When you go to a makeup store, often, the employees will test out the foundation using the back of your hand. In a makeup tutorial on the Nae2Curly YouTube channel, a makeup artist named Mo says that using your hand as a color reference is a major mistake. Mo explains that your hand receives way more sun than your face, so it's not a great testing ground for color. Not only that, but Mo reveals that your skin often has multiple shades to it. You'll want to look at the middle of your face and the outer rim to find the right colors, says Mo before dousing her foundations of choice on a mixing palette.

This is where the mixing palette comes in handy. Not only does a mixing palette give you room for multiple shades, but you can also compare the shades you create to your face more easily. In a YouTube video introducing the Makeup Mixing Palette by Beauty Blender, an expert with Sephora shows how you can get an even better color comparison using a clear mixing palette. You can see if your foundation matches from every angle by placing the transparent backdrop against your face. 

Finding a foundation hue that blends seamlessly into your skin tone is crucial in getting a natural look. And, as a bonus, you can avoid strange blotches of color on your hands.