Is it possible to dilute the foundation. How to make your foundation lighter

07.07.2019

I chose, chose, came home and was disappointed. A familiar situation, isn't it? It can relate to a lot of things, but now let's talk about foundation. This is a tricky thing, but if you learn to get along with it, it will become your best friend and a lifesaver rolled into one.

So, let's imagine a fairly common situation when a foundation, chosen and already purchased in a store, in natural light turned out to be darker than your own skin tone. It is not worth giving a new product to anyone, you just need to make it lighter. How? Let's think together.

Experimenting with shade

If it so happened that only the color of the foundation does not suit us and it just needs to be lightened, then this is quite simple to do. To do this, we additionally need only a base that is lighter than the one that needs to be diluted. For the process, we use a special palette or a clean lid from the jar, which used to contain the cream. Here the results can be many and they are all interesting.

Depending on the proportions to be mixed, you can make the foundation lighter or darker. Which of the options is right - try, of course, on the skin.

Changing the density

There may also be a situation when, in addition to lightening the foundation, you also need to make it less dense. This goes for very long-lasting products that are great for photography, but don't look great with everyday makeup. There are no difficulties here either. To this we will add a day cream, as a rule, your usual moisturizer is ideal.

The proportions here should be observed clearly: the foundation and the usual one should be taken in equal amounts.

There is one important thing to keep in mind when mixing. Very often, daytime cream is water-based, which is why it is so light. And if your foundation is oily, then it is absolutely impossible to mix it with such a cream. If you do this, then the makeup will be unreliable and will roll off quickly.

Solid foundation

This is very rare, but it still happens that the question arises, how to make the foundation lighter if it is in the form of a stick or paste? It is unlikely that professional makeup artists would recommend doing this, but there are all sorts of situations.

To lighten such a tone, we will have to cut off a piece from it and grind or knead with a suitable spatula. After that, add to it either a light foundation or a regular cream - depending on which effect of the above you want to achieve.

So, do not dare to despair and say goodbye to your unfortunate choice. Dare and be beautiful!

Today it is difficult to imagine at least one woman who does not use tonal means. A properly selected foundation is the basis for a successful make-up. However, almost every representative of the fair sex was faced with the fact that the foundation turned out to be the wrong shade that was needed. As it turned out, few people know how to make a foundation lighter or darker. Many, having looked at an unsuccessful purchase, feel disappointment and throw it away or postpone it just in case. If the foundation does not fit, then it can be easily corrected, enjoy using a new cosmetic product.

How to choose the right foundation?

In order not to have to correct the mistakes of an unsuccessful purchase, it is worth knowing how to avoid them. If you decide to go to the store, then before paying the seller, you should choose a foundation, taking into account some points:

The texture of the product;
Coverage intensity;
How the selected tone looks on the skin;
What a natural skin tone.

Perhaps the most important factor is your original skin color. In order to find the right foundation, you need to match it with your skin tone. Most modern girls believe that their skin has a pinkish tint, because they look at the central part of the face (nose and cheekbones). However, they do not take into account that the skin in this place is the thinnest. Determining your natural skin tone is worth considering the skin tone in the neck area. If you neglect this, then your makeup will always resemble a mask, which can be darker or lighter than the skin.

Texture

Try products with different thicknesses and decide which one is the most comfortable for you. At the moment, both a very thick consistency of foundation and a completely liquid one (like a light moisturizer) are offered. The liquid cream is very easy to use and spreads evenly over the entire surface of the skin. The thicker the mass, the harder the cream distribution process will become. The advantage of the dense texture is that at home it can be used to achieve a perfectly even complexion and mask the pores. However, for those who are just starting to use tonal means, it is recommended to use a more liquid consistency.

Coverage

Some believe that the older the skin, the more intense the coverage should be. But this is not always true. Skin type plays a very important role in this issue. Beginners are advised to use BB Creams that will provide light to medium coverage. Such remedies are the easiest. They do not accentuate dimples, wrinkles and other skin imperfections. They help not only to even out the tone, but also to moisturize the skin. This will be a plus for dry skin.

Finish and skin type

Selection by skin type and finish are similar concepts, then they are slightly different. Matte cream adheres better to oily skin, while for dry skin it is recommended to choose a moisturizer and radiance. If you have normal to combination skin, then almost all options are acceptable.

Try to get foundations in specialty stores. Most consultants will help you find the right product for you.
To check if the shade suits you or not, it is recommended to apply a little cream on the jaw. If the transition from skin tone to cream is not noticeable, then the tone is suitable.
In order to make sure that you have chosen the correct shade, it is recommended to look at the result in daylight. This can be done on the street or near a window.
You can compare the tones not only in the jaw area, but also in the wrist area.
Some stores offer a tester that you can try out for a few days.

