Foundation is always a game of chance. Especially if you buy online.
Which shade should you choose?
Will it match to your skintone? Is it suitable for your skintype?
Is it long lasting, or does it cake? And foundation is a humble but strong base for most makeup looks, so choosing one is probably one of the most stressful choices to make for some of us!
So, let’s get to the point.

Foundation types

There are several types of foundation out there. The word “foundation” actually means “base” or “beginning” so it doesn’t specifically have to be a foundation product. These are popular in K-Beauty as foundation:
• Foundation
• BB Cream
• CC Cream

The difference between them is as follows:

• Foundation

The good old reliable buddy of the makeup desk. It’s fluid, generally has good coverage and can be applied in many ways such as with your fingers, a brush, with a cushion or with a beauty puff/blender.

BB Cream is a favourite among the K-Beauty community, and for a very good reason. BB means “blemish balm” or “beauty balm” and is a bit of an all-in-one product. It has the nourishing power of a skincare product, the coverage of a foundation, and the sun protection of an SPF. Some like to just use this as their foundation if the coverage is enough.

CC Cream is a product that is similar to the BB Cream but with “colour correcting” properties. This helps with balancing out uneven skintone, redness, acne scars or a dull complexion. Again, if the coverage is enough, some are satisfied with just this as their makeup base.

Primer is a favourite among people with large pores or uneven skin texture as it smoothes the skin out and gives an air-brushed finish.

This adds extra coverage for blemishes, scars, panda eyes or anything else that is still visible even with foundation.

This helps set the foundation, prolonging how long it stays and lasts. Setting powder is especially popular with people with oily skin (like me!).

Like the setting powder, but in spray form. It keeps makeup in place for longer. This is especially popular with people with dry skin because it’s less likely to show dry areas as opposed to a setting powder.

If you want to get the best from a foundation, it’s best to make sure that you’re choosing a foundation for your skin type.

• Oily skin: a foundation that is oil free and boasts of a matte finish is for you. If you really want a dewy finish then be careful that your foundation doesn’t start to cake.

• Dry skin: an oil based foundation that boasts moisturising properties is more suited. Remember to shake the foundation a little beforehand in case the oil separates itself from any other ingredients!
TIP: If your skin is very dry and your makeup starts to suffer, a facial mist can help hydrate and prevent makeup from getting flaky. Just spray it lightly directly onto your face and touch up makeup if needed. I’ve heard this trick helps a lot of folks with extremely dry skin!

• Acne prone skin: an oil free foundation with good coverage is a good choice. Whether you want a dewy or matte finish is completely up to you!

• Combination skin: a foundation that moisturises and also has oil control is ideal. If you want a dewy complexion that’s absolutely fine, just take care to know how much excess sebum your skin makes. I’d personally recommend a semi-matte finish if you’re a 50/50 type to make the most of both dry and oily areas.

• Mature skin: a light foundation that moisturises and doesn’t settle into fine lines and wrinkles is a better option.

Shopping around and reading reviews can really help you reach a decision and figure out what a foundation can do for you.

Choosing a foundation for your skintone

There are, roughly speaking, 3 skin undertones that we fit into:
• Warm: also known as yellow undertone
• Cool: also known as pink undertone
• Neutral: a skin undertone somewhere in between warm and cool

It can be tricky to figure out which one you are. I, for example, figured it out when I noticed how yellow undertoned foundation made me look really beige in the face, and I mean unnaturally yellow beige. I’m cool or pink undertoned. If you’re warm or yellow undertoned and feel that your foundation makes you look grey, you could be using a foundation meant for pink or cool undertoned people.

Contouring is popular these days in all countries, and the K-Beauty enthusiasts have also been bitten by the hype bug. In my opinion, contouring isn’t necessary to look pretty or have amazing makeup. I never contour and I’m still happy with how my makeup turns out. However, if you’d rather contour, it’s important to note that like the rest of the logic behind K-Beauty, contouring is very minimal and subtle in comparison to the western style. In Korea, it’s popular to have a smaller, more delicate looking face. As a result, the contouring style used there is specifically designed to make a small and delicate looking face.