Should My Makeup Correspond with My Eye and Hair Color?
Written for Walgreens.com
The human face is a work of art and the variety of colors in its palette is amazing. Think for a moment of a face with piercing blue eyes, ringed by skin of the lightest beige, then set off to perfection by a halo of dark chestnut hair. The contrast in such a face is amazing, and one of the things that makes it so beautiful. There is bad news and good news here. The bad news is that not everyone has that degree of contrast in their face naturally. The good news is that the right makeup can help you achieve that look. It’s as easy as knowing how to match your makeup with your eye color and hair color.
What does color have to do with it?
Let’s go back to your elementary school art class for a moment. Remember the color wheel? That color wheel, and the law of colors, is just as applicable to your face as it is to a painting. Certain colors look good with each other. They’re in the same palette; they complement each other. The opposite is also true. Colors that reside on opposite sides of the color wheel also look great together.
You can harness this knowledge and bring it to your own look very easily. To get started, let’s talk about cool and warm skin tones.
Skin tone, eyes, and hair
The best way to figure out your general coloring, and therefore which makeup colors look best on you, is to visit your local department store and get a free consultation with a beauty assistant. If you don’t have time for that, or you want a DIY test, look at the veins in your wrist. If they appear greenish, that means your skin has yellow undertones and you have a warm skin tone. If your veins look more bluish, that means your skin has blue undertones and you have a cool skin tone. Once you know which skin tone you have, you can read up on which colors will look best on you. Another way to figure out what makeup colors would look good on you is to look at your eye color and your hair color. Nothing is set in stone, but generally, the following recommendations hold true:
If your hair is brown:
Avoid pale foundations as the contrast can make you look ghostly. Stick with deep hues in your eye makeup and lipstick such as rich purple.
If your hair is red:
Redheads look gorgeous in green, peach, and copper.
If your hair is blond:
Avoid matte nudes that can wash you out. Look for berry tones to brighten up your complexion.
If your hair is black:
Stick to colors such as sheer plum and jewel tones; for added drama, pair them with a swipe of sexy gray eyeliner.
If your eyes are blue:
Blue, violet, silver, gray, peach, purple, and yellow colors will look amazing on you.
If your eyes are hazel:
Bring out the best of the color in your eyes with plum, khaki, and brown.
If your eyes are darker brown:
A variety of colors will bring out your dark beauties: pink, orange, salmon, brown, lime green, azure, gold, and blue.