Many of us wonder why makeup makes some us look ashy and others look like they’re wearing an orange mask. The truth is that few companies develop and manufacture their own products and many companies rely on contract manufacturers to develop and produce their products, this being the case, almost all foundations are developed using the following colors, iron oxide(s), red, yellow, black and titanium dioxide (white).
The problem arises because even though the used colors sort of look like the color of skin, they aren’t. True skin tones are a combination of opacity/reflectance (white) and red, yellow and blue: Black, if used at all is strictly used to control tone. Since almost all of the foundations on the market use iron oxides and no blue, to get a darker color the black is increased and that is where the ashy-ness comes from. Since black is not a color in skin color, it will make skin appear ashy when used. Likewise with lighter colors, since blue is not used in most foundations, if you are not lucky enough to fit into the exact color that you are wearing, you will tend to get a yellow or orange cast to your foundation.
The reason companies use iron oxides and white is because blue is a difficult color to work with in foundations. The use of this pigment costs more and requires skill on the part of the formulators and manufacturers. The use of purple or green in foundations also requires skill in formulating/manufacturing and drives up the cost so companies generally use the pigments they are used to using and hope that the consumers will just accept a product that doesn’t really work for them.
Another trick companies use, is to create very sheer makeup formulas and claim that the colors will match up to 90 or 95% of their users. This method shows itself every few years and people will flock to try the new product, only to sadly discover that the color matches their skin color “sort of”, because the makeup is so transparent, most of their skin color shows through as does the color variations they are trying to equalize with the foundation in the first place. The cycle of trying to find the right product can be maddening. But solutions are beginning to become available.
By Jove Cosmetics of Hollywood, California has introduced their TRU2U foundation and especially their Ultra Matrix 3000 custom makeup kits. These foundation and concealer products use blue, white and iron oxides to create their skin tones and as a result they have the most accurate colors for all colors available. With their custom blending kits any skin tone can be quickly and easily matched. For people looking for true color matches companies like By Jove will ultimately provide for them what so many mass market companies have been unable to.
When you search for a foundation, never feel rushed in your decision. Try the shade on your hand using a tester at the store and if you can’t find a sample there, request one from the brands website, usually samples are available from manufacturers for a minimal cost (usually shipping & handling). When you look at the color try to do so in natural light. Store fluorescent lights tend to cast blue tones and will make a makeup look better on your skin than it really does; that’s why so often a color looks great in the store and looks off when you wear it later.
When you find a color that works for you and that product is discontinued try to save a portion of the discontinued makeup you have and research companies that do custom blending. With a specific shade name or better yet a portion of your foundation, any capable color chemist will be able to match your shade perfectly, a search on the Internet for custom blended makeup or custom blend cosmetics yield results for a number of companies. Typical custom blending usually costs between $45.00 to $75.00 per ounce of makeup and the By Jove Cosmetics foundation kits start at $29.95 for enough materials to produce up to 2 ounces of finished makeup.
