Choosing the Best Colors for Your Complexion
Finding the right makeup colors for your complexion can be difficult. This process is made much easier by determining whether you have a cool or warm skin tone, and then using the colors recommended for those tones to choose your makeup. Here we show you how to determine your skin tone and what colors will help you look your best!
Written by Louise Lemon, Green Health Research Contributor
Cool Skin Tone
Most women have a cool skin tone, so if you are in doubt, you are most likely a cool skin tone. Women with cool skin tones will have pink or neutral undertones to their skin. Their skin colors range from very fair to very dark brown. They tend to look best in blue or pink based colors, and pink based or neutral based foundation shades.
If you have a cool skin tone you will look better in pure white and black than you do in ivory or dark brown. Your veins will appear to be more blue than green where they show through your skin. Your eyes will typically be either blue, green, hazel, or cool brown.
You will look better in jewel-tone colors than earth-tones. The right shade of red lipstick for you will be blue-based rather than orange based. Look for reds which say they are cool shades or wine shades. Instead of using brown eyeshadows, use taupe or stone eyeshadows for neutral looks. Use silver, black, purple, or blue-green shadows when doing a smoky eye. Use highlighters that have a silver shimmer rather than ones that have a gold shimmer.
Warm Skin Tone
Women with warm skin tones have golden or yellow undertones to their skin. Their skin colors generally range from medium colors to dark brown, with a few warm skin toned women having a fair skin color. They will look best in yellow based foundations.
If you have a warm skin tone you will better in ivory and dark brown than you do in pure white or black, which can make you look washed out. Your veins will appear to be more green than blue where they show through your skin. Your eyes will typically be a warm brown or hazel shade.
You will look best in earth-tone colors rather than jewel-tone colors. The right shade of red lipstick for you will be an orange-based or brick-red shade. You also look great in coral lip colors, and brown-based autumnal reds.
You will look great in true browns for neutral eye looks, and yellow-green, dark brown, and forest green for more intense eye looks. You should use a highlighter which has a golden shimmer rather than one with a silver shimmer.