How to Find Your Perfect True Match Foundation Shade

When it comes to finding your perfect foundation match, the struggle can be very real. But we have a solution. Rather than filling up your arm with several shade swatches or just guessing which foundation is suitable based on your skin tone, we know a few shade-matching methods that actually work. They all start with choosing a foundation that offers a range across a variety of skin tones and undertones.

L’Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Makeup offers 47 true-to-you shades that precisely match your skin tone and work with your skin’s texture for flawless results. With that many shades, there’s a match for everyone, and to help you find yours we’re sharing tips on how to determine your undertone. Whether you're using a foundation shade finder or your amateur eye, you’ll be able to find your foundation shade in this vast collection. 

Don’t worry, it’s simpler than it sounds. Keep reading to find out more about selecting your best True Match Super-Blendable Foundation color. 

How to Find Your Undertone

While most people probably already have an inkling of what their skin tone is, the same can’t always be said for undertones. The difference between the two is that your skin tone refers to your overall complexion, whereas undertone refer to the colors that come through your complexion and affect its overall hue. To easily determine your undertone try one of these two methods below:

Look at the Color Of Your Veins

Look at the inside of your arm. If your veins appear blue or purple, you’re cool-toned, while green veins indicate warm-toned skin. If you’re not sure or you see a mix of blue and green, you may have neutral undertones.

Try the Paper Check

This method is bizarre — we’ll be the first to admit it — but we’ve seen it work. Hold a white piece of paper up to your skin. The white should create a cast of color on your skin. If your face suddenly appears more pink or blue, your undertones are cool, and if you give off a more yellowish hue, you’re warm. If your skin seems gray, you have neutral undertones. 

How to Find Your True Match Foundation Shade

Once you’ve determined your undertone, then you can move on to your skin tone. True Match Super-Blendable Foundation has shades that satisfy warm, cool, and neutral undertones, with colors ranging from fair to deep. 

As we mentioned, cool undertones appear in your complexion as hints of blue or pink and will be categorized as C in True Match Super-Blendable Foundation. Warm undertones appear more yellow or golden and appear as W in True Match Super-Blendable Foundation. If your undertones are neutral, which means you have a mix of warm and cool undertones, this will appear as N in True Match Super-Blendable Foundation. 

True Match Super-Blendable Foundation is also categorized into five depth categories: deep, medium deep, medium, light medium and light. Look for the shade that matches the depth of your skin with the corresponding undertone. For example, if you have medium deep skin with warm undertones, look at the warm shades in the medium deep category — W9, W8 and W7 — for the shade that best matches your skin tone. 

True Match Foundation Shades by Undertone

Once you know your undertone and depth category, here are the exact shades you have to choose from. 

Warm

Deep: W10.5, W10, W9.5

Medium Deep: W9, W8, W7

Medium: W6.5, W6, W5.5, W5

Light Medium: W4.5, W4, W3, W2.5

Light: W2, W1, W0.5

Cool

Deep: C12, C11, C10, C9.5, C9

Medium Deep: C8, C7

Medium: C6, C5

Light Medium: C4, C3, C2.5

Light: C2, C1.5, C1, C0.5

Neutral

Deep: N11, N10

Medium Deep: N9, N8, N7

Medium: N6, N5.5, N5

Light Medium: N4, N3

Light: N2, N1, N0.5

How to Color Match Your Foundation

We recommend testing out a few shades to find your best match. Below are a few helpful tips you can use to find the right one. 

1. Test On Your Chest

Just eyeing the foundation in the package to find your shade will not work. After all, you won’t know how something will look until you see it on your skin. Play it safe and swatch a few shades by applying some foundation to the jawlines. If you do want to test on your face, also try an area that has dark spots so that you know that the shade you’re choosing will cover those blemishes and also blend with your complexion seamlessly. Many pros advise that you test on the jawline and the middle of the neck to make sure you'll get an even color on both.

Since our faces and necks can be several different colors all over, due to sun exposure, hyperpigmentation, and more, those areas can sometimes be tough for an exact shade match. The other option is the chest area, which will often reflect your undertones better and give you the right hue for an overall even skin tone that also matches your body.  

2. Test Under Different Lighting

Be sure to look at your swatch under different lighting before doing your entire face. And don’t just rely on your bathroom lights, be sure to test out your foundation in natural lighting as well to get a sense of what it will look like when you’re spending time outside. 

3. Use a Virtual Foundation Try-On Tool

If you’re unable to test our foundation shades in the store try out the L’Oréal Paris Virtual Makeup Try-On Tool, which allows you to try shades from any of the L’Oréal Paris foundation lines. That’s more than 100 shades you can test right from the comfort of your home. All you have to do is upload a selfie or click on the live try-on button on the virtual foundation shade finder, which will automatically connect to your phone or computer’s camera. It's best that you test with a clean, makeup-free face so that you get the best possible match for your actual complexion.

How to Color Match Your Foundation in the Summer and Winter

Depending on the season, your foundation match might change. You may be lighter in the winter because of less sun exposure and darker in the summer if you tan. Luckily, True Match Super-Blendable Foundation makes it very easy to discover your summer and winter shades. In the summer, if your skin gets deeper and more golden in color, go for one shade darker than your normal shade and choose one with a warm undertone. So for example, if your go-to shade is N5.5, N6 could be a good summer match because it’s a bit darker. In the winter, N5 could be a nice shade match because it has a neutral undertone and it’s lighter than your summer shade. 

How to Apply the True Match Super-Blendable Makeup

Once you have your foundation color match picked, you won’t want to waste any time putting it to use. Check out these quick and easy steps to add True Match Super-Blendable Foundation to your makeup routine.

Step 1. Start off by applying a primer, like the L’Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Pore Minimizer, to create a smooth and even base for your foundation. A thin layer can make all the difference in how your makeup lasts and looks — smoothing lines, concealing pores, and minimizing redness. 

Step 2. Next, use a damp makeup blender to buff your foundation, working from the center of your face, outward. Follow up with concealer like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Full Wear Concealer up to 24H Full Coverage to mask blemishes or add more coverage. Additionally, choose one that’s two shades lighter to highlight the face or two shades deeper to contour. 

Step 3. To keep your foundation locked in place, be sure to finish with setting spray or powder. The L’Oréal Paris True Match Powder comes in more than 30 color options to match your super blendable liquid foundation shade. Grab a powder brush and lightly dust it across your entire face to set it. 

Next: Concealer Application 101: Where to Put Concealer

Photographer: Nelson Huang, Art Director: Hannah Packer, Producer: Becca Solovay, Beauty Content Director: Shalwah Evans, Visual Designer: Sarah Duvivier, Wardrobe Stylist: Alexis Badiyi, Wardrobe Assistant: Jazmine Alzado, Makeup Artist: Jonet Williamson, Hair Stylist: Akihisa Yamaguchi, Digi Tech: Jacky Jiang, Photo Assistant: Tyler Andrews, Model: Mecca Allah