Is Your Foundation Too Light? Here Are 8 Ways To Fix It!

Think you found the “perfect” shade of makeup at the store, only to find out later it is not really your shade? While most foundations may look like a perfect match for your skin tone, sometimes, applying it on the entire face may present a very different picture. So, if you have faced this problem too, here are a few ways to enhance, upgrade, and refurbish your foundation to get the perfect match. Leave behind those days when you would put on your foundation in a rush, only to realize that it is too light for your skin tone.

Keep In Mind

• Lighting: Different lighting conditions can make your foundation appear differently on your skin. Therefore, when buying a foundation, check how it looks in both natural light and artificial light to ensure it matches your skin tone.
• Texture: It’s crucial to combine foundations with the same base when adjusting the shade. Mixing different formulas can cause them to separate and change the texture of the finished result.
• Formula: The foundation’s formula can have an impact on how it looks on the skin and in the bottle or container. For instance, a matte-finish foundation may look darker in the container than it does on the skin due to the lack of light reflection.
• Oxidation: Certain foundations can oxidize when exposed to air, making the skin they are applied to look darker or warmer than it does in the bottle or package. To get an idea, swatch the mixed foundation on your jawline or neck to make sure it matches your skin tone.

How To Make Your Foundation Darker?

The following 8 wonderful tips will help you fix light foundation problems to get a suitable match for your skin tone.

1. Mix In Bronzer – Especially Good For Skin With Brown Undertones:

A great way to intensify, stabilize, and correct your too-light foundation is by mixing it with some bronzer. This will not only darken up the shade, but also give your skin that sun-kissed look that we all love so much. This will also work great for people with brown skin tone or undertone. If you don’t want your entire skin to look bronzed, try using it around your cheeks, nose, forehead and chin to give the desired look.

2. Blend With A Darker Shade Of Foundation:

If the foundation you’re wearing is too light, it’s time to remember your other foundations that are too dark or a tad darker. Blend in your light foundation with the darker one to get a foundation tone that will be a better and more accurate shade for your complexion.

3. For Those With Yellow Skin Undertones – Turmeric

Yes, you heard me right. If you have yellow undertones to your skin (many Indians do), then turmeric is a great add-on to your too-light foundation to make it workable. As we all know, turmeric is a super-staining product, and even a little bit is enough to stain your hands and nails. So please make sure you use only the tiniest bit for this. The idea is to blend in a bit of turmeric with your foundation. But before you try this when you’re headed out, it’s always advisable to do this first at the leisure of your home, when you have enough time and while you’re using natural light or white light (yellow lights make the natural skin tone look different). Take your too-light foundation and add a very tiny drop of turmeric to renovate it. Now blend, blend and blend really well. Your foundation should look darker.

4. For Those With Pink Skin Undertones – Blush

If your skin has pinkish undertones to it, adding a little blush to your foundation is a great idea to bring back some pink to your skin. Apply a little blush on your hand and blend in your too-light foundation with it. Once you’ve blended it properly, apply on the face for a natural pinkish glow.

5. Add Concealer

If you have a concealer that’s a little darker than your too-light foundation, you can blend it in with the same to improve and get a custom-made foundation tone. Remember to always try out the blending bit-by-bit, as using too much can end up making the foundation look too-dark for your skin tone.

Quick Tip

Alternatively, you can apply a bit of dark concealer after the light foundation layer on the face directly. You can finish the look with a compact powder.

6. Blend With Tinted Moisturizer

If you have a tinted moisturizer at home, or maybe even a BB cream, try blending it in with your too-light foundation. The tinted moisturizer or BB cream will most likely be a perfect match for your skin tone, so mixing it with your too-light foundation will make it darker and help to bring it to a shade that’s more near to your own skin color.

7. Face Powder

Your face powder is also a great darkening agent for your too-light foundation. Using a darker face powder over your too-light foundation is a great option to help darken the foundation and make it work for you better.

8. Save It For The Winters

Sometimes, our skin tone may vary depending on the season. While summers are harsh and extreme, especially in India, winters are cold and dry. This makes the skin look tanned and darker in the summers and dry and gray-than-other-times in winters. Using your too-light foundation in the winters is a good idea as it will tend to match better on the skin tone.

Quick Tip

It is recommended to use a makeup brush in a downward motion to match your skin tone with the light foundation. Downward movement of the brush conceals any whiteheads and blackheads.

Infographic: Top 5 Tips To Fix Your Light Foundation At Home

If you purchased a foundation at the store before, you know how confusing it can be. You pick a shade there that seemingly looks perfect on you, but once you try the same product at home, the color doesn’t look right – and it’s a shade lighter! But thankfully, there are different ways to transform the light foundation into a suitable shade at home. Check out the infographic below to learn about the top 5 easy tips that can fix your light foundation in your makeup room!

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Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I even out my foundation?

Make sure you have enough light to properly see your face and the foundation color. Mix and match foundations to make a custom color that matches your skin tone. Apply a little foundation to your skin and blend it out before building it up. If you apply more on the first go, it will be difficult to remove to keep your color even. Use your fingers or a sponge to blend the foundation properly.

Why does my foundation look patchy and dry?

If your foundation is not applied properly, it can look patchy or cakey. This can also happen if the texture of your foundation does not suit your skin type, like using powder foundation over dry skin.

Why does my skin look worse with foundation?

Foundation can look bad on some people if they have wrinkles, enlarged pores, uneven skin tone, or fine lines. If it is not applied and blended properly, foundation can make your skin worse. Using the wrong foundation color may also be the culprit.

How do I make my foundation look natural?

Remember two key points to make your foundation look natural:
• Pick the shade closest to your skin tone.
• Always take time to blend the foundation into your skin properly.

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Pooja SethiyaProfessional Makeup Artist

     

Pooja Sethiya is a highly skilled and accomplished professional makeup artist with over eight years of experience in fashion, editorial, and bridal makeup. Her passion for her work is rooted in her belief in empowering women by helping them recognize and embrace their innate beauty.   Pooja is a graduate of the Cinema Makeup School, Los Angeles, and has contributed...more

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