How to Choose a Mineral Foundation Shade
How to Choose a Mineral Foundation Shade
Choosing the right mineral foundation shade comes down to understanding your undertone, testing in natural light, and selecting a formula that matches your skin's depth and surface tone. Unlike liquid foundations that oxidize or change color throughout the day, mineral makeup stays true to its initial shade—making accurate matching critical.
Here's how to find your perfect match.
Step 1: Determine Your Undertone
Undertone is the subtle hue beneath your skin's surface. It doesn't change with sun exposure or skin conditions—it's constant. There are three main undertones:
Warm Undertone
Your skin has golden, peachy, or yellow hues.
Signs: Gold jewelry looks better on you than silver, veins on your wrist appear greenish, you tan easily without burning.
Best shades: Foundations with yellow, golden, or peachy bases.
Cool Undertone
Your skin has pink, red, or blue hues.
Signs: Silver jewelry flatters you more than gold, veins appear blue or purple, you burn easily in the sun.
Best shades: Foundations with pink or neutral-cool bases.
Neutral Undertone
Your skin has a balanced mix of warm and cool tones.
Signs: Both gold and silver jewelry look good, veins appear blue-green, you tan moderately.
Best shades: Foundations labeled "neutral" or those that balance warm and cool pigments.
Step 2: Identify Your Skin Depth
Skin depth refers to how light or dark your skin is, independent of undertone. Mineral foundation shades are typically categorized as:
Fair: Very light skin with minimal melanin
Light: Light skin that may tan slightly
Medium: Moderate skin tone with visible pigmentation
Tan: Deeper skin with warm or neutral tones
Deep: Rich, dark skin with high melanin
Your depth can change seasonally (lighter in winter, darker in summer), so you may need two shades or a custom blend.
Step 3: Test in Natural Light
Artificial lighting (especially fluorescent or yellow-toned bulbs) distorts color perception. Always test foundation shades in natural daylight.
How to test:
Apply a small amount to your jawline (not your hand or wrist—facial skin tone differs from body skin).
Blend it out and step outside or near a window with natural light.
The correct shade should disappear into your skin—no visible line of demarcation.
Wait 5-10 minutes to ensure the shade doesn't oxidize or shift (though mineral makeup typically doesn't oxidize like liquid foundation).
Step 4: Match to Your Jawline, Not Your Face
Your face may have redness, hyperpigmentation, or uneven tone—don't match foundation to those areas. Instead, match to your jawline or neck, which represents your true skin tone.
Foundation should create a seamless transition from face to neck. If it's too light, you'll look washed out. If it's too dark, you'll have a visible mask effect.
Common Shade-Matching Mistakes
Testing on your hand: Hand skin is often darker, more pigmented, or has a different undertone than facial skin.
Matching to your face instead of jawline: Facial redness or discoloration will throw off your match.
Testing in store lighting: Fluorescent lights make everything look different. Always confirm in natural light.
Choosing a shade that's too light: Many people go too light thinking it will "brighten" their complexion. It just looks unnatural.
Ignoring undertone: A shade can be the right depth but the wrong undertone, making it look orange, pink, or ashy.
What If You're Between Shades?
If you're between two shades, you have options:
Mix them: Mineral makeup is easy to blend. Combine two shades to create a custom match.
Use the lighter shade in winter, darker in summer: Your skin depth changes seasonally, so having two shades ensures year-round accuracy.
Go slightly lighter: Mineral makeup is buildable, so a lighter shade can be layered for more coverage without looking heavy.
How Mineral Makeup Differs from Liquid Foundation in Shade Matching
No oxidation: Liquid foundations often darken (oxidize) after application due to oils and air exposure. Mineral makeup stays true to its initial shade.
Buildable coverage: You can start sheer and build to full coverage, making slight shade mismatches less noticeable.
Blends with natural oils: Mineral powder blends with your skin's natural oils, creating a more seamless, skin-like finish than liquid formulas.
MAD Minerals Shade Range
MAD Minerals offers shades across the full spectrum of undertones and depths:
Warm shades: Golden, peachy, and yellow-based for warm undertones
Cool shades: Pink and neutral-cool bases for cool undertones
Neutral shades: Balanced tones for neutral undertones
Each shade is designed to be mixable, so you can create a custom blend that evolves with your skin throughout the year.
Still Not Sure? Here's What to Do
If you're unsure about your undertone or shade, start with a neutral shade in your depth range. Neutral shades are the most forgiving and adapt to slight variations in undertone.
You can also order samples (if available) or purchase two shades to mix and match until you find your perfect formula.