Wednesday 10 March 2010

Foundation colour matching

What is it with sales assistants and colour matching? I find that when I got to buy a new foundation I'm always getting colour matched to a shade that's usually two shades too dark for me. The sales assistant will put it on me and then try to convince me that it's the perfect colour for me when it's obviously way too dark. Their usual line is "it gives you some colour". I don't want some colour. I'm happy with the colour I have. And if I do want some colour I'll use a bronzer not a foundation that's two shades too dark and makes me look like I'm wearing a mask.

The only counters that have correctly matched me are Becca, MAC, Laura Mercier and Bobbi Brown. All of the other counters have given me the wrong colour. On two occasions I've bought the foundation, got it home and realised the first time that I used it that it's the wrong colour. Trying to swap a used cosmetic item in Australia is really difficult. If you're not very insistent they refuse to do it. On the last two times that I've returned the wrong colour foundation they've tried to blame me and told me that it's up to me to choose the correct colour and that's the reason they have testers.  If that's the case then why do they have sales assistants?

Now when I buy a new foundation I ask for a sample pot of the colour that I'm purchasing so I can take it home and use the sample first. If I find the sample is the wrong colour then I can swap the foundation without having used it.

Does anyone else have problems with colour matching or is it just me? 

12 comments :

  1. The only place I've ever tried to get matched for anything has been at MAC. At least 3 times, I've been matched too dark. It's annoying.

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  2. Me too! it must be something about pale skin. Although I have the opposite problem - the suggest something too pale and I look like a zombie. My skin tone has a slight warmth so I need 'almost' the lightest shade.....and that can be hard to find because usually the next shade is too dark..
    The MUA from Nars last week picked it perfectly Now I love him.

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  3. I am usually in between shades, darker than the lightest but lighter than the next one. this makes it really frustrating to get a color match, and if i do not test it out on my own it will inevitably be the wrong color.

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  4. This is why Im actually too scared to go get colour matched - even the ones at MAC arent infallible :( luckily I've shade matched myself there, and can cross reference across brands

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  5. I always get matched too dark and they use that 'it gives you some colour' line on me too. Seriously, the majority of people who work at makeup counters annoy me. The emphasis is almost always on sales and not on skill, so they don't care if they sell you the wrong colour - as long as they get a sale!
    I ALWAYS ask for samples before I buy a foundation because there's no way I'm going to buy it before trying it out myself. :P

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  6. So very, very true. I have the added complication of a warm (orange undertone) complexion with ruddiness, so they tend to not only go around 2 to 4 shades dark but also try to push a cool (pink undertone) colour onto me.

    I've found that the only way is to get the foundation on, go outside into the daylight, sit in the car for at least 5 minutes so that my eyes adjust completely to the light, then check it in the mirror.

    I also use foundation on my neck and decolette to hide broken capillaries, spots, etc, and I have to use a lighter shade there than on my face. If I use the same shade all the way, my face looks pale and my neck looks dark!

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  7. No, it's not just you, only I've never returned one. I usually just throw them in a drawer. For some reason they always give me colours that have a bit of yellow in them - my complexion is fair with pink/cool undertones, so out of the shop light yellow-toned foundations just look weird!

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  8. MACs assistants are THE best at matching!! they listen and everything, I have the perect shADE :) well two, NC15 AND NC20, Im more of a NC20 but I bought the NC15 for last winter :)

    what i find with some foundations, is that it looks perfect in the store, out of the store, on the way home, but after a few hours my natural skin oils have oxidized the colour into an orangey darky mess! so that could be why!

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  9. I love it when they put the product on the back of their hand and then swear blind that it's "your" colour. How can they tell that by putting it on their hand and then holding it up to your face?! It makes no sense!!

    Kelly x

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  10. I've only had two good matches. MAC was good, because they tested it to match my chest (which is what i do anyway), and I got lucky with a Chanel assistant in Myer (I could tell she knew what she was talking about so i had complete confidence in her). But it's so hard because the lighting in the shops is just so wrong compared to natural light.

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  11. I definitely hear you with this issue, I have NEVER been properly colour matched at any counter in Australia. I think one issue I have is that a lot of the brands do not stock the lightest shade of foundation in Aus for some reason? I have to source stuff internationally and that is a pain in the butt because it's so hard to try and colour match via swatches online :(

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  12. I've had good and bad experiences even within the same brand - it's so frustrating! I've also been matched too light (Bobbi Brown) and too dark (MAC). I find it's best to just be insistent that they put several colors on you and then let you go outside to check in natural light.

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