Change the shade of the foundation

Changing the tone of the product is not difficult. For this purpose, you can use the tint products that you have at home. They may be from a different company or differ in texture. If you pay attention, you can get not only a lighter shade, but also a different texture.

How to make your foundation lighter:

A flat plastic container is required for mixing. It is best to use a palette if you have one;
Try to take quite a bit of the product that you want to lighten so that you can correct it later, if necessary;
Add the lightest tone you have;
Use a toothpick to mix both creams until smooth;
The resulting product is applied to the wrist to check the result. If the tone does not match the desired, then add more light or dark cream to it (depending on what you get).

If you want to change the texture of the product to make it lighter, you can simply mix it with a moisturizer. The one you use on a daily basis will do.

If you carefully read my posts about foundation, you will see that the phrase "foundation is oxidized" is often found in them. And I got a few questions from girls about what it is. How do you know if your foundation is oxidizing? And most importantly, can this be avoided?

I don’t know who came up with this phrase and why it sounds like that, but this “term” is adopted in the field of makeup.

I could not find any scientific information about these processes, mainly makeup artists write about this, which, however, is also not bad, because they can see a certain pattern between the type or condition of the skin and the oxidation of the foundation

What does it mean?

This phrase means that the cream is getting darker and redder or yellower than it actually is. Ideally, the color from the bottle with the product should not change on the face under any circumstances, otherwise the meaning of matching it to the skin tone is completely lost. However, sometimes the color may change quite a bit, less than half a tone. This happens with bb-creams and is usually said to "adjust".

Why does foundation oxidize?

There are several reasons:

Incorrect storage of the cream, it just deteriorates
Your sebum will oxidize your foundation. You can check this by applying cream, for example, on your hand. Skin in different areas of the body has different pH and sebum production. In my case, all the darkening tones were oxidized on the hand.
Too humid air, high air temperature. Sometimes it was okay with the foundation in winter / spring, but it started to darken in summer.
The point of view that is closest to reality, in my opinion, is that the pigments in the product are not sufficiently crushed and mixed. Dry pigments tend to agglomerate (“sticking”), and as far as I understand, the better the pigment itself and its grinding, the more uniform the structure it has. It is important that the pigments in the foundation are also evenly distributed, it just depends on this whether the color of the product will change or not. However, I was unable to find information on pigments and their characteristics, as well as technological information on the manufacture of decorative cosmetics.

All these are unscientific reasons that I met on the net, and many of them, from a practical point of view, are correct, because I also observed it! But, as you can imagine, I do not want to limit myself only to my idea of why this happens with tonal bases, so I asked several manufacturers this question.

Many thanks to the representatives of Purobio in Russia, they themselves asked this question to the company!

Purobio's answer surprised me:

“There is titanium dioxide in the composition, which gives a little white trail at the beginning. After a few minutes, the white trail disappears and the real tone appears. ”

I understand that this is no longer a white trace, but the color is lighter from the package than it actually is. However, not only tonal, but also mineral bases have the property to oxidize. And they also contain titanium dioxide. Therefore, I asked about the oxidation of Everyday Minerals, because their mineral base can also oxidize, despite the fact that it is not creamy.

Everyday Minerals cited other reasons:

Sometimes sebum can cause the foundation to turn orange. Or maybe you just picked the wrong base color. You can combat this by choosing a primer for the skin, preferably without oils. If you notice oxidation on your foundation, choose a tone that is lighter.

A version with oxidation from sebum, in my opinion, takes place, since when applied with a brush to the hand, Everyday Minerals does not oxidize, but when applied with a finger, it changes color perfectly. But here's the caveat: nothing happens to her face during the day.

How to avoid oxidation?

As you already understood, it is impossible to prevent oxidation, as well as to predict. Therefore, before buying a foundation, I would recommend finding it offline and trying to apply it, walk around with it for a while. Of course, it is ideal to apply it on your face and spend the whole day. But even with this opportunity with traditional brands, how many of us have done it at least once?

If you missed the tint, there are a couple of options for lightening it.

Buy a foundation of a light shade and add to a dark one. And it is better if it is a foundation of the same brand and from the same line. This way you will get a foundation for both winter and summer with a demi-season, if you tan a little. For me personally, it is very convenient to have a base "for the winter" and a base one tone darker and mix them in the summer.
Add titanium dioxide to the foundation. I have this, but very often very white mineral shadows - this is titanium dioxide. Or add a very light mineral powder to your foundation.
Add face primer, or remove moisturizer and apply foundation to cleansed face.

My experience shows that this does not always work. Sometimes the base still darkens after a while, although it does not become the same red. And it also happens that titanium dioxide makes it thicker and then the foundation turns into a "putty". I've tried adding a mineral primer, and it works with a powder foundation, but not with foundation. I also have two natural make-up primers from Purobio and Vapor Organic, but they did not affect the oxidation of the creams, unfortunately, nor did the removal / addition of moisturizer before foundation.

