Has shopping for foundation ever made you feel as if you're drowning in a sea of buff with no clear way to sand? Are you baffled by how one company's ivory looks eerily similar to another brand's porcelain? Have no fear the industry-experienced makeup artists at Make-up Designory (MUD) are here to help you safely navigate your way to the perfect shade with four easy steps to master the art of choosing the foundation that's right for your skin.

Step 1: Survey - Study your skin's shade and undertone. The shade is the color that you can see on the surface of your skin, often described as light, medium, tan, or dark. The undertone is the color underneath the surface tones generally categorized as cool (pink, red, or bluish undertones), warm (yellow or golden undertones) or neutral (a mix of warm and cool undertones).

Step 2: Eliminate - Too light, too dark, too olive, or too pink? Take out the obvious and narrow down the playing field.

Step 3: Test - As you get down to a few shades, blend a small amount in to your jaw-line. Look into the mirror. If you can still see the foundation, it's not the right color. If the shade blends fully with your skin, you have the right shade and undertone.

Step 4: Insiders Tip - A common mistake is trying the product on your arm or hand. If you aren't wearing it there, why match that part of the body? Hold your hand or arm up to your face. Do the two skin tones match? Didn't think so.

While looking for the right shade of foundation, give MUD's line a try.  Their collection of face makeup is unique in the sense that each shade is named for what it is. The line is broken down into an easy to navigate series with each part of the name representing undertone and shade, making it simple to navigate your way to the perfect tone for you.

MUD foundations retail from $17- $28 and are available on www.mudshop.com.

Plan to use these foundation tips to find your own? Let us know in the comments below