Beauty guides

Know your skin before you buy

Most makeup that "doesn't work" is just the wrong texture for the skin type or the wrong undertone. These guides fix both.

The 2-minute blotting test

  1. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and pat dry. Do not apply anything.
  2. Wait 30 to 60 minutes.
  3. Press a clean tissue or blotting paper on your forehead, nose, cheeks and chin.
  4. Check the result below.
What you seeYour skin type
Oil on every area, skin looks shinyOily
No oil at all, skin feels tight or flakyDry
A little oil on forehead and nose onlyNormal (or combination if the T-zone is very oily and cheeks are dry)
Redness, itching or stinging after washing, or most products stingSensitive (can be on top of any type)

Combination skin? Follow the oily guide for your T-zone and the dry guide for your cheeks.

💧 Oily skin

Your skin makes extra sebum, so makeup slides and shine shows by midday. Pores look larger and you may get blackheads. The upside: oily skin often shows fine lines later.

Do

  • Use a foaming or salicylic acid cleanser.
  • Always moisturise with a light gel. Skipping it makes skin produce more oil.
  • Use niacinamide serum to help control oil.
  • Pick a matte or "dry touch" sunscreen.
  • Matte foundation, then bake the T-zone with loose powder.
  • Carry blotting paper and a compact for touch-ups.

Avoid

  • Heavy creams and oils during the day.
  • Washing more than twice a day; it strips skin and rebounds the oil.
  • Dewy foundations without powder.
  • Re-powdering over oil without blotting first (looks cakey).
Shop oily skin picks See an oily skin routine

🍂 Dry skin

Your skin makes less oil and loses water faster. It feels tight after washing and powder can sit in flaky patches. The goal is hydration first, then a skin-like finish.

Do

  • Use a creamy, non-foaming cleanser.
  • Apply hyaluronic acid on damp skin and seal it with a ceramide cream.
  • Use a hydrating primer and a dewy or satin foundation.
  • Powder only where you shine, with a fluffy brush.
  • Use a hydrating setting mist instead of a matte spray.

Avoid

  • Hot water and harsh foaming face washes.
  • Full-face matte foundation and compact powder.
  • Alcohol-heavy toners.
  • Physical scrubs on flaky skin; they make it worse.
Shop dry skin picks See a dry skin routine

🌸 Normal skin

Balanced oil and moisture, few breakouts, small pores. You can use most textures, so choose by season and occasion.

Do

  • Keep it simple: gentle cleanser, moisturiser, sunscreen.
  • Add vitamin C in the morning for glow.
  • Matte foundation in summer, satin in winter.
  • Set just the T-zone.

Avoid

  • Adding too many actives at once. Normal skin can become sensitive.
  • Skipping sunscreen because skin "looks fine".
Shop normal skin picks See a normal skin routine

🌿 Sensitive skin

Your skin reacts easily with redness, stinging, itching or bumps. It can be oily, dry or normal underneath. The rule is fewer, gentler, fragrance-free products.

Do

  • Patch test every new product on the inner arm for 24 hours, then behind the ear.
  • Pick fragrance-free, alcohol-free formulas.
  • Introduce one new product every two weeks.
  • Use soothing ingredients: oat, ceramides, panthenol, thermal water.
  • Remove makeup gently with micellar water, no rubbing.

Avoid

  • Fragrance, essential oils and mint.
  • Strong acids (salicylic, glycolic) and high-strength niacinamide until your skin is calm.
  • Scrubs and hot water.
  • Sharing makeup sponges and brushes.

If you get swelling, hives or burning, stop the product and see a dermatologist.

Shop sensitive skin picks See a sensitive skin routine

Shade & undertone

Find your foundation shade

Tone is how light or deep your skin is. Undertone is the colour underneath. A shade that matches your tone but not your undertone looks grey, pink or orange.

ToneDescriptionMaybelline Fit MeMACL'Oréal True Match
FairBurns easily, rarely tans112 / 115NC15 / NW15C1 / W1
LightBurns first, then tans lightly120 / 128NC20 / NC25N2 / W2
WheatishLight-medium, tans easily, golden cast220 / 230NC30 / NC35W3 / N4
MediumTans deeply, warm golden-brown310 / 330NC40 / NC42W5 / N5

3 quick undertone tests

  1. Vein test. In daylight, look at the veins on your inner wrist. Green means warm, blue-purple means cool, a mix means neutral.
  2. Jewellery test. If gold makes your skin glow, you are warm. If silver does, you are cool. Both suit neutral skin.
  3. White cloth test. Hold pure white next to your bare face. Skin looks yellow or golden: warm. Pink or rosy: cool.

Most Indian skin tones are warm or neutral-warm. If unsure, start with a W or N shade.

How to swatch correctly

  • Swatch three shades in stripes along your jawline, not your hand or wrist.
  • Check in daylight near a window. Store lights are warm and misleading.
  • The shade that "disappears" into your neck is the right one.
  • Wait 15 to 30 minutes. Some foundations oxidise darker as they dry.
  • Your face can be lighter than your neck. Match the neck so there is no line.
  • Your shade can change in summer. Many people keep two shades and mix.

Loose powder and setting powder: which one, and in what shade?

Loose powder

Very fine powder used to set liquid foundation and concealer and to "bake" under the eyes. It gives the most long-lasting finish. Choose translucent if you are fair to light, or a slightly tinted (banana / honey) powder if you are wheatish to medium, so it does not look ashy in photos.

Pressed / compact powder

Pressed powder with a little colour, used for touch-ups during the day and for light coverage on its own. Choose the same shade number as your foundation. Blot oil first, then press. Dry skin can usually skip it.

