When it comes to finding the perfect shade of lipstick or palette of eyeshadow, there can be a lot of uncertainty, and with fall fashion kicking into full gear, it’s the ideal time to find your colors. Before even heading to the drugstore, you should first identify your skin undertone.
What do I mean by this? Check your wrists. If your veins appear blue or purple, it means you’re cool-toned. If they appear green, you’re warm-toned. Trouble distinguishing between blue or green might mean you have a neutral skin tone (such as olive) and can adapt to a wide variety of color palettes. Another rule of thumb: if you burn easily and turn red from sun exposure, you’re likely cool-toned. If you tan, you’re warm-toned.
For the sake of coherency, I’m going to use Urban Decay’s Naked palettes to represent ideal eyeshadow shades for different skin tones. However, I suggest find dupes or cheaper drugstore brands. I chose to focus on Naked palettes because I have firsthand experience with quite a few of their shadows (and am a huge fan).
COOLER UNDERTONES
Fair-Medium, Light skin
EYESHADOW: Naked III or Naked Basics II palettes
DO: deeper pinks, soft taupes, jewel tones (for example: sapphire if you have blue eyes)
DON’T: smokey greys, dark browns, bronze tones
Use Limit on the Lids; Nooner or Burnout in crease and outer corners; Strange in inner corners. For a night out, Dust and Buzz will be your best friends (Naked III). Stark on the lids; Frisk or Clover for the crease and outer corners; Skimp in the inner corners.
LIPS
DO: peachy pinks, rich pinks, corals, bright cherry reds, cool blue-based pinks (if you’re feeling edgy)
DON’T: orange-based pinks, light nudes (they can wash you out), brown-based or wine reds
1. Illamasqua Lipstick in “Obey” ($22 at Sephora)
2. Korres Mango Butter Lipstick in “Warm Pink” ($18.00 Sephora)
3. Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Blooming Lip Balm ($28.00 Sephora)
And, if you’re feeling extra glamorous, go for the bold red Taylor Swift look.
WARMER UNDERTONES
Light-Medium skin
EYESHADOW: Naked I or II
DO: neutrals (especially with gold undertones), light browns and taupes, warm pink-based browns
DON’T: greys, dark browns or bronzes
Naked on the lids; Buck in the outer corners and crease; Virgin in the inner corners. For a night out—Foxy on the lids; Half Baked on the outer corners.
LIPS:
DO: copper-based pinks, rose pink (usually comes with a gold undertone), beige-pinks, orange-based pinks, berries, and coral pinks
DON’T: vibrant cool pinks 1. Topshop Lips in Be My Baby ($12.00 Sephora)
2. Nars Sheer Lipstick “Sexual Healing” ($36.88 Sephora)
3. Laura Mercier Lip Colour Shimmer “Sweet Pea” ($27.90 Sephora)
4. Nars Honolulu Honey ($27.00 Sephora)
Medium-Dark skin
EYESHADOW: Naked I and III; Naked Smoky
DO: neutrals, browns, earth tones, bronzes
DON’T: pink
Burnout on the lids; Nooner in the outer corners and crease; Strange in the inner corners. For a bolder, more glamorous look: Half Baked on the lids; Smog on the outer corners; Dark Horse on the crease. Or, Toasted on the lids; Hustle in the outer corners and crease; Virgin in the inner corner.
LIPS
DO: dark berry shades, deep plums, deep reds
DON’T: nudes, pale pinks
1. Laura Mercier Creme Lip Colour “Seduction” ($24.00 Sephora)
2. Topshop Lips in Hazard ($12.00 Sephora)
3. Nars “Cinematic Future Red” Lipstick ($18.88 Sephora)
Another tip for all of you discovering your warmness and coolness—if you’re warm-toned, your skin will look most lively and fresh when wearing gold jewelry and if you’re cool-toned, silver will complement you best.
So, whether you prefer to tone it down (pun intended) or be brash and bold in brilliant reds, discovering your perfect shades just got a little bit easier.