I’m a make-up artist – my fingertip method will stop you from the dreaded orange hue from the wrong foundation

ANYONE who has ever worn make-up has been guilty of picking the wrong shade foundation at one point or another.

A make-up artist revealed the easy hack to colour matching your skin tone.

@askellenbeauty / TikTok

In her viral video, TikTok user Ellen (@askellenbeauty) demonstrated a simple way to check if you have a pink or yellow base complexion.

She explained that the answer is quite literally at your fingertips.

The beauty expert shared that there are telltale signs on your body that will instantly reveal your base colour.

“My palms are pink, see that pinky red tone there, and the backs of my hands are yellow,” Ellen said as she showed her audience her hands.

“See when I put the pink next to the yellow, the yellow almost looks kind of green.”

She explained that anyone with pink base skin will have pink or red tones everywhere.

This includes your chest, your face, and your ears.

For anyone still unsure, Ellen recommended adding a swatch of both a pink and a yellow foundation to your chin or your chest.

One of the foundations will disappear as it blends into your skin, revealing your base colour.

She showed her followers how a yellow foundation looked “almost invisible” on her skin once it dried.

Ellen noted that if she had tested the product on her fingertip it would’ve looked wrong on her skin.

She added that this is why it is important to compare the various parts of your body to the skin on your face when swatch-testing foundation.

TikTok users shared their thoughts on the advice in the comments section.

“YES, it really helped. I’m pink, but I’ve been told to not use a pink-based foundation because it will make me look too red in the face,” one viewer said.

“Not me struggling with this concept for YEARS just to have magic make-up lady explain it so simply and quick,” wrote another impressed follower.

Biggest beauty mistakes

Fabulous' Beauty Editor Tara Ledden has shared the do's and don'ts when it comes to beauty.

“No matter how much time and money you spend on your beauty routine, if you’re not getting the basics right, the rest is wasted.

“There aren’t many non-negotiables, but these are the biggest beauty mistakes sabotaging your regime.”

• Not wearing SPF: Sun-damage is the main cause of premature skin ageing, so if you want to keep your skin looking plump and glowing, sun cream is vital. 
• Using expired products: Best case, they’re ineffective and don’t deliver the results they promise, worst case they cause irritation and infection. The shelf life of beauty products differ – for example, mascara is usually good for 3-6 months while lipstick can last for 9-18 months. Check the ‘POA’ symbol on the packaging (it looks like a jar and will have a number inside for how many months it’s safe once opened. If you can’t remember when you opened your product, throw it away and start again, marking the month and year with a permanent marker on the packaging. 
• Not knowing your undertones: If you’re using make-up with the wrong undertones, it’ll never look natural no matter how much you blend it! An easy trick to work out whether you have cool, warm or neutral undertones is to check the veins on your wrist – if they look blue, you have cool undertones, if they’re green, you have warm and if they’re a mix you have neutral. 
• Skipping heat protector: It might feel unnecessary, but much like sun damage on the skin, excess heat is the most common cause of hair damage. So, if you want shiny, healthy hair, or you’re trying to grow it longer, using a heat protection product is key. 
• Not washing your face before bed: it’s as simple as this, if you’re not washing your face before you go to sleep, everything that’s been on your skin during the day is sitting there for even longer, clogging your pores and drying out the surface. Any skincare applied on top isn’t going to be effective with a layer of dirt underneath, and you’re probably going to end up with dirty pillows too – yuck!

“I can’t wait to test the nine bottles I have,” joked a third commenter.

“I am very pale but still yellow based, it’s really hard to find foundations that aren’t pink toned,” shared another person.

“OMG, this is the simplest explanation ever!!! Thank you,” commented one viewer.

“Oh my gosh, that really helped!! You’re the FIRST to explain it so that I GET IT!!! Thank you,” said another follower.

“Definitely helps!!!!! I wish there was more resources for people to figure out their undertone. I just realized I’m yellow at 38!” wrote one TikTok user.

@askellenbeauty / TikTok