In general, the question of the oxidation of the foundation is still a mystery to me, since I would like to hear an explanation from a chemist or technologist.

Probably, there are no girls who at least once in their life were not mistaken with the choice of a shade of foundation. With a frowning expression on our faces, we threw out the full bottles, gave them to our girlfriends and scolded ourselves for oversights. It turns out that the wrong shade of foundation is not a sentence, because the product can be lightened. So, advice from experienced makeup artists, for whom this is the most familiar and common procedure, will help to make the foundation lighter.

How not to go wrong with the choice of tone?

Makeup artists recommend checking whether the foundation is suitable for the face or not, not on the wrists, as we were all taught, namely on the face. Preferably at the jaw-neck border. This is because the skin on the hands is at least one tone darker, or even two, than the skin on the face. That is why the habitual test on the wrists can lead to disastrous results, and when you come home you will realize that you didn’t take what you wanted.

Where do we start?

In general, the foundation should always be perfectly matched to the skin tone. If you are in doubt about the choice, you can always contact a consultant. Of course, we all face mistakes, but you shouldn't panic, a bad purchase can be corrected in many ways. The easiest and most obvious way is to use other tint products. In this case, it does not matter at all what kind of firm or texture they are, the shade is important. As a result, you can get a result that can still be envied. By experimenting, we find the most interesting options. Thus, you can change not only the shade, but even the density of the product! Your only task is to do it as carefully as possible.

How to mix products?

It is most convenient to do this on an artistic palette, but improvised means such as a lid from a jar of cream will do. To avoid spoiling the entire product, try mixing a small amount of the product first. Put some foundation into the prepared container. Now take a look at all your makeup deposits and choose the lightest tone in order to dilute the dark base. If nothing suitable is found in the cosmetic bag, you can buy the lightest tone of any foundation for dilution. In any case, it will come out cheaper than buying a new foundation. Now add the same drop of light to the dark shade and mix with the most ordinary toothpick. The mixture should be applied to the skin and see if the color suits the tone of the face. Now you can adjust the hue by adding light or dark shades to achieve the desired result.

Foundation + moisturizing

If you want to make the texture of the cream lighter, like a bibi cream, then you can add your favorite moisturizer to the foundation. Mix the two ingredients in equal proportions and mix thoroughly with a toothpick. Thus, you can not only make the foundation lighter, but also additionally moisturize the skin. This method is considered universal, as it dilutes both liquid and thick tonal foundations well. You can even use contouring techniques here. For example, you can apply a darker tone to your cheekbones to make them stand out.

How to lighten a stick product?

If your foundation has a solid foundation, there is also a chance of salvation, but it will take a little longer to tinker. To make a stick with a dark tone with a light foundation, you need to cut a piece from the product, grind it and add a lighter foundation or regular day cream to the gruel. Ideally, all this should be done with a special spatula. The contents of the stick must be kneaded with a spatula until it becomes homogeneous. It is also not recommended to prepare the mixture in reserve; it is better to prepare a new portion for each application. To prevent the appearance of lumps, you need to apply this tone with a latex sponge and carefully blend the boundaries between the skin and the cream with it, so that the latter lies perfectly evenly. Finally, light powder will help to even out the color and set the makeup.

How to lighten a dark foundation?

A foundation that is very noticeably different from your skin color does not need to be thrown away or given to someone else. In addition to the fact that it can be lightened, it can also be useful to you in the summer, after vacation, to maintain the tanning effect. In addition, if you are too lazy or do not have time to lighten the cream, use it instead of a sculptor or bronzer. The soft effect of the foundation will look very beautiful on the skin.

What techniques will help solve the problem?

In addition to the simplest way to lighten with moisturizer, you can resort to professional methods to solve the problem. The adjuster will help with this - this is such a liquid pigment that mixes perfectly with any creams of any shades until the tone that suits you is obtained. Experts advise paying attention to the NYX adjuster - Pro Foundation Mixer. It is sold in dark and light colors, that is, with its help you can both lighten and darken the tonal base. Just a couple of drops - and too dark cream turns into a light one. This is because such products contain pigments in a very high concentration.

What's the bottom line?

It turns out that any foundation can be tailored to suit your skin tone. The most proven methods are as follows:

Moisturizing cream.
A light concealer or concealer.
Loose powder.
Light, creamy eyeshadow.
Highlighter.
Adjuster.

As we can see, there are a lot of options. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

How to make a foundation lighter if it is already applied to the skin?

Yes, and it happens. Sometimes we notice that a new tonal base absolutely does not match our color just before the release. There is nothing to do, you have to correct the situation. To begin with, soak a sponge in water and squeeze it out well, then gently walk over your face, slightly diluting the color. Then you need to choose one of the following options:

Apply a light powder over the foundation. So you can make the foundation a tone lighter.
It is also useful to apply the same sponge to the skin with a light layer of highlighter.
Then, with a light concealer or adjuster, if available, blend the borders of the cream application so that the transition is softer closer to the neck.

