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True Match confusion

shiny

Veteran

I've worn True Match foundation for a long time -- I try other brands but always come back to this one. When I first tried it, I was using C2 because I've always assumed I have cool skin tone -- lots of redness, visible blue veins, and I never tan (I just turn redder). Then long ago my girlfriend convinced me to borrow her N2 and it toned down the redness and also blended better, so I stuck with that for years and years.

I just tried the new Lumi cushion foundation, and belatedly realized I'd grabbed the wrong one off the shelf -- I'd grabbed the W2 instead of the N2. And, it works! It takes even more redness out of my face.... and yes I've checked in natural sunlight.

But I'm thoroughly confused because I'd never have thought I had a warm skin tone????

Anyone else have this experience?

Dressing

14 replies

Latest reply was from Staysfit

rachylou

Veteran

Well, I'm trying to be more serious about sunscreen protection, so I've been putting on this tinted stuff. I feel I'm deeply tan, but have always been told I have bluey undertones and just don't get it at all. Anyways, asked my mom today if this stuff made me look funny - the tint is deep tan - and she said it made me look like I have, well, a deep tan. But so its not blending that good.

OT...I feel this stuff is making me look chalky. Dry. I'd like a dewier look..,

BrieN

Veteran

So I can't figure my own skin color out, but I can look at my daughter who has lots of red in her skin, and blue veins, and see that she absolutely has yellow tones, and would match those yellow tones with foundation.

Rachy- have you tried using this foundation? Might work. Dewey. Tan but not deep tan so much. Just an idea.

Andalou Naturals Andalou Naturals Roses Color Plus Correct Sheer Nude Peels Neutralizer, 2 Ounce

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rachylou

Veteran

I will go looking for it!

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I've never heard of True Match, but I used to always wear cool toned foundation for the same reasons that you do (except that I can in fact get a tan if I choose.) I started out with Prescriptives when they were around.

I lately wear yellow based tinted moisturizer from Laura Mercier.

I think the choice is whether you want to go with the closest match to your skin color or if you want to neutralize the red. My main goal in wearing any foundation/tinted moisturizer these days is to get rid of redness on nose and chin, and I find that yellow does it best. It is of course necessary to go with the same depth of color, so I try to match against a place on my face that is not so pink/red.

shiny

Veteran

Brien, that's interesting about your daughter! I'm positive I have no yellow undertones. I look like death in any orange / yellow / peach shades of lipstick, blush or clothing. But I think I understand what you mean, as my DD can wear those colors fantastically, yet she has obvious blue veins and redness (though not anywhere near as red as me).

Rachy, recently I borrowed a friend's face sunscreen and I think it had zinc or something in it? It was super thick. Worked GREAT for protecting against the sun all day long... but yeah, a bit chalky...

Thanks UmmLila... I always thought green offset red, but yellow can do the same? I really like the way this Lumi feels on my skin and the DH confirmed I was not imagining that it blends well ... while toning down the red. Then again I did not layer it on that thickly. Supposedly you can layer it for sheer or fuller coverage. I will have to experiment some more!

Peri

Veteran

If you look at all the color correcting products newly out you will see that yellow is recommended often for redness. Green was always the main anti-red recommendation, but for larger areas of redness too much green can start looking a little strange. Yellow can also be anti-red, but look softer and less obvious in large doses. So with that in mind it makes perfect sense that a yellow toned foundation would tone down redness in your skin.

If you feel the Lumi looks too yellow in general, another way to go would be to use one of those yellow color corrector products (I haven't tried them but I've heard good things about both Urban Decay's and Make Up Forever's new ones) underneath and your regular foundation over it. But it sounds like you are happy with the Lumi you've just tried.

shiny

Veteran

Thanks Peri!! Mystery solved!

Yes, I have redness all over my face these days -- come to think of it, I stopped using the green corrector when I switched to the N2 from the C2.... so maybe now the N2 isn't enough and that's why the W2 works?

My face often feels hot all over too, like it's sunburned, except it's not. Dermatologist thinks I have allergies and I'm supposed to go to an allergist next. Albeit this is just Day 1, the Lumi feels fantastic on my skin. It feels cooling, like I've applied aloe or something. Face looks much more even, yet it's sheer and I didn't go too crazy applying it.

