Say you had the chance to create the best foundation possible. You'd want it to be a close match for your skin tone. And you'd probably like it to touch your skin like a whisper--no thick liquid or heavy cream. The look would be so sheer it would wear like a tinted moisturizer. Best of all, it would enhance the appearance of your skin and disguise any imperfections. Guess what! There are foundations and powders currently on the market that meet all these criteria and more. Our sensitive skin, which ranges in shades from ivory to ebony, can now reap the benefit of technology breakthroughs in foundation color, texture and performance. Where we once we had to be grateful for a near match, whether or not it was compatible with our skin or yielded the look we wanted, today we can find a much wider choice of colors with the finish we want, from ultrasheer to opaque. And these products from a growing number of companies, among them Maybelline, Almay and Prescriptives, contain ingredients that are compatible with the special care requirements of all types of skin.

Although the choices are wider now, some of us still can't find the perfect match in a foundation; we still need deeper colors and greater availability of the shades for our various undertones. The challenge to makeup compnies is to make a wider range of products with the kind of pigments we need.

Here are some tips that will lead you to the perfect finish:

Selecting: Buy foundation according to your skin type and the texture you want (see chart on next page).

Testing: Apply a little along your jawline, and view it in a natural light to see if the color blends well with your skin.

Applying: To avoid the risk of contaminating your foundation with bacteria, never use your fingers directly on the products. Instead apply foundation with a damp sponge. Use a big makeup brush to apply powder, rather than a puff or mitt, for a natural-looking finish.

Matching: Have your foundation and powder custom-blended if your complexion is hard to match.

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COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group