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COLOR MATCHING IN FOUNDATION
I would really appreciate it, if anyone could provide me with some reference, or starting point, for color matching in liquid foundation. I have to color match my liquid foundation, with 5 shades (of a famous brand-foundation) chosen by my boss, and then pass it from lab scale to the production.
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7 Replies
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Shades making is quite technical work but not difficult. You have to follow the tone of shade.
In makeup 99.9% shades made with yellow oxide and red oxide. First of all add yellow oxide and check your shade if it needs more brownish or skin tone add small amount of red oxide. Remember to note down each addition of color.
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Google for color wheel so that you can better judge the color percentage. And do it in sunlight for accurate shade tone.
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Couple of pointers:
1) It’s very helpful to keep your TiO2 level constant across your shades.
2) It’s tough to add dry pigment to a finished liquid foundation and have it come out right.
3) Instead, make up monochromatic batches of your formula. Yellow, Red and Black Iron Oxide batches (about 10-20% pigment) should be all you need, along with a colorless (TiO2 only) batch. It’s easier to keep the TiO2 level constant if you have it constant in your monochromatic adjusting batches also, but that’s a personal preference. This way, you can add drops of color and stir for a few moments to alter your shades without having to worry about properly grinding pigment into your batches. -
@Bobzchemist simply brilliant. I always had to make new batches when I was doing shade matching for liquid foundation.
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@Bobzchemist thank you for your answer. Just to get it clear: when I mix the monochromatic batches, find the correct shade and note the amount of each one in the foundation,then I just have a reduction of the amounds of colorants to the final 10% CI of the formula?
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There are two methods to use monochromatics that I’ve used. I’m sure there are others:
1) Make the strongest possible monochromatics without TiO2. Make a TiO2 monochromatic. Make a colorless base without TiO2. Add monochromatics to a colorless base until your shade is where you want it. Calculate the amount of pigments used - that’s your formula. No reductions or additions are made.
Advantage: Small amounts of monochromatics can be used to adjust. Coverage can be adjusted for each shade.
Disadvantage: Harder to achieve uniform coverage across the shade range. Stability and viscosity will probably be different for each shade.2) Determine the amount of pigment you want in your batch. Determine the coverage level you want in your batch. For example, say you’ve decided on 10% pigments, 5% TiO2. Make all your monochromatics at those levels, i.e. 10% Black Iron Oxide + 5% TiO2. Make a colorless base with TiO2. (You don’t need a separate TiO2 monochromatic, since it’s in all of your monochromatics and your colorless base at the same level.) Add monochromatics to the colorless base until your shade is where you want it. Calculate the amount of pigments used - that’s your formula. Again, no reductions or additions are made.
Advantage: Easy to keep uniform coverage across the shade range.Harder to make mistakes when color adjusting. Stability and viscosity will be the same for each shade.
Disadvantage: Larger amounts of monochromatics need to be used. Coverage can’t be adjusted for each shade. Harder to achieve darker colors without chalkiness. -
@Bobzchemist Thank you so much for the advice. Really felpful. Do you think that I could use this method both in color adjusting in the Lab, and in the production line? I’m thinking to make monochromatic bathces and follow the same way. Is it possible?
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