Peri

Veteran

Have you been checked out for rosacea? If that's been ruled out I would really recommend allergy patch testing. I'm super surprised your derm didn't do that if allergies are suspected. They can test this just as well as an allergist.

shiny

Veteran

Dermatologist says rosacea is a symptom, not a cause. She's treated me for that already, but the treatments make my redness worse, not better. She's run a pile of tests. Discovered a severe B12 deficiency and that's been rectified. Supplementation initially improved the redness ....but now it's back again, despite my B12 levels being too high to measure. I do wonder if my B12 levels are now so high, it's causing the redness -- but my GP doesn't want me to lower the dose, since I have what is likely going to turn out to be permanent nerve damage in one of my feet. (As an aside: wow my feet are far more finicky these days! Because I can actually feel them once again!)

I've been patch-tested for allergies before -- in the distant past. They said I was allergic to oak pollen and mold. And the allergist said then that I was likely to be allergic to a whole lot more, since the patch test is just a patch for most common allergies. So yeah I get your point, but at this stage of the game, I need an allergist not a dermatologist to get to the bottom of things. I just haven't had a lot of time as I'm traveling 90% lately.

Dermatologist and I suspect I am allergic to industrial strength cleaners or pesticides since there seems to be a strong correlation with reactions and being around institutional settings such as hospitals, airplanes, hotels. And also grocery stores that have been recently sprayed with pesticides. I had my first-ever case of all-over hives a couple months ago when visiting a friend in a hospital... that smelled strongly of pesticides. I am super sensitive to the smell of pesticides for some reason -- often I smell and others with me can't smell it. Not sure what is up with that.

Peri

Veteran

Ouch! Good luck with it and I hope they find an answer soon. My patch test involved 77 ingredients and found 4 I was allergic to. Go get your answers!

lyn67

Veteran

I echo Ummlila, and found that yellow does neutralize the redness at it's best, no matter about undertones.

Sal

Veteran

I hope you get on top of the allergies Shiny!!

I am interested because I get redness on my face, but think I am warm skin toned (I wear Estee Lauder 3W1 Tawny in both Perfectionist and Double Wear Light.

I used to use green but gave up, but do fight a red nose:)

Vix

Veteran

Hi Shiny --

Sorry about the redness; hope you find more answers soon. I share a lot of your hypersensitivity to chemicals, scents, ingredients etc and FWIW there seems to be a definite relationship to immune function.

Re color tones -- Cool-toned clothing will look amazing on those with warmer toned skin. And vice-versa. [The complementary color thing.] From there it's all about calibrating hue and intensity to suit personal coloring.

Like you I look like death in warm-toned clothing (and pretty bad in balanced warm/cool shades). But I'm an N in foundations and blush. I've spent my life running from makeup artists who think bright cool pink blush and lipstick has my name on it....

I say if the Lumi looks great and feels great, don't borrow trouble, ha!

ps I don't know how Lumi color-codes but if it's like Alima the number is quite important too. I wore an N-1 but the C-1 wasn't TERRIBLE on me. So you may be in a just slightly tweaked shade that looks fantastic on you.

Staysfit

Veteran

FWIW, I am neutral to cool toned and can get away with either a warm or cool foundation but I have rosacea so my nose turns red through almost everything. I have been using a Jane Iredale BB Cream foundation only on days when my nose is red in the morning, otherwise, I use no foundation at all. I use the BB3 foundation which is the second lightest and it seems to be a perfect match. It instantly removes the red and smoothes out my complexion, leaving it looking Dewey and even toned. I use very little. The website foundation picker recommend picking something warm toned if you have rosacea. When I used it I came up with something totally different than what I know works for me so would never buy it online, I would recommend going to try it on first. The color for BB3 description says light peach radiant. It's SPF 25. I put a mineral powder foundation from Indigo tones lightly over it sometimes, to add to the redness reducing effect, or I use Exuviance SPF 50 sheer daily protector underneath. The Indigo tones foundation is also a good match for me but I find it doesn't last as long as I need to make it through my work day. I think using two colors adds some dimension and makes me look more lively whereas one can look too flat and matte. It doesn't take too long for me to apply both, especially because I don't need it everyday.

One additional option would be to apply something over your foundation. I have used a mineral finishing powder from Elea Blake called "Hush". It helps reduce the redness from rosacea. I brush it on regardless of whether I'm wearing foundation or not. I think it works fairly well. I bet you could also find something to go underneath.

For a long time I couldn't find a good foundation match. I was mixing two mineral powder foundations. One from bare minerals and one from Jane Iredale. Then I put a bronzer over them to add some warmth. It was a nuisance but I hadn't yet found the BB cream above.