Peach. Olive. Caramel. No, I?m not talking about food here ? these are all words you might use to describe skin tones. And while these words do help in choosing the most flattering foundation or eye shadow, there?s another important factor that we have to consider: undertone.
What?s the difference" Skin tones can change: think of the color difference after you get a tan. Undertone doesn?t change. It?s the base color that lies beneath the skin ? kind of like a shadow below your skin color. And while your skin tone can be ivory or golden or mocha, your undertone can only either be cool, warm, or neutral. Once you?ve determined your undertone (click here to find out how), only then can you find the best makeup shades to suit your skin. Here are some of my faves for each type of undertone.
Moisturizer and foundation ? Sometimes beauty brands do all the work for you, like Laura Mercier?s Tinted Moisturizer, which is a smooth moisturizer with swatches that tell you what’s best suited to each skin tone. If your product?s color swatches are a little more elusive, keep your eye out for certain key words. If you’ve got cool undertones, look for makeup with shades like porcelain, sable, and cocoa. Warm undertones will have names like beige, golden, tan, caramel and chestnut. Think you?ve got a neutral undertone" Stick to ivory, buff, nude, or praline. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation has a wide range of shades for every undertone.
Lip color ? With lipstick, u...