The Art Of The Foundation Shade Range

This past spring, Michelle Mwaura discovered that Smashbox Cosmetics had discontinued their Studio Skin 24 Hour Hydra Foundation. She was devastated. The foundation had been the 29-year-old’s go-to for four years. “4.25 was my perfect shade match,” the New York City-based digital media specialist tells TZR. “I haven’t bought a new foundation yet. I’m just getting by with the little I have left in the bottle.” While people may regularly swap out and test different lip oils or blushes, many are less likely to experiment with foundation. There are a few reasons why. Finding a new one can be daunting — you need to figure out if it’s the right shade, whether or not it oxidizes, if your skin reacts well to the formula, and more. “I have sensitive skin, so I’m less adventurous when it comes to a product that goes all over my face,” explains Bayan Adileh, a 32-year-old consultant based in NYC. For brands, launching a foundation provides them with an opportunity to gain loyal customers. It’s a very universal product with higher usage rates and typically requires less education around application. This makes it an easy entry point for consumers. “For me, foundation is akin to a shampoo and conditioner,” says beauty publicist Dyana Davila Trejos. “You always need them in your routine.”

Until 2017, the foundation market was dire for Black women. If they existed, the shade options were limited, making it difficult to find a perfect match. Then came Fenty Beauty by Rihanna. The brand’s first launch filled a gap in the beauty industry — the 40-shade foundation offered options for women across the color spectrum. Suddenly, other makeup brands fell in line and began extending their complexion shade ranges to become more exclusive.

Despite the new standard the “Fenty Effect” set for brands, some still miss the mark. In 2023, beauty brand Youthforia launched their Date Night Skin Tint Serum Foundation with 15 shades. The release was met with criticism online for the lack of shade options for deeper skin tones. Earlier this year, in March, the brand dropped 10 additional shades of the foundation, which caused even more controversy. Influencer Golloria George tested out shade 600, the darkest hue, and described it as “tar in a bottle.” Cosmetic chemist Javon Ford analyzed the formula’s pigments and confirmed that shade 600 was jet black. No undertones, just black pigment.

So, what exactly goes into developing a foundation, and why do some brands continue to get it wrong? Ahead, TZR spoke to several experts about what it takes to create an inclusive, fan-favorite foundation range.

What Makes Formulating A Foundation Difficult?

Foundation launches are huge investments — you want to give yourself the time to develop a shade range, do your research, and ensure you’re hitting all your targets. “You’re creating anywhere from 20 to 50 SKUs, if not more, which can be a challenge as well as a huge investment for brands,” says Eddie Duyos, senior manager of pro artistry and product co-creation for North America at Make Up For Ever. In the US, because there’s such a wide range of skin tones among consumers, brands should make sure there are shade options for as many people as possible.

“You have to think about each [foundation] shade as a unique formula,” explains cosmetic chemist and president of SOS Beauty Charlene Valledor. “It’s not like you have one base, then you just change the colors, and everything behaves the same.” When formulating a complexion product, like a foundation or concealer, you’re working with red, yellow, black, and white pigments. “You don't have a lot of pigments to work with to make these shades,” adds Susie O’Connell, VP of product development at Ami Colé.

Each shade is a combination of those four pigments, and each pigment has its own characteristics. “The texture, the dry down — pigment changes how the formula behaves,” says Valledor. “Your lightest shade is going to behave very differently from your darkest shade, and ideally, you’re giving yourself the time to formulate and make those two experiences as similar as possible.”

Where Does A Foundation Formula Begin?

Every foundation has a base formula, explains Duyos, “whether that’s a cream, liquid, powder, mousse, or gel.” That decision on which base to use depends on what a brand is trying to achieve. “What’s the end result? A finish, texture, or an ingredient story?” explains Valledor. When O’Connell and Diarrha N’diaye-Mbaye, founder and CEO of Ami Colé, were thinking about launching a second foundation for the brand, the main thing they wanted to achieve was ease of use. “There was a lot of brainstorming,” says O’Connell, “a lot of asking, ‘What does this look like for us?’” The final product was their Skin-Enhancing Foundation Stick.

It usually takes about two years to take a foundation from a mere idea to a finished product, adds Valledor. “I’ve done foundation launches in one year, but ideally, you’re giving yourself two years to achieve the best formula and test [the product.]”

What Role Do Undertones Play In The Formulation Process?

Our skin tones consist of several parts, one of which is an undertone. An undertone is a shade beneath the skin’s surface, “the baby smooth skin that hasn’t seen any light or environmental aggressors,” says Marc Reagan, executive director of global artistry and consumer experience at Bobbi Brown.

To avoid creating a foundation with one single tone and no dimension to it, considering undertones is essential. They’re created through different combinations of pigments, explains Valledor. “For example, your rosy undertones will have a bit more red pigment, and olive undertones are a blend of yellow and black [pigments.]”

What Goes Into Testing A Foundation Formula?

Acrylic painters will look at shades under different lights to understand the color’s characteristics, depth, and complexity. Valledor takes a similar approach. “When creating a foundation range, you need to understand how to create formulations for each individual shade, and make sure you’re testing on different skin tones.”

“Let’s say I’m a medium-shade person,” she continues. “I would test it on my skin tone and on paper. I would also want to verify my assessment on someone with a lighter skin tone to make sure what I see is true.”

Color matching is just one aspect of the testing process. “Foundation is something one needs to make sure someone can use it every day for a month, and it’s not going to break them out,” says Davila Trejos. Then there’s the fact that everybody’s skin has a different texture and type. “Some people have dry skin, others have oily or combination skin,” says Valledor. “It’s about creating a formula that’ll perform well and make people look great.”

Why Do Some Brands Get It Wrong?

“It takes an entire village to create a really good [foundation] formula,” says Valledor. “You need product developers, chemists, manufacturers.” When a launch flops, you could blame the manufacturer. Or maybe the brand didn’t properly brief the lab to achieve their end goal. Or perhaps they didn’t have the right chemists.

Regardless of the specific reason, one thing is for sure, says Valledor: “They didn’t give themselves the right amount of time to put out their ideal product.”