I’ve been working in the field of cosmetics since 1987 and worked for a variety of cosmetics companies with hundreds of items. My specialization is color cosmetics, and I’ve been able to not only develop an expert in the creation of new shades but learned about the reasons what makes colors look different on different individuals. Anyone who has a skin tone lighter than dark Caucasian recognizes how difficult to discover a foundation that won’t cause you to look ashy. Even those who use the typical light shade, medium or dark are sometimes faced with the “orange mask”. We’ve grown so used as consumers to accept what’s handed to us that we have no idea what makes things happen as they are and we don’t need to take what we don’t want.
Over the years , I’ve been listening to many different explanations of the reasons why certain people look ashy while others appear to be oompa-Loompa’s however, nobody really has the picture right. In reality, very small numbers of companies design and make their own products, and many businesses rely on contract manufacturing to create and manufacture their products. That being the case, most foundations are created using the following colors: iron oxide(s) black, red, as well as titanium dioxide. Certain companies may be reading this and think”Oh no! We are using brown or umber however, in reality the colors the brown and umber are produced by using iron oxides, black, red and yellow. Iron oxides are extremely earthy shades, and are than just soft, muted browns rather than actual yellow and red. The brownish nature of iron oxides is akin to the beige color that the majority of skin tones appear like. By using titanium dioxide (white) to regulate the opacity or reflectance this color we are able to generally replicate the brightness and lightness of skin tones.
The problem is that, although the colors used seem to resemble the skin color however, they’re not. True skin tones are made up of reflectance/opacity (white) and blue, yellow, and red and black, which if it is used at all , is only used to regulate the tone. Because the majority of foundations available use iron oxides and do not contain blue, in order to achieve an even darker shade, the white is diminished and the black gets increased which is the source of the ashiness it’s not white but from black because black, while not the color that truly creates skin tone, can make the skin appear ashy when applied. The same applies to lighter shades. because blue isn’t used in the majority of foundations, in case you’re not fortunate enough to be able to wear the exact shade you’re wearing, you’ll probably get an orange or yellow casting to the foundation or foundation brush supplier.
The reason why companies make use of ferrous oxides in addition to white, is due to the fact that blue is a hard color to use in foundations. The use of this pigment will cost more and requires more skill from the formulators and the 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 technique used by companies is to develop very light makeup formulas and state that the colors will correspond to between 90 and 95percent of clients. This tactic is used every couple of years, and customers will flocked to test new products but then discover that the color is in fact their skin tone “sort of”, because the makeup is transparent. Most of their skin’s colors show through, along with the variation in color that they’re trying to even out with the foundation. The endless search to find the perfect product can be a nightmare. But there are solutions becoming available.
While working on a new formulation of Bare Minerals in the late 90’s I started to take some of the knowledge I’d learned about skin colors from the previous companies I was employed by, such as Revlon, Max Factor and Cover Girl; into the new shades. The growth of the brand over the past 10 years has demonstrated that my thoughts helped to make an impact on the variety of choices consumers can choose from. Recently, I was granted the full freedom to design the foundation formula specifically that was developed for By Jove Cosmetics, which totally incorporated my ideas for color matching for skin that was based on the blue, yellow, red principles of color match and the result was the By Jove TRU2U foundation and , in particular, the Ultra Matrix 3000 custom foundation kits. If you are a consumer and you are looking to create your own cosmetics Companies such as By Jove will ultimately provide to their customers what many large-scale companies have not been able to provide.
If you are looking to find a foundation do not get caught up in the choice. Check the color on your own using an in-store tester and if you are unable to find an item there, you can request one on the website of the brand generally, samples are accessible from the manufacturer at a very low cost (usually shipping and handling). If you are looking at the shade, try to look at it in daylight. Store fluorescent lights can emit blue hues and make makeup look better for your complexion than it actually does. This is why often a shade looks beautiful in the store but appears off when you apply it later.
When you have found a shade that you like and it’s discontinued, Try to save a small portion of the makeup that you no longer are using and look for companies that specialize in custom blends. With a specific shade’s name or even a small portion that is your foundation competent color chemist is capable of matching your shade precisely. A searching on Internet for customized blended makeup, custom blend cosmetics or a custom foundation can yield results for many companies. The typical cost for custom-made blending is from $45.00 up to $75.00 per ounce of makeup . The foundation kits by Jove Cosmetics begin at $29.95 for the right amount of materials for two ounces of completed makeup.