Think makeup doesn’t quite suit you? You need to choose the right makeup for your skin tone!
By Sophia Hussain
Are you maximising your beauty potential? If you’re using the wrong makeup shades, you may be underplaying your natural beauty. The wrong hue can wash you out, or look really artificial on your skin (though if that’s the look you’re going for, power to you!)
It’s important to be sure to curate your perfect cosmetics collection all year round in hues designed to compliment your natural tones. And of course, that means knowing how to choose the right makeup for your skin tone.
It’s not hard to do: you’ll just need learn whether you are a Spring, Summer, Autumn, or Winter. With the help of these creative colour infographic charts below, it’s easier than ever to discover which hues works best for your beautiful face.
Once that’s determined, you’ll need to know which non-toxic makeup brands product the right shades for you.
Then, you’ll need to learn which makeup tones are best for covering up any flaws your skin may have.
Ready to get more beautiful?
How to Choose the Right Makeup for Your Skin Tone
1. What’s Your Undertone?
Look at your natural hair colour and eyes to determine the main undertone of your skin, then choose makeup that complements it.
Now, look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. Are they more blue-ish, or more green-ish? If you lean towards blue, you’ll want to go for cooler shades. Think: red lipsticks with blue undertones, or electric blue eyeshadow and mascara. If green, go for warmer hues, like peach and coral.
Knowing whether you best suit cool or warm tones will help you determine how to conceal your skin’s flaws. We will look at that in more detail, below.
Now See Which Shades Work Best for You!
SPRING
You’re a Spring if:
- Your hair ranges from light golden blonde to soft brown with warm gold streaks.
- Your eyes are usually either blue or brown.
- Your complexion has peachy or yellow undertones.
- You may have freckles, and your cheeks blush naturally into a rosy pink especially after you’ve exercised.
- You notice a definite contrast between your hair, skin and eyes, although not as dramatic as Winters. Your skin will also most often have a sort of translucent quality to it.
Warm peachy hues are the right makeup for your skin tone if you have lighter eyes and hair. Spring skin tones should use a tinted foundation with an SPF, like Celtic Complexion’s, which packs an SPF of 31. Brunkulla by IDUN Minerals is a neutral brown mineral eyeshadow quad with a delicate shimmer to catch the light, and it blends in seamlessly to perfection. Finally, add a pink dolly flush with Avril Le Blush. This soft, pink hued powder blush diffuses into a cool rose on the cheeks.
Examples of spring skin tones: Christina Aguilera; Christina Hendricks; Nicole Kidman
SUMMER
You’re a Summer if:
- Your hair ranges from an ashy blonde to a medium ashy brown.
- Your eyes are either hazel, blue, green or gray.
- If your skin is light, nearly ivory.
- Summer tones can best be described as having a subtle contrast to their appearance – this means that your hair, skin and eyes may be different colours, but all have a definite undertone of slightly blue
Cool, neutral hues look great with light to medium eyes and hair. Create a subdued nude makeup look using Lily Lilo’s Laid Bare eyeshadows. The palette should be a beauty staple, as it contains several hues in a various finishes that are just the right makeup for your skin tone. For lips, try bringing out the best of your colouring with Vintage Rose by Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC).
Examples of summer skin tones: Jennifer Aniston; Kate Middleton; Reese Witherspoon
AUTUMN
You’re an Autumn if:
- Your hair is anywhere between dark brown, auburn or red with natural golden/red highlights
- Your eyes are dark blue, dark brown, green or hazel
- The undertones in your skin are peach or yellow
- Your skin rarely ever gets red, tending more towards a golden, brown tan
- There is less difference in the colour between your hair, skin and eyes
Warm colours found in nature compliment medium to darker hair, and hazel to brown eyes. Think: olive green, bark brown, rusty reds. In short, Autumns look best in hues you would see in the fall!
To get a bit of a glow on, try Bare Minerals Golden Gate. This soft mineral powder blush is the perfect product for creating fresh-faced beauty. For your mouth, Axiology’s lipsticks are often perfect for Autumn hued beauties. Try their Elusive, a crimson shade touched with tangerine, to match your complexion perfectly.
Examples of autumn skin tones: Halle Berry, Jessica Alba; Sandra Bullock
WINTER
You’re a Winter if:
- Your hair is somewhere between blue-black, medium to dark ashy brown, or grey.
- Your eyes are quite striking against your darker hair – green, blue, dark hazel or blackish brown.
- Your skin tone has blue or pink undertones.
- There is a noticeable contrast in the intensity of your features. There will be a clear contrast between the colour of your hair, eyes and skin
For cool winter skin tones, try try ‘Lovely’ by Kjaer Weis (middle product, below). This is a soft rose blusher shade that can be applied with your finger or a makeup brush for a gently stained effect. It can even double up as a creamy lippy in a pinch. Reveal luxurious luscious lips with Nordic cloudberry juice. Bjornbar by IDUN Minerals is a rich red cherry hue in a demi-matte finish. An added bonus is this hue makes the complexion appear radiant, and teeth appear whiter too, thanks to its blue undertones.
Examples of winter skin tones: Liv Tyler; Angelina Jolie; Megan Fox
NEUTRAL
Neutrals are a rare and lucky group! Basically, colours from both cool and warm seasons will suit your complexion. You’re probably a neutral if:
- Your hair is naturally quite a dark brown (neutrals are most often from Mediterranean/Latin background).
- Your eyes, hair and skin tone match. That is to say: there’s no big difference in colour between these (i.e. you have brown eyes, skin and hair)
- Your complexion generally has no definite undertones to speak of; neither peach or yellow, nor red, blue or pink, but rather somewhere in between.
Lipsticks in vibrant colours like Butter London’s Fruit Cake Lippy or Lime Crimes Venus III eyeshadow palette will create a striking contrast against your skin.
As your complexion is so adaptable to all combinations, why not experiment with a new natural hair dye? Anything from deep burgundy to platinum blonde will look amazing on you!
Examples of neutral skin tones: Michelle Obama; Eva Mendez; Selina Gomez, Kim Kardashian
2. Learn How To Hide Your Flaws
As mentioned above, you need to know if you suit warmer or cooler tones. Cooler skin tones suit foundations and concealers with a hint of green or orange, while warmer skin tones benefit from underlying purple hues.
FOUNDATION: Long-Lasting Liquid Foundation provides full coverage with a matte natural finish, suitable for all skin tones and types. You may even create your ideal match by simply mixing two hues for the perfect blend. Creamy, latte-inspired Pressed Mineral Foundations by Bare Minerals are available in hues suitable for all skin tones. Birch 1.5 will work for most with yellow undertones, while Tan 7 will work for winters.
CONCEALER: Conceal imperfections in colour correcting base tones designed to blend with your skin. Juice Beauty’s cream concealers illuminate targeted areas of the face and diminish the appearance of blemishes, dark circles and puffiness with a natural matte finish. Need special colour correction? Use their yellow hue to colour correct under eye circles, and use their light diffusing dust to colour correct skin redness and blemishes.
3. Now, Dress for Beauty Success!
Even if your makeup is perfectly matched to your skin tone, you can still look tired, pale or otherwise washed out if your clothing isn’t right for your season. In general, Springs and Autumns look best in creamy shades, grey or pastels, whilst Summers and Winters suit black, white and sharper tones like cherry red and electric blue.
As you can see below, colour also has a deep effect on our mood, so finding the right colours for you can not only make you look better, but feel better too!
Infographics by Feel Unique
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