Picking the right foundation is not as hard as it seems, but it seems that a lot of women don’t know how to go about it.

One of the first things to do is to determine the kind of foundation you need: one for oily skin or dry skin or combination skin. foundations for oily skin will display words like “oil-free” and foundations for dry skin will display words like “moisturizing”. If you have combination skin, see which condition your skin favors and go from there. Also, remember that you may not need to wear foundation all over. You may just want to even out certain areas. So pay attention to the oiliness and dryness of those areas.

And if you don’t want an all-over heavy coverage, choose a light coverage foundation. If you need more coverage, that is available.

Next, choose some colors—try to stick to three— that look close to your natural shade. Most people look better with a warmer, yellow tone, but if you are really pale, a cooler pink tone may work better.

Put streaks of each of the three colors on your cheek for a color test. Most people believe that the inner wrist is the place to color test, but the cheek provides a more accurate result.

Make sure to try this test near a window for natural light. You can ask a clerk to assist you because if you are standing near a window, it is likely a mirror won’t be close at hand. Or, you could ask for a hand-held mirror. If the store has no window, you may have to rely on trying on samples in the store light then checking each one outside. Make sure to tell the clerk what you are doing so as not to cause suspicion when you leave the store with streaks on your cheeks then come back!

The color that disappears on your cheek is the one you to buy.