Natural Light Or Store Lighting?
- Can You Fix The Wrong Shade With Other Products?
- The Bottom Line
Why Foundation Matching Is So Damn Confusing
Let’s just say it: matching foundation is a minefield. Between undertones, overtones, oxidation, and brands that seem to think “beige” is a universal shade, it’s no wonder most of us are out here with a drawer full of wrong colours. One big reason this happens? We’re told to match it somewhere on our body, but no one agrees where. And most of the time, we’re not even told why that spot matters. Just “test it here” and hope for the best. So we end up trusting SAs, YouTubers, or our own gut and still walk away with a foundation that makes us look orange, grey, or straight-up ghostly.
Related: How To Determine Your Skin’s Undertone
Should You Match Your Foundation To Your Inner Wrist?
For years, I tried foundation shades on my inner wrist. It was what everyone else was doing. Heck, even the SAs I asked for help to would gently grab my wrist and test the foundation there. *shakes head* Must have been the right way, I thought. And yet, when you think about it, it doesn’t make much sense. Look at your inner wrist. Is it the same colour as your face? Nope. Mine is an even paler shade than my face and has stronger yellow undertones. That led me to choose foundations who had strong yellow undertones too, so no wonder they didn’t look good on me! Duh!
Should You Match Your Foundation To Your Jawline?
I next matched my foundation to my jawline. The reasoning behind this is simple. If you pick a shade that only matches your face, you’ll look like you’re wearing a mask that ends at your jawline. Ew! But while this advice has served me well in winter, it failed me in the summer. I still looked like I was wearing a mask because the rest of my body is a different colour than my face. And so, very likely, is yours. It may be darker, it may have sallower or pinker undertones, or you may have a skin condition that causes redness. By focusing on your jawline only, it’s easy to pick up the wrong shade.
Should You Match Your Foundation To Your Neck?
Did you know that your neck contains less melanocytes (the cells that produce melanin, which gives skin its colour)? Add to that that your face casts a shadow upon your neck, and it’s no wonder that this is one of the palest parts of your body. It’s often much paler than your chest. So, if you choose a foundation shade that only matches your neck, you may look ok when wearing a round collar top. But when you don a low cut top, or just slightly unbutton your shirt, you will look like you’re wearing a ghostly mask that ends at your neck! Argh! Why can’t our skin just be one colour all over?!
Should You Match Your Foundation To Your Chest?
If you live somewhere cold where you’re forced to wear turtle necks or round collar tops a lot, matching your foundation to your jawline may make sense. But even then, you’ll sometimes wear a low-cut dress, or even just a V-neck top or a blouse that’s not buttoned all the way up. Unless you want to apply your foundation to your chest, you’ll have to pick a shade that matches it. That way, your face and body will be the same colour.
Do You Need Different Shades For Winter And Summer?
Oh, and just when you think you’ve found your perfect match, bam. Summer hits, you tan two shades darker (or pinker), and now your trusty winter foundation makes you look like you’re auditioning for Twilight. It’s super common to need a different shade for different seasons. Some people even mix two shades year-round to keep up with their skin. Annoying? Yes. Avoidable? Kind of. If you’re someone whose face changes tone easily with weather or sun exposure, having a summer and winter foundation might just be the move.
Should You Match In Natural Light Or Store Lighting?
Store lighting is the devil. There, I said it. It’s either too yellow, too blue, or so dim it makes everything look like a vague beige blob. Always swatch in natural light if you can. Step outside the store, near a window, whatever. What looks like a match under fluorescent lights might make you gasp in horror in daylight. The best trick? Bring a mirror and check the swatch in natural light before buying.
Can You Fix The Wrong Shade With Other Products?
Sometimes, yeah. If you’ve got a shade that’s a little too light, bronzer can warm it up. Too dark? Mix in a drop of moisturiser or a white mixer. Too pink? A yellow-toned powder might balance it out. But these are band-aid fixes. If you constantly have to “fix” your foundation, it’s not the right match. Your base product should do most of the heavy lifting without you needing to play scientist every morning.
The Bottom Line
When choosing a new foundation shade, try and match it to your chest. That’s usually the best place to ensure you pick a shade that won’t make you look like you’re wearing a mask. However, don’t forget that we are all different. We have different skintones, different undertones and live in different places, with different climates that affects our skin colours differently. If you find that matching your foundation to your jawline works best for you, keep doing it. But if a shade picked that way has never satisfied you, try matching it to your chest next time. The result may surprise you. 🙂
I usually do jaw line ~ never thought about my chest which probably gets the same sun as my face and therefore, is probably a better match 😉
Monica.
Monica, I used to do the jaw line too, but when I tried the chest I was surprised at how easier it was to find a good match. Try it too next time you go shopping for a foundation. 🙂
I never even thought of matching it to my chest! What a good idea. I had a similar thing as you. When I was young, I did it on my wrist, then later on my jawline. Nowadays, if I’m at a makeup store where you can swatch, I usually do that on the back of my hand…
Trisha, the jawline is a much better place to test your foundation than the wrist, isn’t it? But I find the chest works even better. 🙁 I tried the back of my hand a couple of times too, but that has never worked out too well for me.
What a cool picture, I really like it! I wouldn’t match my foundation to my wrist either because skin there is thinner and shows some vein colors which will not match my face! I match my foundation to my neck, chest. I don’t match to the jaw because I wouldn’t wear foundation without brining it down to my jaw and neck anyways. I’ll first find the shade that best matches my face, then go from there. The chest is often very cool, the neck warmer (like the face) due to blood flow. For someone with very fair skin and wants to minimize the appearance of tons of freckles, I’d match his or her foundation to a shade in-between the freckles and skin. I feel like matching it to the freckles won’t match the rest of the body like the underarm or chest where there may be less sun exposure, thus less freckles. :]
If I am testing a foundation in-stores, I’ll apply it to my jawline though, not my face and then let it sit for at least fifteen minutes before judging it under sun light.
When I bronze up my face and do heavy contouring for another one of my all-out makeup looks, I always darken the neck and chest too, and make sure I get behind the ears as well. If I am doing a dramatic, yet more natural contour or bronzed look, I make sure to get my neck and chest as well, but with a lighter dusting.
Janessa, finding a good match is quite complicated, isn’t it? I find that matching foundation to the chest works better for me because that way, when I wear a low cut top or a vest, my skin is the same colour all over. But in some cases, matching it to a different body part can give better results. Oh, why can’t our skin be always the same colour all over? That would make things so much easier! lol
That would be much easier! 😛
🙂
Amazing tip, thanks! However, I still can’t decide what my undertone is. I can’t say whether my veins are blue or green, they’re just veins. 😀 I prefer wearing silver, but that’s because it suits my style. I don’t know wheter it suits ME. I have very bad blue undereye circles and tend to get pink in my face. I’m extremely pale, but my body is neither pink, nor blue, nor yellow. I just can’t distinguish the colour.
Reign, to me, it sounds like you could be neutral-toned. Most people are, me included. To be sure, try to do these tests: http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2012/02/24/are-you-cool-or-warm-how-to-determine-your-skins-undertone/
If the majority of the test results don’t fit into one category, then you are neutral toned. 🙂
I am literally sitting here with foundations swatched on my chest now. This is such a good idea!
Mayette, it’s a much better place to test your foundation, isn’t it? I was amazed by the results too when I first tried it.
I apply it to jawline to match ears.
Pat, that’s a great place to match it in summer. 🙂