Long-lasting makeup

How to make makeup last in heat and humidity

The long-wear routine

  1. Cleanse and moisturise. Even oily skin needs a light gel. Dehydrated skin pushes out more oil.
  2. Sunscreen, then wait 5 minutes. Wet sunscreen under foundation is the most common reason makeup slides.
  3. Primer by zone. Pore-blurring matte primer on the T-zone; gripping or hydrating primer on cheeks.
  4. Thin foundation layers. Use a damp sponge and build only where you need coverage.
  5. Conceal after foundation. You will need less.
  6. Bake. Press loose powder under the eyes, the sides of the nose and the chin. Wait 5 minutes and sweep off.
  7. Set the rest lightly with a big fluffy brush.
  8. Setting spray. Mist in an X and T shape from arm's length.
  9. Touch up smart. Blot, then press a little compact. Do not swipe.

Extra tips for Indian weather

  • In monsoon humidity, choose gel textures and matte setting sprays.
  • Keep your foundation and primer from the same family (both water-based or both silicone-based) to stop pilling.
  • A fan-dried face before makeup holds better than one that is still sweating.
  • For weddings and long events, transfer-resistant foundations like Double Wear hold best.
  • Waterproof mascara and eyeliner stop smudging under the eyes in heat.
  • Reapply sunscreen over makeup with an SPF mist or SPF compact.

Why makeup breaks down

  • Oil: dissolves foundation. Fix with matte primer, powder and blotting.
  • Dry patches: foundation clings and cracks. Fix with hydration and a grip primer.
  • Too many layers: heavy makeup slips faster. Use less, set better.
  • Touching your face: the quickest way to lose coverage.
Shop long-lasting makeup

Hair care

Treat the scalp, protect the lengths

Your scalp is skin and needs cleansing and treatment. Your lengths are not alive and need protection from heat, friction and dryness.

🍂 Hair fall & thinning

  • Losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal. More than that for weeks is worth checking.
  • Common causes in India: low iron, thyroid issues, vitamin D or B12 deficiency, stress and post-pregnancy shedding. A blood test helps.
  • Scalp serums with rosemary, Redensyl or Procapil need 3 to 6 months of daily use.
  • Tight hairstyles and rough combing of wet hair cause breakage that looks like hair fall.
  • See a dermatologist for patches, a widening part or sudden heavy shedding.

❄️ Dandruff

  • Dandruff is usually caused by a yeast on the scalp, not dryness.
  • Use a shampoo with zinc pyrithione (ZPTO), ketoconazole or salicylic acid 2 to 3 times a week.
  • Leave it on for 2 to 3 minutes before rinsing.
  • Heavy oiling can feed the yeast. Oil lengths, not a flaky scalp.
  • Thick yellow flakes, redness or spreading patches need a doctor.

🌾 Frizz & dryness

  • Frizz is hair reaching for moisture in humid air. Seal it with conditioner and serum.
  • Condition every wash, from mid-length to ends.
  • Apply serum on damp hair, then air-dry or diffuse.
  • Swap rough towels for a cotton T-shirt, and sleep on a satin pillowcase.

✂️ Damage & breakage

  • Bleach, colour, straightening and daily heat break the bonds inside hair.
  • Bond-repair treatments like Olaplex No. 3 rebuild strength over several uses.
  • Always use heat protectant and keep tools under 180°C.
  • Trim split ends every 8 to 10 weeks; nothing glues them back.
Build my hair routine

Body care

Body skin needs care too

Body skin is thicker than the face, so it tolerates stronger acids like 5% AHA or 20% urea. It still burns, tans and dries out.

Know your body actives

IngredientWhat it doesGood for
Salicylic acid (BHA)Clears pores, oil solubleBack and chest acne, bumps
Lactic / glycolic acid (AHA)Exfoliates the surfaceDullness, tan, strawberry legs
UreaHydrates; softens at high %Dry skin (10%), cracked heels (20%+)
CeramidesRepair the skin barrierDry and sensitive skin

Quick fixes for common problems

  • Strawberry legs: exfoliate 2 to 3 times a week, use a sharp razor with gel, never dry-shave.
  • Back acne: shower right after workouts, use a salicylic wash and leave it on for a minute.
  • Tan: body sunscreen daily is the only way to stop new tan; acids fade old tan slowly.
  • Dark underarms: usually friction and shaving irritation; switch to gentle hair removal and an AHA/BHA roll-on.
  • Cracked heels: soak, pat dry, urea at night, socks on.
Build my body routine

FAQ

Common questions

Can oily skin skip moisturiser?

No. Without moisture, skin can produce more oil to compensate. Use a light gel or a mattifying moisturiser.

Why does my foundation turn darker or orange?

That is oxidation: the formula reacts with oil and air. Choose half a shade lighter, use a mattifying primer, and test for 30 minutes before buying.

Is translucent powder okay for wheatish or medium skin?

Fine translucent powder is usually fine in daylight, but it can look white in flash photos. A tinted banana or honey powder is safer for wheatish and medium tones.

Do I still need sunscreen if my foundation has SPF?

Yes. You would need a very thick layer of foundation to get the SPF on the label. Use a separate SPF 50 sunscreen under makeup.

How do I know if a product is causing side effects?

New redness, itching, burning, small bumps or breakouts within a few days usually point to the newest product. Stop it, go back to a basic routine and add products back one at a time. See a dermatologist if it does not settle.

Can I use salicylic acid and niacinamide together?

Most people can, but start slowly. Use salicylic acid at night 2 to 3 times a week and niacinamide in the morning. Stop if your skin stings or peels.

Are the prices on Tone & Glow exact?

No. They are approximate MRPs to help you compare. The store buttons show the live price, offers and stock.