Makeup That Loves Your Skin Tone

If hair dyes have a color chart for your skin and hair type, why not a makeup color wheel for your skin? I’ve always wondered about that. It’s so tempting to rap on a beauty counter and demand for that eye shadow or blush that looked so good on the glossy print ad model, but just plain ghastly on us once we get home and put them on our faces. The most fatal mistake we can make when it comes to buying cosmetics would be to think that all of us would look good with the same color makeup. Nah-uh.

So take a good, long look at your complexion type first. If you’re of Asian or Latin descent, you’ll most probably have warmer tones in your skin, such as yellow or bronze, or even olive. Caucasians usually have cooler skin tones. Still, that’s not set in stone, because you could also be fair and rosy (like most Koreans), or have an enviable, year-round tan even if you’re Caucasian. Here are some good ways to gauge if you do have warm or cool skin tones. One is to stand in front of a mirror wearing a white top. Then replace that with an off-white top. Which one looks more flattering? If it’s the white one, you most probably have cool skin; if it’s the off-white, you have warmer skin. You could also do the jewelry trick and try on silver and gold rings, necklaces, or bracelets. Silver loves cool-toned skin better, while gold flatters warm skin (think Indian women).

That done, if you find you have warm-toned skin, the best foundation for you would be those with a yellow base. Those with a pinkish hue works best for cooler skin. As always, learn to blend the foundation properly, and under good light, to determine if you have chosen the right color. Blushers are relatively easier. Cool skin favors pinks, corals, and peach hues, while warmer skin can go bolder with bronzes and those with a coppery shimmer.

After that, everything else becomes relatively easy as far as makeup color selection is concerned. Translucent powders are better than pressed ones, especially if you decide to forgo putting on foundation. For best results, choose a powder in the same way as you would choose your base, or foundation, and apply with a powder brush. Lipstick, on the other hand, can be more fun to experiment with because of the range of colors, and preparations they now come in. Warm skin would look best with either very warm browns, reds, and bronzes, or else nude or pale if the predominant tone is yellow. On the other hand, pinks, oranges, and mauve lipsticks flatter fairer, cooler skin.

These are some very basic tips, but that’s not to say they’re the Gospel truth about choosing the right makeup color. As always, experimenting with makeup always produces the best result, but it pays to be familiar with your skin so you can be comfortable (and beautiful!) in it.

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