New to RCMA Makeup? Here’s How to Find the Right Foundations

by Jill Russell

Published Apr 30, 2014

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As foundations go, RCMA Makeup is an industry favorite. Since its launch in 1962, the product has gained a cult following among professional artists for its reliable color matching, staying power, versatility, and superior pigmentation. RCMA’s enormous color selection is also part of the line’s appeal. Having so many shades to pick from comes in handy when working on multiple clients and skin tones. Yet while working makeup artists are pretty well-versed in selecting the right colors, such a vast offering can be overwhelming to the rest of us looking for the ideal shades for regular, everyday use.

That’s where this guide comes in: we’ll show you two different ways you can buy RCMA’s most popular foundations, and break down RCMA’s shade system, which is somewhat complex but broken into different “series” by skin tone, to make shopping easier. Be sure to use our interactive tool below to help determine which shades are right for you.

The idea is, rather than relying on one single foundation color, you find where you fall on RCMA’s spectrum, and then have a palette to draw from. From there, you’ll be able to accomplish multi-tonal looks (think highlighting and contouring) and custom-blend your perfect base shade throughout the year, as skin gets lighter or darker throughout the seasons. Follow along!

VK Palettes #10 and #11

shades: 18 per palette

Both VK Palettes are ideal for professionals—or anyone interested in having a wide range of shades to work with for contouring, highlighting, and mixing custom shades. Each is a palm-sized compact filled with 18 of the brand’s most popular shades, designed to work together on a variety of skin tones, plus an ample-sized mirror. The VK palettes are exactly the thing pros will want to have in their kits—and they’re also perfect for narrowing down a range of base shades for yourself. Since everything within VK#10 or VK#11 is designed to coordinate, both palettes are also great for mixing custom colors for a better match for you or a client.

5 Part “Series Favorites” Palettes

shades: 5 per palette

For on-the-go pros or anyone who wants to mix the perfect shade for any time of the year, the 5 Part palettes are slim and portable—each containing five of the best shades within a single shade series. Having five shades within one series can be extremely helpful in producing custom ‘in-between’ shades, or for ever-so-slightly increasing a pigment’s tone and depth, when, say, skin takes on a deeper hue during summer.