I was suffering from another bout of an impulse shopping disorder last week as I entered the makeup store involuntarily. A sense of calm relief washed over me as I sat down at MAC and let the makeup artist create magic with her wand before deciding what to buy. I found myself blubbering my deepest, darkest secrets — like the time I fed Sharanya’s cactus orange juice...for a month. (In my defence, she’s really rude, and I got plant revival mixture later so I’m sure I didn’t kill her stupid cactus). I told her about all the times I fibbed to get out of yoga class, gym class, my grandma’s force-feeding paratha sessions…
So anyway, my point being — it’s therapeutic. Getting your face done, knowing that you have perfect plumpy lips and your mascara is clump-free with that seemingly effortless glow. It makes you feel things. And say things. No luxurious painting and pampering session, however, prepared me for the fact that the woman doing my face was using the completely wrong shade of foundation for my skin tone and I looked like the petite (still more sensible) version of Donald Trump’s orange face.
Mascaras come and go. Highlighters entice you with their May-to-December romances, and yes, while you might step out with a wild lip sometimes — foundation is the one product you bring home. But let’s face it. The one you’re wearing is probably the wrong shade, and not even your closest friend or boyfriend will alert you to this fact, EVEN IF you ask them point blank, “Does my makeup look strange?”
Whether you’re in a drugstore spaced-out and staring at plastic bottles trying to figure out if you’re a ‘sandy beige’ or ‘warm honey’ or at Sephora with judgmental sales associates planking a foundation too heavy for your sensitive skin, finding the perfect fit turns into a harrowing experience. (What does ‘semi-matte’ even mean? Isn’t that just medium-sheer? IDK LIFE!) More often than not, you’re left with a lighter wallet, trauma and a foundation that’s not right.
Quick advice as far as shade matches go: If you’re light-skinned, which means anywhere in the fair-to-medium category — the world is pretty much your oyster. (Unless you’re blueish white pale, then the world is your oyster only when you’re sunburnt). If you’re someone with reddish brown or dark brown skin, save yourself time and go to NARS, MAC or IMAN.
The trick is, walk into natural light and check if the swipe of foundation on your neck (mantra: not arm, not face) has vanished. That’s the clear winner. NEVER trust store lighting and always follow the five-minute rule. Apply it, give the liquid a few minutes to ‘bake’ and come back to check the colour of the foundation. Five minutes is a foundation lifetime.
Once you’ve found the perfect fit, put a ring on it, stick to it and call it a day. Also, don’t forget to buy five spare bottles in case they go out of stock!