The Beauty Column: Skincare Secrets: What Suits Me Best?
With hundreds of different products in an unimaginable amount of colours, it’s no surprise that we females spend hours endlessly staring at the beauty shelves trying to figure out what colours will be most flattering. Usually, we bung our top three choices into the basket and hand our debit card over without a second thought, only to neglect the two colours we knew deep down we should have left on the shelf.
Getting to know your skin and doing your research to find out what colours compliment your skin tone perfectly is an important part of pre makeup prep. It may be tempting to lean towards the neon orange lippy that’s bang on trend, but you’ll only regret your decision when it washes you out and you end up with stained lips when you make a desperate attempt to wipe it off at lunchtime.
The basics are warm and cool skin tones. Cool skin has pink or blue undertones (Emma Stone) and warmer tones are yellow (Eva Longoria). Hair and eye colour also make a difference but the easiest way to figure out your skin tone is to pop to your local makeup counter. The fully trained makeup artists will be able to point you in the right direction and give you colour recommendations that will suit your skin.
FAIR: Soft pink, tawny and beige tones work best on pale complexions so make sure you don’t go too dark. SPF is particularly important for all you fair skinned ladies so look for bases with a decent SPF content. Don’t be afraid of a bold lip – just make sure you keep the rest of your makeup simple. Mac Ruby Woo is a safe bet if you want to go down the red route. If you think black liner and mascara can look too harsh against your fair skin, switch to brown for a softer effect.
MEDIUM: When it comes to bases, look for yellow undertones to really bring the best out in your skin. Peachy pink blushers are a good choice, with a particular favourite being Nars Orgasm which includes flecks of gold. If you’re edging towards an olive complexion, bright colours like coral work well on the lips and cheeks while shimmery bronzes suit the eyes and will play up your skin colour.
DARK: If you’ve got dark skin, you can be extremely daring and adventurous with colours. Bold lips and bright eyes work, so be as whacky as you want. One thing to be wary of is your base colour. The darker your skin, the more the colour has to be spot on, so invest some time in getting a colour match to ensure your base looks as flawless as the rest of your face.
If you’re still confused as to what colours will compliment your skin, there’s lots of tips and tricks floating about on the internet. Failing that, it’s all about trial and error. Don’t treat makeup as a routine, embrace it and enjoy it.
You can find more from Nicole on her blog www.lifeofatraineejournalist.com