As you can see, lightening your foundation can be done quickly, and you don't have to throw the new product away or give it to someone else.

Each girl was faced with a situation when the foundation she selected did not suit the skin tone very well. Especially often, such mistakes happen when buying a new, not yet studied product. Such products are not taken back to the store, and it is a pity to spend money on a new product. Therefore, the question arises: "How to make the foundation lighter or darker, but ideal for the skin?"

Separating tonal means by semitone

Every girl wants to look stunning, so the chosen tonal foundation should ideally match the complexion in color.

When choosing a suitable color, do not forget that, in addition to the shade, the foundation must be age-appropriate and match the skin type, otherwise the color will do, and the skin may have various problems.

Depending on the manufacturer, the colors of the tonal means also differ. But there are three main basic divisions:

Neutral beige bases;
Foundations with golden and red undertones;
Foundations with pinkish undertones.

Separation of tonal means by saturation of tone

In addition, the bases are divided depending on the color saturation. Moreover, the same cosmetics in different countries have different names for colors and shades. It is also very interesting that a varied color palette is produced for different countries. So the famous manufacturer of tonal bases Loreal, makes bases for Russia, ranging from a light tone to a medium tone, although there are darker shades in their color palette.

Therefore, it is very difficult for girls with dark skin to find a high-quality cosmetic product.

By saturation, tonal creams are divided as follows:

A very light, almost white shade of the foundation;
This basis is suitable for most European women. Has a light beige tone;
Medium-light. Suitable for European girls with a darker skin tone. Has a beige tint;
M This tone is designed for dark-skinned European women. Has a rich dark beige shade;
Medium dark. Suitable for southerners with tanned skin. Has a dark beige or light olive tone;
D Suitable for severely tanned skin. Has a caramel brown tone;
Very dark. The darkest shade of dark chocolate.

Depending on the manufacturer, there can be completely different gradations of tones and halftones. There may also be completely different names, but this does not change the essence. Most girls living in Russia, when choosing a cream tone, should start from the colors developed for European women.

How to choose your correct shade?

Considering the color palette of tonal bases, it is very difficult to visually choose the right one. Despite the seemingly perfect match in the tube, the base will look completely different on the face. Therefore, it is natural to choose a base by testing it on the skin of the face.

How is testing done:

The skin of the face should be cleansed without traces of powder or foundation;
The room should be brightly lit, it is better if it is natural light from the window;
Several different shades are selected for the test;
The test base is applied to the cheek or collarbone.

The girl will be helped to carry out a similar procedure in a good salon shop. The salon may also suggest taking different probes with you in order to test the product in a relaxed home environment. You should opt for a tone that almost completely matches the skin tone.

Very often, there is an offer from consultants to test the product on the inside of the wrist. This is not worth doing. In this case, it is very easy to make a mistake with the color. The color of the skin on the wrist may not match the color of the face, and the skin on the wrist does not contain as much pigments as the face.

It happens that a previously suitable foundation does not look natural on the face after prolonged use. Do not be afraid, it has not deteriorated. Perhaps the girl was just slightly tanned. Therefore, it may be worth purchasing two foundations for different seasons.

How to make your foundation lighter?

What to do if the purchased base does not match the color? In the store, the color seemed to match perfectly with the skin of the face, and when they began to apply the foundation all over the face, it turned out to be much darker.

You should not run to the store for a new product, but give this to your beloved friend. It is enough to take and mix a new foundation with a good day cream, until the desired shade is obtained. In order for all the ingredients to be combined, the day cream must be from the same manufacturer as the foundation. If the compositions of the creams are not in harmony, you can get an allergic reaction on the skin.

For better mixing, you need to take a small plate and drip a little foundation and day cream from two different ends. Then, carefully using a special brush, we take a little of each product and mix them in the middle of the plate, adding one or the other to obtain the desired tone.

You can use a moisturizer to brighten the foundation. Easy to mix: one drop of foundation with one drop of moisturizer. The foundation will become faded.

If you add a transparent or neutral makeup base to the cream, it will become much lighter. Make sure that the brands of the bases you mix are the same, or the foundation will curl up.

How to darken your foundation?

It is difficult to think of any cosmetic product that will make the cream darker. Experts advise to do the following: apply the foundation on the face, carefully distribute it over the skin surface with a sponge, wait until the cream dries and fix it with a dark powder. In this way, the shade can become more suitable.

Also, if you use a dry sponge to apply the cream, then the base on the skin surface will look darker.

If the base is not much lighter than the skin, then it should be applied with a sponge and carefully blend along the contour of the face, so the color border between the face and body will not be very noticeable.

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