How to Adjust Your Foundation Shade Between Seasons

Lightening or Darkening: Combine Shades

Jumping a shade up on your favorite foundation’s color wheel sounds simple but a bit more complicated. “Something important to note when choosing a foundation or shading up or down for a new season is that brands are very different in shade variations,” Menard says.

“You can’t always just choose the next shade up. You have to know the brand, the shades, and what you’re looking for to make the best decision. I often advise my clients to keep the one that works best as a match, then go one or two shades darker and mix that into the one that works for them. That way, you know the tone always stays somewhat the same.”

Wedding and event makeup artist Lucas Dean also suggests buying a shade closest to your skin tone at its lightest when you find a foundation you love—and then buying a shade two shades up. “You can have a variety in range when mixing the two, so you can match your skin year-round.” Sometimes you’ll use more of the lighter shade and sometimes more of the darker one to create the hue that best matches you in the moment.

There you have it—once you find a formula you love, buy two of them and enjoy a shade range you can mix and match all year.