On the Face of It : Finding the One Right Foundation Can Be a Frustrating Makeup Quest

WITH SUMMER half over, many women are finding that the foundation they wear during the rest of the year no longer works. The product that once produced an even, natural-looking complexion looks artificial and pale, emphasizing blemishes rather than hiding them. It’s a common phenomenon, and the only solution is to switch makeup.

Skin tones and textures change with the seasons. Even when protected by a sunscreen, skin darkens in summer and turns pale in winter as exposure to the sun decreases. Fluctuations in temperature and wind conditions can make the surface of the skin drier or oilier.

“Most women need at least two shades of foundation over the course of a year,” advises Valerie Sarnelle, owner of Valerie Cosmetics in Beverly Hills. “You need a summer shade that’s at least two shades darker and slightly more golden than you wear the rest of the year.” And because many women tend to wear more intense lipsticks and eye shadows at night, she says, they may also prefer a slightly darker foundation. Some opt for frosted shades that are too dressy for daytime wear.

The most basic foundation problem is getting a good match. In a study The Times conducted earlier this year to determine the makeup habits of women between the ages of 25 and 55, every participant used foundation. In most cases, they were dissatisfied with their product, especially with the color.

One woman from Pasadena complained that “you can never get the right shade unless you go into the store with no makeup on.” Another Southern California consumer noted that beauty advisers are inadequately trained to select foundation colors: “Two different salespeople will sell you two totally different colors.”

Because of these kinds of complaints, custom-blended foundations are becoming increasingly popular. Trained cosmeticians and beauty advisers observe undertones in the skin and select a neutral base that is closest to the individual’s actual complexion. To that base the experts add various pigments--yellow, pink, even green for olive complexions. The foundation is tested on the face several times until the best match is achieved.

Once only available at small skin-care and beauty salons, custom-blended makeup bases are currently available from Prescriptives and Visage Beaute Cosmetics at selected department stores. “It’s very important that the person who’s blending your base take you out into the sunlight or at least near a window, so you can be sure that the color is correct,” Sarnelle warns. A customized foundation tested in artificial light, she says, can be as poor a match as a standard, off-the-shelf shade.

Custom-blended foundations aren’t for everyone. They’re expensive (some cost as much as $45 per ounce), and they’re time-consuming to buy: Such blending usually requires an appointment and takes at least 15 minutes. So most women rely on premixed shades.

For the closest match, apply and blend the foundation on the jaw line. The area with the makeup should look exactly like an area of the neck where there is no foundation, explains Hollywood makeup artist Jeff Angell. “The best color, blended well, means the woman won’t look like she has a mask on.”

How best to apply liquid foundation? With the fingers, says Russell Durkee of Prescriptives. With a wet sponge, says Angell. With the fingers and a sponge, says Sarnelle. Obviously, it’s a matter of choice. But everyone agrees that getting natural-looking coverage is the desired result. “A wet sponge will help create the sheerest coverage,” Sarnelle says. “But if a woman isn’t comfortable with a sponge, she may give up on foundation altogether. Then, I say, use the fingers.”

Cosmetics firms continue to develop new types of foundations--mousses, creams, liquids and powdery pancakes with moisturizers, oil blocks and anti-aging ingredients--and women continue to buy them. But the “perfect” year-round product--one that complements natural skin tones, feels comfortable but doesn’t look artificial--remains elusive. Because of the weather and the seasons, no single foundation can suit a woman’s face all year long.

“I’m glad I have a standby foundation,” says Susan Greenberg, a Los Angeles press agent who has worn the same brand and shade off and on for 10 years; still, she says, she spends at least $100 a year trying other kinds. “I don’t know anyone who’s truly happy with theirs. Personally, I’ll keep searching.”