Having one’s foundation match one’s skin tone exactly is a classic case of beauty industry dogma v popular opinion. The truth is that many people seek a little more warmth in their complexion – not only but especially come winter – and are disinclined to use another method such as tanning drops or bronzer to achieve it. And I’m always for whatever someone wants to do with their own face. All that concerns me is recommending the right product for the job.
A full coverage foundation in too dark a colour stands out like a sore thumb. The key to subtly deepening, or “warming up”, any skin tone is in choosing a sheerer base with clear pigment better able to “stretch” across any disparity in tone between skin and makeup.
Armani Beauty’s Skin Tint (£36), does this brilliantly. Every shade here is warm, like Mediterranean sunlight, but the golden undertone never jars because the lightweight, light-reflecting formula seamlessly bridges any gaps. It’s a doss to apply – just smear it on like a moisturiser and the effect on any age, gender or skin tone is one of even, sunny good health. When I wear it, I look how I imagine I’d look if my holiday face weren’t meticulously basted in SPF50.
Tint and Glow by Sculpted By Aimee is a firm favourite and on regular rotation in my makeup bag. At £24, it is very fairly priced (especially for an independent brand) and the shade range is very thoughtfully designed. My perfect match is 2.75, but because the blend is so silky and there’s zero visible chalkiness to give the game away, I can easily wear shades 4 or even 4.5 without appearing to have made a terrible mistake. It’s a brilliant everyday base for business or pleasure, and one that would surely receive more plaudits if it weren’t owned by a former beauty counter assistant turned self-funded entrepreneur from Ireland. Make a point of trying it when you next need a light base or some extra colour.
I adore Hourglass’s Veil Hydrating Skin Tint (£49), but tend to choose it only on days where my complexion looks grey and starved of fresh air. The glycerin and squalane give it a clear, glassy finish, while warm pigments in most of the shades make everything more golden. It has an unusual amount of grip for something so light in coverage, making it a good base for more opaque products such as concealer, should you need a touch more cover.
