Tired of searching for the right foundation shade to suit your skin tone? One makeup expert has launched a suite of services to help.
The hallmark of a good foundation is that it’s practically invisible.
It blends seamlessly onto your natural skin, enhancing your features while creating a smooth base
But settling on the right shade can often seem an impossible task — especially for people of colour. Skin tone is one thing, but then there’s undertones and slight tonal changes on the different areas of the face to consider, too.
It was with this in mind that freelance makeup artist Sarika Patel sought to demystify the makeup counter by launching three personalised shade matching experiences to arm clients with the knowledge (and confidence) to find the right foundation shade for them.
Beauty counters have never presented such a wide range of options as they do today — from global brands to smaller independents — not to mention an ever-improving diversity of shades, finishes and formulations.
So why in 2024, are women of colour still struggling to find a foundation to suit?
Dark skin tones can be more difficult to colour match due to the different colours present in the face, Sarika says.
“We’ve been told that if you apply foundation all over your face, it’s going to look amazing. And for some skin tones that might work, but most skin tones have different shades within the face. As skin gets a little bit deeper, those different skin tones can be more obvious,” she says.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.On her own face, Sarika says her undereyes and forehead are darker, while her cheeks are lighter. Her chin is another shade entirely.
“What’s going to work on my cheeks is not going to work under my eyes, and it’s also not going to work on my chin, which is why I will always use a colour correcting to help balance my complexion,” she says.
Over the years, Sarika kept hearing clients say shade ranges weren’t inclusive enough, and that they could never shop the shelves for foundations that were right for them.
“There wasn’t much choice back then, but now there’s so much makeup. The beauty industry is so saturated; we can’t really be saying that anymore,” Sarika says.
After extra investigation, Sarika discovered that the issue ran deeper than the perceived lack of shades available out there. Rather, it was a case of information overload from social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok causing consumers to feel stuck.
“Everybody is saying different things and people don’t know who to listen to. People don’t know how to decipher the information they receive online for themselves,” she says.
If that weren’t confusing enough, the struggle of finding someone who can accurately swatch foundations remains, as many in-store staff aren’t trained makeup artists.
“The onus lies with the customer, but the customer’s expectation is much higher when it comes to the information they’re getting about which foundation is right for them,” Sarika says.
For years Sarika has championed makeup techniques for deep complexions on her social media channels, a skill she fine-tuned during her years working at M.A.C.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.To this day, she believes the level of training M.A.C makeup artists received in the past is the gold-standard when it comes to identifying undertones — think Kiekie Stanners, Kasia Stanicich, Kate Solley, who also cut their teeth with the brand.
Driven by her determination to cut through the noise and help people find their perfect match, the lightbulb moment came to Sarika after a client called to ask if staff at a makeup counter were trained in shade matching.
“Most if not all of them [clients] have had an experience where they’ve got it wrong — they’ve purchased makeup or had their makeup done and haven’t loved how it looks,” she says.
Instead, Sarika took that client shopping.
What culminated from that experience was the launch of three tailored services which put the consumer at the heart of the process.
Starting from $150, Sarika offers 90-minute personal shopping services, two-hour personalised makeup lessons, and four-hour experiences which are a combination of the two.
Each service includes a consultation and is designed to meet the consumer where they are, whether they’re adept at application and just need a steer on shades, or if they’re in need of a complete makeup overhaul.
“Shopping services are for people that have tried multiple times to find the right foundation match, but can’t get it right. I tell them the colour and the formula they should be using. Whereas lessons are for people who still struggle knowing what their shades are, but also want to focus on the application side of things. I look at the products they already have and if they don’t have the right shade, I can give them a shopping list of recommendations. The experience brings together both shopping and the lesson, where we head out together to purchase products before heading back home to learn to apply everything they’ve purchased,” she says.
Beyond foundation, Sarika says her services are not all about that base — she cover shades to use all over the face. “I go really in-depth with foundation, eyes, lips and cheeks. Shade matching doesn’t stop at foundation and concealer, it applies to everything as well,” she says.
Not limited to consumers only; Sarika invites makeup artists who might be struggling with the confidence to accurately colour match to try one of her services too.
“It comes across if you’re having your makeup done and the person’s not so sure about what they’re doing,” she says. “It’s about instilling confidence in them, as well as knowing what to use.”
In fact, Sarika is teaming up with fellow M.A.C-trained makeup artist Sam Hart for a six-hour artistry workshop on August 11 in Kingsland, during which professionals can learn how to shade match deep complexions.
The workshop will cover Sarika’s own process of identifying different skin tones, undertones and colour variations in the face, with a view to learning how to enhance someone’s beauty rather than covering it up.
“It’s really important for makeup artists to know how to colour match correctly,” she says.
She is currently sitting a marketing course, and jotted down some thoughts in her Notes app during her study. “I’m going to keep going until I stop hearing that people have the wrong foundation”, the entry said.
“That’s what’s driving me. People have struggled with their makeup for so long, they’ve wasted so much time and money on things that don’t work for them,” Sarika says.
“I’m so excited. My hope is to help more people and to have fun doing it.”
Sarika’s shade matching tips
Get to know your undertones
“Every brand has its way own of communicating undertones. I know M.A.C inside and out — there’s NC [neutral cool], NW [neutral warm] and N [neutral], but then there’s brands like Nars which name foundations after countries. Which is difficult because shade names like ‘Barcelona’ tell me nothing abut the foundation’s undertone. This is why consumers get stuck and need someone with artistry expertise to help. Most South Asian people have a golden or yellow undertone, but this varies. I’m constantly on the hunt for the best brands that offer yellow tones to their foundations.”
The best place to do a foundation swatch
“Swatching is one of the first parts of the colour matching process. Avoid deciding on a colour of foundation based on three stripes on your skin. We wear foundation all over our face, so it’s best to get a sense of how the shade looks once applied all over the face. To go a step further, add blush and bronzer to the skin so you are able to get the full picture of the look, rather than making a decision on a little swatch.”
Don’t forget about your body
“To make things really complicated, we need to consider our bodies — our shoulders, neck and décolletage. Some people have a darker face and a much lighter body. Other people have a much lighter face and a darker body. It’s been drilled into me from my experience at M.A.C to take the time to discuss this with people because the thought of swiping three shades on somebody’s face and getting them to pick isn’t good enough.”
Add To Cart
Sarika shares her five favourite foundation brands which cater to a wide variety of people, especially those with highlight yellow or golden reflects to suit South Asian skin tones.
More beauty
From Viva team test drives to celebrity interviews.
The 6 beauty products you don’t need, according to a skin doctor. You can cull these from your routine.
We gave 4 makeup artists $100 to create a special-occasion makeup look. This is what they bought. Special event coming up? This is what the pros would buy, and why.
Blue makeup is back, baby. Here are 6 ways to make it look modern. Bright, bold but totally wearable. Here’s how to wear blue makeup now.
Tom Hardy on his love letter to London, his dog Blue and the cologne he’s always asked about. The actor and producer shares the creative process behind his latest campaign.
