Pinning down the perfect foundation can feel like navigating a minefield of liquids, powders, and cover-up concoctions, only to realize once you get home that the color that looked perfect under the lights of the department store, looks noticeably different in the stark light of day.

Here are five tips to help you select your perfect color match.

1: When shopping for a new foundation go with a clean complexion, free of make-up. Try on foundation by placing it along your jaw line, and neck, the best spots to test for a true match.

2: Once you have tried on a shade or two, walk around to see how the color looks in various light, daylight, fluorescent light, shadows. The correct shade should be invisible on your skin.

3: Our complexions are more complicated then, dark, medium or light. All complexions have what is called an undertone that adds a unique color to your skin. Undertones range from cool, neutral cool, neutral, neutral warm, and warm, and add yellow, pink, blue and beige nuances to your skin color. Look for a foundation that either neutralizes or plays up your undertone.

4: While everyone knows that skin gets darker in the summer and lighter in the winter, not everyone changes their foundation color accordingly. To maintain a flawless look come sunshine or snowstorm, makesure your foundation reflects your current coloring.

5: Find the texture and formulation that best suits your skin type. Cream and liquid foundations work best for dry skin types (leaving them radiant and dewy), while oily skin tones may prefer oil-free or oil-control powders, and light liquids, that provide a matte finish.

Final note: The generation of heavily caked foundations has thankfully passed. Look for a foundation that illuminates the skin (not mask it), catches the light beautifully, and allows your skin to breath, so that you are wearing your make-up, and not the other way around!