Color IQ Matching Tips

[calluna13]

I believe the in-store results have to do with any remaining skincare on the surface of your skin and areas scanned, as well as how a foundation oxidizes once on your skin. I like to gather the gazillion foundation samples I choose in each online Sephora order and play around. I've found some surprisingly good matches this way!

The last two in-store Color IQ scans, I asked to be scanned in different areas than is standard. It caught them off guard at first, but only because they hadn't been asked by anyone else struggling with their results to try the same! They were happy to oblige. I have freckles, hyper-pigmentation, rosacea, and hormonal acne. My neck NEVER tans. My chest and face do though. As the Beauty Advisor explained it to me, Color IQ combines all the differing pigments in your skin for each area it scans and averages out the result. Knowing this, where they scan is crucial to a realistic reading!

They are given areas to scan that seem to give decent results for many, but that's not true for us all. I asked them to find my least flushed areas of skin and avoid my neck and discolorations where possible. They even had me look in a mirror and help choose some areas. The result was soooooo much more accurate! I had been testing in the 2/3Y06 range for many months. This time, I was a 1R07, and then a 2R07 the following trip! I knew I had slightly pink undertones. I didn't realize I actually wasn't as pale as I thought though. I often wear 1R06 shades to help tone a bit of the redness, just barely, and then contour and bronze the color as desired.

I will say certain brands pull more yellow or orange once applied. Tarte Amazonian Clay (creamy liquid) has always been the most forgiving yellow-based shade (even 2Y07 was wearable once on color wise), though it separates on my face eventually. Lancôme has always been simply off for me shade wise no matter what I match with. NARS Sheer Glo works well to sheer out on days I'm losing color some. Urban Decay Naked is wierd in that, the lighter shades match their Color IQ results well, but anything above a 4 is often darker than it's listed to match.

Get a sample of the Cover Fx drops to mix with foundation if it's just a hint off. It's much better than buying two or more tubes/bottles/tubs of something! Use a sheer powder to adjust a bit of difference too. And...never ignore your neck! I've never understood how stopping foundation on the jawline was ever considered a good idea in the first place??!!

Sephora Color IQ link: http://www.sephora.com/color-iq