How to Find Your Foundation Shade Online Without Swatching

Buying foundation online means committing to a colour you have never had on your skin. Here is how to get it right without a counter, a tester, or a guess.

Start with what you already own

The fastest route to your shade is the foundation currently in your bathroom. Write down the brand and the exact shade name, not just "medium". Shade names are how most brands map their ranges to one another, and someone who knows both ranges can usually place you within one step.

If the one you own is slightly wrong, note which way. Too light, too dark, too pink, too yellow — that direction is more useful than the shade name on its own.

Work out your undertone

Depth is how light or dark your skin is. Undertone is the colour underneath it, and it is the thing that makes a technically correct shade still look off.

There are three, and a quick way to place yourself in each:

Cool — your skin looks pink, red or bluish. Silver jewellery tends to suit you. Veins on your inner wrist look blue or purple.

Warm — your skin looks golden, peachy or yellow. Gold jewellery tends to suit you. Veins look green.

Neutral — you see a mix, or neither clearly. Both metals suit you. Veins are hard to call.

If you have ever worn a foundation that matched your depth but made you look grey or orange, the undertone was wrong, not the shade number.

Check in daylight, not bathroom light

Indoor bulbs shift colour badly. Whatever you are comparing — an old bottle, a swatch on your jaw, a photo — look at it near a window in daylight, with no filter. Photograph it in the same light if you are sending it to someone.

Test on your jaw, not your hand

The back of your hand is usually a different colour from your face. Match along the jawline instead, and check that it disappears into your neck. A foundation that matches your face but stops at your jaw is a shade too light or too dark.

When you are between two shades

Most people are. Two practical rules:

Pick the lighter one if you wear it with bronzer or in winter.

Pick the darker one if you get sun, or you prefer warmth.

If you can, mix them. Two shades either side of your match will cover you year-round as your skin changes.

How FIG handles this

We built wide ranges specifically so the in-between is less likely: Satin Foundation comes in 17 shades and Sweat-Proof Full Cover Foundation in 21. Both are vegan, cruelty-free, and made in North America.

And because none of the above is a substitute for actually seeing it on your skin, we take the risk off you. If the shade you order is not right, keep it — tell us within 30 days and we will send the correct shade free. No return shipping, no restocking fee.

Not sure where to start? Email hello@fimgorgeous.com with the brand and shade you wear now, and we will match you against our range before you order. A person reads every one of these.