Palette Power: Choosing the Best Makeup for Your Hair Color
Achieving a look for day and evening that complements the color of your hair doesn’t have to be daunting. Whether your hair is blonde, brunette, ginger or gray, you and others tend to notice when your color palette is on point. Getting it right while avoiding getting stuck in the same routine can be a challenge because colors don’t look the same on everyone. In the same way a perfume reacts differently to one’s chemistry, the same exact colors can look harsh on light blondes and washed out on olive-toned skin.
Here are a few tips to remember the next time you want to try a new color or make sure you’re feeling and looking fabulous for your next formal event.
Blonde
On the lighter end of the spectrum, sun-kissed blonde highlighted or all-over process-colored tresses can range from cooler platinum and ash blonde to honey-golden hues. Ensuring that the cosmetics you wear on eyes, cheeks and lips complement your coloring requires first knowing your skin undertone.
Tip: Know your undertones
Are you warm or cool? An easy way for fairer complexions to determine this is by looking at the underside of your wrist. If the visible veins are greenish in hue, then you’re most likely warm undertones. If they appear blue, then you’re cool. So, now you can easily decide between the color-families of cosmetics. Stay within your undertone when choosing a color.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Recommended Shades:
- Blue Eyes: Pink, Taupe Shadows; Brown Eyes: Plum, Brown Shadows; Green Eyes: Amethyst and Bronze Shadows; Soft Black Mascara
- Lips: Pink-Nude, Classic Red
- Brows: Brows that are filled-in with a pencil, shadow, gel or our own Janet St. Paul brow tint closest to the natural color of your eyebrows
- Cheeks: Cool or warm pinks, peaches or bronzer applied where sun naturally influences the face color are great choices
Brunette
Brown-spectrum hair color ranges a wonderfully rich array from cool-to-warm tones, such as caramel, ash-brown and dark coffee.
Tip: Avoid red-based colors if your eyes tend to show redness
Whether it’s too much time in front of the computer screen or allergies, if your eyes tend to look red more often than not, it’s best to avoid purple or reddish-hued shadows. Neutrals such as grey/brown or ash are better choices.
Recommended Shades:
- Blue Eyes: Pink, Taupe Shadows; Brown Eyes: Plum, Brown Shadows; Green Eyes: Amethyst and Bronze Shadows; Soft Black Mascara
- Lips: Pink-Nude, Classic Red
- Brows: Brows that are filled-in with a pencil, shadow, gel or our own Janet St. Paul brow tint closest to the natural color of your eyebrows
- Cheeks: Cool or warm pinks, peaches or bronzer applied where sun naturally influences the face color are great choices
Grey
Whether your hair color simply incorporates gray blended with another base tone or is a full mane of silver, grey has become decidedly a fashion forward shade for hair color. However, because the texture of grey is rarely as silky as that on icons such as Emmylou Harris, and it tends to grow-in differently for the light- and dark-complected, the Janet St. Paul Method of assessing a client’s face shape, hair texture, lifestyle and skin tone is especially important for our grey-haired clientele. More vibrant cosmetic shades can dramatically elevate the face and help draw attention to your best features.
Tip: Filling-in brows and lining lips is a must-do
Because grey hair can wash-out your facial features due to its translucence on the color spectrum, ensuring you are filling-in your brows and finishing your lipstick with lip liner ensures that these features are crisp and beautifully delineated.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Recommended Shades:
- Blue Eyes: Charcoal, Navy Shadows; Brown Eyes: Greyish Taupe, Plum Shadows; Green Eyes: Light Brownish Gray, Olive Grey; Soft Black Mascara
- Lips: Lip liner in a complementary color is recommended
- Brows: A necessity! Brows that are filled-in closest to your natural color. Microblading is an excellent option
- Cheeks: Fresh Apricot, Peach or Rose vs. Bronze or Copper colors
Red
Ginger toned tresses have been experiencing a surge in popularity for the last few years. For fair-complected skin, turning up the volume with red hair color can be revolutionary and surprisingly “more fun” than blondes–at least from what we hear behind the chair! From auburn, russet copper-hued tones to strawberry blonde, there is a beautiful array of red hair color that is fashion-forward. Makeup colors can make the most of eyes and lips, from soft and feminine to bold and dramatic. Similarly to gray, fair-skinned redheads’ facial features can easily wash out. So, choosing colors and balancing them is key to a polished, chic look.
Tip: Contrast bold with neutral to achieve balance
If you go with a bold lip, play down the eyeshadow and vice versa. A smouldering dark eye can look great, but needs to be paired with an understated, neutral lip.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Recommended Shades:
- Blue Eyes: Peat, Charcoal and Lilac Shadows; Brown Eyes: Olive and Plum Shadows; Green Eyes: Copper and Moss Shadows; Soft Black or Dark Brown Mascara
- Lips: Naturals, Peach and Rose, and a Deep
- Brows: A necessity! Brows that are filled-in closest to your natural color. Microblading is an excellent option
- Cheeks: Coral-Red, Apricot and Peach vs. Bright Pink
These guidelines should help when you’re standing at the makeup counter. If you’d like more personalized recommendations, nothing compares to having your makeup done by a professional. Book a consultation or makeup lesson with our talented Jessica Tristan. It’s a perfect complement to your next haircut or a great boost if you’re looking to re-energize your look for summer, fall, winter or spring!
Call the salon to book your makeover 512-474-5000.
