In this beauty post, I want to talk about how to find your best makeup colors. Recently, I posted on how to find your perfect wardrobe colors. If you read that fashion post, you know I talked about an easy test for finding your skin’s undertones to determine which colors look most flattering on you. This same test can be applied to choosing makeup colors too!
The Test
Look at the underside of your wrists in bright natural light. If your veins look blue or purple, you have cool undertones. If your veins look green, you have warm undertones. If you see both blue and green, you have neutral undertones.
The best makeup colors for cool skin undertones are pinks, rose shades, blue-red shades, berry shades, mauves, and jewel tones.
The best makeup colors for warm skin undertones are peach, corals, orange-red shades, golds, yellows, and earth tones.
If you have a true neutral skin undertone, you are very lucky and can wear most all colors.
If you are wondering, I definitely have a cool skin undertone and tend to stick with the makeup colors that flatter those with cool undertones. I have a lot more color exceptions to the test above when it comes to clothing. However, I tend to be a lot more picky about following the rules of this test when it comes to makeup. This is especially true when picking out foundation. After all, it is sitting right on top of my face. I want it to blend in and look as natural as possible!
So, here are some tips for choosing your best makeup colors using this easy test.
Choosing Foundation Colors
When it comes to choosing a foundation color, it’s important to first consider your skin tone which is the color on the surface of your skin. Do you have fair, light, medium, or dark skin? Next, it is equally important to know your skin undertone which is the color you see under your skin – indicating whether you are cool, warm, or neutral.
If you have a cool undertone, you will see hints of pink, red, or blue under your skin. Look for foundation colors whether in light or dark shades that have slight hints of pink in them. There is an exception to this though. If you have a really visible red or ruddy complexion like I do, then you need to stay away from anything with too much of a pink cast and look for something more neutral or color correcting.
If you have a warm undertone, you will see hints of yellow, gold, or peach under your skin. Look for foundation colors whether in light or dark shades that have slight hints of yellow or gold in them.
If you have a neutral undertone, then you will not see any hints of color under your skin. Try to match your foundation to your skin tone as closely as possible whether fair, light, medium, or dark. Strike a balance by choosing a makeup color that is neither too pink or too yellow.
Generally, if you have fair or light skin and sunburn easily, you probably have cool undertones. If you have medium or dark skin and don’t sunburn easily, you probably have warm undertones. Yet, there are exceptions!
Since getting your foundation color right is so important, it’s worthwhile to consult with someone who works behind a makeup counter. Get samples of different foundation shades in different brands to try out before buying. A good place to do this would be a store like Ulta or Sephora. They have tons of foundation brands to choose from. For years, I’ve worn Clinique Foundations. I know they do categorize their foundation colors under cool, warm, or neutral.
Always check foundation colors in natural light applied to your jawline. The right color should blend into your skin seamlessly between your neck and face. There should be no harsh makeup line.
If buying on your own or in a drugstore where you can’t sample before buying, here are a few more helpful tips. First, pay attention to the name of the foundation. Sometimes, that can give you a hint as to its color formula but not always!
Next, be sure to check the return policy on makeup for the store you’re buying from if you are in doubt and a product does not work out.
Last, check the website of a brand you are considering. They may have more detailed information on their products and color matching.
Shop Foundations
Choosing Lip and Blush Colors
I’m also very particular about staying within my cool undertone guidelines with lip and blush colors too! Whenever I’ve ventured outside of the colors and shades that best suit me, I’ve regretted it!
In fact, I used to change out my lighter spring/summer makeup colors for colors or shades that I thought reflected the fall/winter seasons when they came around. I remember thinking every time I did this that my makeup just didn’t look quite as good as when I was wearing lighter spring/summer colors. There is a good reason for this! I was picking fall colors and shades that just did not look good on me. Also, I was using deeper or darker colors that just looked too harsh on my very fair skin.
Now, I’m not saying don’t ever change out your makeup with the seasons. I’m just saying try to stay true to what flatters your coloring and not the scenery outside. For example, warm orange-red lip or blush colors don’t flatter my cool skin undertones! Instead, I need to stick with true pinks or rose shades.
Here are a couple of pictures that give you examples of when I chose the wrong lip color verses the right one.
In this first photo, I tried a nude lip in a pink color that ended up being too orange!
In this second photo, I’m wearing a bright berry-pink lip color that looks much better.
As a general rule, blue-red or pink-red lipstick and blush colors look best on cool skin undertones. Orange-red or peach-red lipstick and blush colors look best on warm undertones.
Also, for lighter skin tones, really deep or dark shades can look too harsh. On the other hand, medium or dark skin tones can wear deeper or darker shades.
If you are a neutral, wear what you like best but stick to an all cool or all warm color palette. It’s best not to mix the two. For example, don’t wear an orange-red lipstick with a pink-red blush.
Shop Cheek Colors
Choosing Eye Makeup Colors
When it comes to picking the right eye makeup colors, it can get a little bit tricky. The rules of the undertones test can apply, but your eye color plays a significant role too.
Most of the time, we want our eyes to stand out or pop. I’ve seen everything over the years on how to achieve this from wearing the same color shadow as your eye color to wearing a contrasting color shadow?! When your skin undertone color gets thrown into the mix, this can quickly become overly complicated! So, I say eye makeup colors are where you should follow more of your personal preferences.
If you are not sure where to begin, the following guide gives you contrasting eyeshadow colors that may make your eyes pop.
Brown Eyes – shades of blue or navy
Blue Eyes – shades of brown, bronze, or copper
Green Eyes – shades of purple or pink
Hazel Eyes – shades of brown, gold, or green
Personally, I have follow more of my own preferences first when it comes to eye makeup colors. Yet to be sure, I’ll narrow down my choices by deciding if they fall within the cool category and/or if they make my eyes stand out.