I attempted to try AL several years ago when I first discovered mmu. I have very difficult to match coloring and all the sampling and mixing was so confusing and overwhelming that I didn't get too far and I found myself settling on just ok looking foundation. With all the raves I keep hearing about AL I'd like to try again. With all the choices here, there has to be something better than just ok!
I am a very fair blonde that's gone auburn with blue eyes and both pink and yellow tones. My neck is much more yellow than my face. I have trouble finding colors that are not too pink, too yellow or my personal favorite too orange when worn. My other big struggle is that most things are too dark!
Hopefully this will help all you AL mavens steer me in the right direction. Thanks!

http://img.photobucket.com/alb...pinkfox/sideview.jpg

Hi! I have been using the mmu now for a few years and I had some problems getting the right color too. I figured I was a totally different color than I was. I too am fairly fair with blonde hair. I found that 1L works well for me. My daughter is even fairer than me and she wears the same thing. Now I also have some redness to my face that I hated. The women here told me to get a 1YL and it is my perfect shade. If one color doesn't work, don't forget, you can get just a few samples and mix them together to get the look you want. What worked for me was to buy some samples and brush lines on my face. The closest one is the one I chose as the base color. If I felt like I needed a little color change, then a light dusting of one of the perle powders or just blush seemed to do the trick.
One thing I do want to caution you on when you test the colors on your face is remember, you are not going to put that thick of a coat on your face. What may not look perfect in a thick line may look perfect lightly dusted as foundation.
I hope this helps and keep your head up, once you find your color, you will love using this make up and all the fun colors

Don't worry -- it takes a lot of us a while to find a perfect color match! I samples all the Level 1 shades (mixing each one with Alabaster) before I finally figured out that Alabaster+1W was my perfect match -- since makeup salespeople tried to tell me I was cool, I didn't think to try 1W at first! Now I know I'm warm... Anyways...

Aromaleigh's Level 1 foundations are lighter than most other brands' lightest shades; however, if you are extremely pale (like me!) consider sampling Alabaster and perhaps even Ghost. Even if you can't wear Alabaster by itself, you can mix it into a too-dark color to lighten it up.

It can be difficult to guess foundation shades based on pictures (differences in computer monitors, cameras, etc.) so I'd start with ordering several Level 1 samples. If you want to save a bit of money, you can make your own Linen blends -- e.g. 1YL is simply a 50/50 mix of 1Y and 1L.

Start by appling some 1L near your jawline. (If it's way too dark for you, then try Alabaster+1L.) If 1L looks too yellow on you, then try some of the more pink foundations - 1P, 1PL, 1C, 1CL. If 1L looks too pink on you, try some of the yellow foundations - 1W, 1WL, 1Y, 1YL. If 1L is close but just looks ashy, grey, or dull, then try 1N and perhaps some of the Linen blends.

Also make sure you check your foundation both in natural and indoor light -- several foundations look like they match in my bathroom, but not outside!

Once you try that, if you're still unsure come back and post your results! List what colors you tried and what was wrong with them (e.g. 1W was too orange or whatever) and we can help narrow it down Incidentally, in my experience, if a foundation looks too orange it's probably either too dark or too warm...

Finally, this may help some people.... the FAQ includes an undertone chart, but I find it a bit easier to simplify the chart. Since all the foundations have beige you can pretty much ignore that. Also, even though N contains all undertones, most people would agree that the predominant undertone in N is peach. So I like to think of the foundations like this:

P = pink
C = pink + peach
N = peach
L = beige
W = yellow + peach
Y = yellow

(For what it's worth, you appear to have some peachy tones, at least on my monitor, so maybe try 1N, 1C, and 1W? I wouldn't limit yourself to just those shades though!)

As for your neck being a different color than your face, you have a few options: You can match the foundation to your neck so you don't have a line of makeup at your jaw (though this may cause you to look a bit pale or washed out -- or at least it does with me -- but a good blush will fix that!), or you may want to split the difference and wear a shade that's somewhere in between your neck and face color. Just keep sampling and see what you like best!

Good luck and let us know if you have any other questions!

Hello! In your avatar you look very fair. But in the photo you linked to, you appear to be a level 2. When I first tried Aromaleigh, I thought I was considered fair but all of the level 1's were too light for me. When you're choosing your samples, you might consider tossing in a couple level 2's (maybe 2yl and 2wl) just in case. You may even find that a mix of level 1 and 2 together is just right for you. Let us know how things go.

The avatar is a much better representation. i can't go darker the the level 1!

quote:

Originally posted by pinkfox:
The avatar is a much better representation. i can't go darker the the level 1!

Then girl_geek gave you some great tips to help you select a foundation.