Chasing the Perfect Base

I've always been fascinated by the idea of achieving a flawless base. The prospect of finding the right formula, the right undertone and the right depth in makeup products enthralls me. My journey to base perfection has been hampered by the lack of clear information and resources on the internet about what might be best for my skin tone, which is what prompted me to start recording my experiences, so that it may serve as a resource for people close to my skin tone who are baffled by which foundation shade to pick.

In this journey, I have learned quite a bit about my skin, what terms I should look for when picking products, and a little bit about application technique. 

Knowing one's Mac foundation shade can make things much easier. I have never been matched to a Mac shade, but I have built an understanding of what my Mac shade must be over the years, and more details about my skin which I will be writing down here as a reference for readers. I'm not a huge fan of classifying people into single Mac shades although it is practical, since I have come to realise that most people have areas of varying depth on their face (if they didn't, they probably wouldn't even need foundation) and if one chooses products based on the average of those skin tones, the darkest areas usually end up looking ashy. This is particularly relevant for South-Asian skin like mine which is prone to hyperpigmentation. 

So keeping this in mind,
I have light-medium skin, and my skin tone ranges in depth from NC30-NC42 depending on which zone of my face you pick, and also the season. I'm a neutral-warm olive. My skin type is normal to dry. My only skin concerns are dullness and hyperpigmentation, both around my eyes and my mouth. 
(My cheeks are somewhere around NC30-NC37 - these shades are quite close to each other and I get tanned in summer. But my hyperpigmentation is NC40-NC42, with the darkest areas, especially the dark groove under my eyes, which refuses to be concealed unless I use products that have the characteristic orange-y undertones that Mac NC42 is well-known for.)

Like any dry skinned person, I quite enjoy a natural satin or dewy finishes and formulas to combat the dullness. I'm also always looking for ways to effectively color- correct and conceal my hyperpigmentation in one step. My favourite base products are the ones that tick both these boxes. I have succeeded in finding a few such products, the details of which will be shared in upcoming posts.

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