I am very pale. It's been said before that I look sickly when I don't put blush on because of how pale I am. Well, correction, most of me is pale. My arms are more tan, so there's that. I have never been a fan of self tanners and we all know how bad sun bathing is for you. I always liked my fair skin and I still do. However, it does it becomes a problem when I am shopping for foundation.

In reality, I very rarely wear foundation. I opt for a light coverage Korean BB cream because my skin is so chronically dry and because Korean brands seem to have shades that are neutral enough and fair enough to work on me. But recently, a girlfriend of mine and I were in Sephora and I thought I would look into purchasing a higher quality foundation to have on hand for going out, events, etc. It's a makeup staple, so I thought it would best I find one I like.

It was an ordeal, let me tell you.

The foundation I wanted (Too Faced's Born This Way Foundation) was too dark for me. Their lightest shade SNOW was both not fair enough and not neutral enough to look "born this way" natural. We tried a couple other brands with no luck. Then, the girl matched me using their skin scanner to a foundation from Benefit... and their lightest shade was still too dark.

The only brand in the store that had a shade that worked for me was Becca. It wasn't perfect, but at least it worked. Big brand cosmetics has had this problem for a long time. Limited shade selection should be a thing of the past. Light skin tones, deep skin tones, medium skin tones, neutral undertones, yellow undertones, pink undertones... there's so many beautiful skin tones out there, especially in such a diverse country as the U.S. Brands need to pay attention. Maybelline launched their FitMe line which proudly displayed a vast array of shades to choose from. I purchased a bottle of the Maybelline FitMe (it was $4.89 at Walmart) and I was happy to see so many shades in their range. But... it was still not pale enough. At least it was close?

Because extremes, like very pale skin tones or very deep skin tones aren't considered the "majority" (as if there even is one) they aren't always included in shade ranges. Actually, friends of mine with deep, deep skin tones have been complaining about that for years. Most makeup companies, like close brands, cater to the ideal. Golden, bronzed, Californian goddess. At least, you would think so from their selection. The same way the fashion industry is more interested in size 00-2 than anything else, makeup companies often cater to a small selection.

There have been a lot of companies that have expanded in recent years, and I think that's great. But, just with foundation. Try finding a highlighter if your face already looks like paper, or if your skin ton is deep. It's a process, to be sure.

I am very glad to see big brands starting to diversify their colors... but its taking a long time to hit all cosmetics lines. Like, forget about the drugstore. There's only a handful of companies that make a wide enough shade selection to suit most women. And if you find a color, there's no guarantee its going to suit your skin type. For example, my skin is dry as bones. And the color of bones. Ironic. I'm bones. But let me just give you a peek into my skincare routine, okay? I use Clinique's Moisture Surge Intense cream TWICE a day (with BioOil mixed in) and GlamGlow's ThirstyMud mask 3-4 times a week. My skin is still dry. Still. Dry. Trust me, I drink a lot of water. I'm just dry. So, I need a moisturizing foundation. In my color. With fuller coverage. And a dewy finish. That isn't $5,3897. Kill me. OR HELP ME? Suggestions welcome...