BY NICOLE SEE
Ever been excited to use your newly-purchased foundation, only to find out it’s a few shades darker than your actual skin tone?
We’ve all been there — at some point in our make-up-wearing lives, but don’t go tossing out your too-dark foundation just yet! I’m sharing with you a few simple tricks on how you can still make it work.
Purchase a white foundation
Certain cosmetic brands have come out with their own versions of a white foundation. The purpose of the white foundation is exactly so that people can customize the shade of other existing foundations they have. This tip however actually requires you to make another purchase, so if you prefer to just use what you have on hand, then read on for some other tips.
Mix it in with your favorite moisturizer
Turn it into a tinted moisturizer by adding a drop or two of the foundation into your favorite daytime moisturizer. The coverage is sheered out by the moisturizer, so the finished product will still be forgiving even if you end up with a less-than-perfect shade match.
Use it as a liquid bronzer or contour
Liquid and cream contouring is all the rage nowadays, so why not use your too-dark foundation for this purpose? For a more natural look, apply the darker foundation only around the perimeters of your face , concentrating on the areas where you would normally contour. Blend using a dampened beauty sponge for a seamless finish.
Mix it in with a lighter foundation
I’ll let you in on a little secret — before I got a foundation that is too dark, I’ve also purchased one that is too light! If you have saved your too-light foundation, then this is the perfect opportunity to use it!
Make a little foundation cocktail by mixing in both to get your perfect shade. Mix a little of each together, eyeball the resulting shade, then add a little more as you go along. If you have a mixing palette where you can combine the foundations in, then that would be best. If you don’t, then the back of your hand works just as well.
Save it for the summer
If you’ve got other foundations on hand that work for you anyway, then you can opt to use those instead and just store this in the meantime. Foundations typically have a shelf life of up to 24 months, so youcan still save this for when you’re a little bit more tan. Lucky for us, we live in a perpetual summer in the Philippines and are bound to get some sun!
Not sure where to start? Put these tricks to the test and find all your makeup essentials right here!