We’ve all been there. You walk down the cosmetic aisle and see a new product you’d like to try and get really excited. The marketing makes it look great. But then when you take it home and try it out on your skin, it disappoints.
It’s happened to all of us at some point in our lives. And it’ll probably keep happening if we fail to approach our cosmetics choices systematically.
The trick is to work out your skin tone before you start splashing out on products. The type of makeup you choose depends heavily on your underlying skin tone.
But, first, what is skin tone, exactly?
Skin tone refers to the concentration and color of pigment compounds under the skin. Some people have a lot of melanin which makes their skin appear darker or browner, while others have less. And others have more beta-carotene derivatives from their diet, giving them a yellowy-orange healthy glow. Others are paler and, sometimes, blue.
The actual color distinctions aren’t incredibly dramatic most of the time. But they can make a big difference to how your makeup looks.
So how do you determine your skin tone?
Experiment With Different Shades Of Makeup
The first step is to actually try out different shades of makeup for a few weeks to see which you prefer. An eyeshadow palette collection like you can find here can help you compare and contrast color options and strike upon a particular look that works best for you.
Determine Your Skin Undertone
All skin types have primary tones: light, medium, and dark.
But skin also has undertones that create massive variations from one person to another. Some people, for instance, have cool colors, such as blues underneath their skin. Others are much warmer and have golden hues in the mix. Some are olive or just a mix of shades.
Try looking at your face in natural light while wearing foundation. If it looks a little grey, it means that the makeup is clashing with your natural skin tone and that you need to change it.
You can change this by choosing a lighter or darker foundation and seeing if you notice a difference.
Try The Gold-Silver Test
Here’s another test you can use to determine the type of skin you have on your face. People who look good in silver jewelry tend to have cooler skin tones, while those who best in gold tend to have warmer complexions.
Check The Color Of Your Veins
How your veins look through your skin can also give you clues about the type of skin tone you have. If your veins look purple or blue, then it means that your skin tone is cooler. If they look green or greeny-blue, then you probably have a warmer skin tone.
If they’re somewhere in the middle of both green and blue, then your skin tone is probably neutral, and you should choose a more neutral foundation.
Once you know what type of skin you have, it becomes so much easier to choose cosmetics that suit your skin.
