You want to look your best, and for that to be the case, you need to know how to choose the right skin color. The right shade of skin is key to making any look work. The wrong shade can make you look white or even blotchier than you already are. So, how do you know what skin tone works best on you?
What skin tone is best on me?
This one’s a toughie. Like many things in life, you can either have it or not have it. There are some people with super light skin who have the tendency to break out easily, while others have the opposite problem and get oily easily. Some people are naturally golden while others have a more olive complexion. There are even people with both types of skin.
Why does it matter what skin tone is best on me?
You’re going to look better with skin that matches your own. It’s that simple. In addition to looking better, you’ll feel better too. You’ll feel more confident when you know how to choose the right skin tone for you. You might even find yourself more often going to tanning salons because of how amazing the color looks on you.
The 4 C’s of Skin Tone: Complexion, Color, Character and Clarity
The first thing to understand about skin tone is that it’s a collection of 4 distinct layers! The topmost layer is the color, which is what we refer to as the “spot on color” model. The next layer is the coloration, which is determined by what Europeans would call your “peach” or “golden” skin tone. That second layer is your “character” – how you react to certain things such as sun damage, skin care, and seasonal changes. The bottom layer is your “clarity” which can either be light or dark depending on your own personal preferences.
The 2 Types of Skin You Have: Oily and Dry
Oily skin is usually characterized by a shiny, oil-loaded surface and drier skin has a smoother texture. But, oily skin doesn’t always mean you’re oily! Dry skin can also be oily, but it’s usually less oil-y. Dry skin is the result of a lack of water (hydration), which is why you might experience dehydrated skin during the winter when your water intake is limited.
The 3 Types of Skin You Need to Make Up For: Brown, Vanilla and Warmth
There’s also a third type of skin you need to make up for: the warm skin of people with dark complexions. The color, texture and general look of warm skin is meant to be more delineated from the surrounding skin so it blends better with the overall tone of the body. You can see this in people with red hair, fair skin, and redheads.
Conclusion
There are plenty of skin shades that work for everyone and each skin type, but for the most part, we’re talking about mixtures of two shades or shades and light browns. That’s why you’ll see quite a few light browns in this guide, along with a few reds and greys to help give your skin a more realistic look. The only way to get the perfect match is to play around with the samples in the store. No two people have the same skin type, and you don’t know that until you try on a bunch of shades and see what looks good on you!
