The Problem: The lightest shade of every foundation is still too dark…even when it looks right when you first put it on, in the sunlight, you appear to be wearing an orange mask. 

Why: You’re most likely a natural blonde or redhead, flush easily, and are of Irish, Scottish, or English descent. Most of the lightest shades are made for those with a yellow undertone, but your undertone is pink or neutral (yellow + red = orange). Foundations also typically oxidize to a darker hue.

The Solution: Here are some extra-light foundations for pink undertones:

Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation in Light 42. It’s my new favorite. It’s oil-free , high coverage (it covers tattoos too!), long-wearing, and ridiculously pigmented.

Make Up Forever HD Foundation in #110. It’s incredibly natural-looking and true to color. Buildable coverage and oil-free. 

Clinique Age Defense BB Cream. For a lighter coverage with an SPF of 30. It’s sheer enough to see your skin though it, and pigmented enough to even out your skin.

this is something i did and recorded the process of a few months ago. let me give you some background: i’m a natural ash blonde who sported pitch black hair for all of three years before running into the conundrum that if i ever wanted to change my hair again, it would require drastic bleaching. after visiting several salons whose color experts looked doubtful that they could return me to blonde without hundreds of dollars, multiple sessions, and months of it looking awful, my mom and i took it upon ourselves to return me to blonde with minimal cost, brassiness, and damage. this is how we did it:

a few days before the bleaching process.

after two 30-minute applications of l’oreal color zap color stripper. notice how dark my bangs are? you want to stop touching up all of your hair with dark dye at least two months before stripping it, or the places you’ve touched up will be darker.

super blue bleach + 30 vol. developer. instead of setting a precise time to remove the bleach, keep an eye on it to monitor the color and damage. 

aaand, ginger. halfway there!

putting in highlights to the less damaged pieces in a weaving style for an all-over lighter effect. superblue +30 vol. again.

blonder, yet brassy. time to tone! just use a violet-based toner.

at this point, a got a few inches cut off, since it was pretty damaged. afterward, i only washed my hair every few days, and used livingproof restorative hair mask. 

a month later, my roots are coming in quite a bit and my hair feels stronger and healthier. ^~^

1. 

L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Lotion

I’m completely in love with this tanning lotion. If you can get over being covered in glitter after initially putting it on, the tan looks really natural…in fact, it’s the exact color I get when I do tan. It’s only $8.00, which is much less than Saint Tropez tanner. It’s also streak-free. Just be sure to exfoliate first, use less on ankles and knees, and keep in mind that you’ll get a few shades darker throughout the day, so use it sparingly!

2. 

Clinique Age Defense BB Cream

This is the best BB Cream I’ve ever tried! It’s my exact color, so it doesn’t cause an orange overcast, it has great coverage, and it’s SPF 30. I’ve never been thrilled with Clinique’s foundations, but on top of being the perfect color, it somehow manages to be both mattifying and moisturizing too. It’s $37.00, which is about average for BB creams.

3. 

LUSH Coconut Deodorant Powder

I try to steer clear of antiperspirants that contain aluminum, so I decided to try this natural deodorant powder from LUSH. Like most things at LUSH, it smells amazing. It’s made with powdered coconut milk, and when it mixes with my natural odor, it almost smells like whipped cream! I love the fact that it’s a powder too, so I can sprinkle it in my running shoes. It’s $7.95on the LUSH website.

4. 

Philosophy Clear Days Ahead Acne Treatment Cleanser

It smells like lemons, and it works great on stubborn acne. It does have salicylic acid in it, so don’t use it too often if you dry out easily. You can also get a whole 8oz bottle for $20.00.

5.

Benefit POREfessional Oil-Free Pro Balm

I don’t have a huge problem with enlarged pores, so when I got this for gratis, I wasn’t really planning on using it. After hearing great reviews on it, I tried it out on the slightly enlarged pores I have where my cheeks meet my nose, and they disappeared immediately. It’s a wonderful mattifyer, feels velvety on the skin, and doesn’t break me out like most balmy primers do. It’s about $30.00.