Its All About Skin Tone

Determining your skin tone is by far the hardest task for most women. We try to make some sense out of the hype. Say goodbye to orange face paint!

 "Can I wear white? "
I get asked this question a lot especially when brides are shopping for their wedding gowns! . According to The Wedding Channel any bride may wear white. The white wedding gown is mistakenly thought to represent virginity; but in fact is merely a color of celebration (ancient Greeks wore white for their most important festivals) and a wedding fashion vogue popularized in the 19th century.

The bridal veil, however, is traditionally a symbol of virginity and second time brides are encouraged not to wear a veil. At the very least, avoid wearing a blusher veil (the short piece of veil that "masks" the bride through the first part of the ceremony and then is raised by the groom when he kisses her).

"Is white a good color for me?
There seems to be a lot of confusion about skintone, especially when it comes to the underlying skintone. But it doesn't have to be a difficult experience for you and I am here to give you the simplest method I know of choosing the perfect colors for your next special occasion.

First of all let's skip the notion of the color blue as being an underlying skintone, shall we? I am not saying to discount the theory or the use of blue as an underlying tone, but  to simplify matters, let's just start with 3 basic skin tones.

Before I continue, let's not confuse skin tone with dark and light. Each skin tone will have a dark or light component, which I will mention in a minute.

So back to the skintones: Most people have one of the following three underlying skintone:

1 .Warm
2. Cool
3. Neutral

Remember: Warm toned skin tans in the sun. Cool skin tones turn pink in the sun.

Most neutral toned skin types can wear white or any of the neutral creams and eggshells.

If, by chance you have a warm skin tone, your best bet will be wearing a warm white, rather than a rosy or pinky biege. Why? Because a warm white will bring out more of the rosy tones in your face. A bright or pure white could have the effect of making your warm skintone look too yellow.

So, let's say like me, you tend to have a lot of pink or blotchiness in your skin. Then by all means, you will need to stay away from the warm yellowy whites and  the ivories, which tend to have just hints of yellow in them. Choose instead, a beigey or rosy white, which will do wonders to actually even out your skintone! 

The Law of Opposites

Keep in mind that finding a perfect match for your skin tone may not be your ultimate goal. You will always want to neutralize any excess yellow, greens or pinks in your skin tone, providing a more natural base for the rest of your makeup. For instance, yellow-toned makeup or concealer will reduce excess pink in the skin, while a rosy foundation will bring a glow to sallow skintones. By choosing the right shade, you can even camouflage blotchiness or uneven pigmentation in your skin.

Do What the Makeup Artists Do:

 We've found that the best way is to experiment to find the perfect shade for you. It's easier than you think with Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Get Started Complexion Enhancers ($136 Value) Get Started Complexion Enhancers offers powder foundation in  a range of skintones, so you can mix and match to create a perfectly clear complexion. We also like it to cover up any unexpected outbreaks!

Step 1. Find the undertones in your complexion

Most foundations come in a blue or a yellow base. "Looking at your skin tone by itself is not much help" says makeup artist Morgen Schick." The trick is to compare your skin with something neutral, like a white piece of paper. Hold your wrist, palm up, over the paper and your tone should be obvious. Still unsure? Many pros think that most people, except for those with very fair skin, have a yellow or golden undertone.

This chart will help pinpoint your skin tone:
First determine, the level of darkness or lightness in your complexion.
Then, choose between a warm or cool tone.

Warm and Cool?  Notice how the colors of the words cool and warm both have red in them But a cool red like 'berry" is has more blue in it,  while a warm tomato red has more yellow.   Whether you have  light skin or dark or somewhere in between, choose your makeup and clothing according to the amount of pink or yellow in your skin. Find out how to choose your wardrobe to improve your skintone!

Also ask yourself:

• Is your skin brown or bronze when you tan? You have a  cool undertone.

• Is your skin golden brown when you tan? Then your undertone is warm.   

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