Photo Studio 308 Colors to Wear for Your Skin Tone celebrities

What Colors to Wear for Your Skin Tone

General Guidelines

 

There are general guidelines we can all follow when it comes to what to wear and how to look on a photo shoot. You most likely want to appear polished and professional. For that, it’s a good idea to keep things simple in terms of clothing and accessories. Patterns should be minimal and not too distracting, and colors shouldn’t be too loud that they overwhelm. Clothing should be fitted, have clean silhouettes, and be wrinkle-free. In general, you want the focus to be on you and not your clothes.

Of course there are exceptions to every rule. If you’re a creative type or your identity revolves around being unique, then by all means, be you and dress the part! At the end of the day, you want your photos to capture your authentic self. And being comfortable with what you wear is the first step to being comfortable in front of the camera.

How To Determine Your Skin Tone

Having said that, we all have unique physical traits that distinguish us from one another. For example, hair color, eye color, and skin tone can all guide us and help determine what looks best on us. If you’re not sure where to start, a good place is to first figure out if you are warm, cool, or neutral toned. A fairly easy way to tell is to check the vein color on the inside of your wrist. If the vein color looks blue or purple you are likely cool toned. If the vein color is more green or greenish-blue, you are likely warm toned. And if you have a mixture of the two, you are likely neutral toned.

Another way to determine skin tone is to try on gold and silver jewelry. Pay attention to which makes your skin “pop” more. If gold looks better on you, you are warm toned. If it’s silver, then you lean toward cool toned. And if both look good on you, then you are likely neutral toned.

Cooler tones usually have fair skin to very dark skin (with red, pink, and bluish undertones), light blonde hair to blue-black hair, very light or very dark eyes, and can burn easily in the sun or have rich pigmented skin. Warmer tones usually have darker or tan skin (with yellow, peach, or golden undertones), darker hair, brown eyes, and tan easily in the sun. Neutral tones usually have olive skin or a mix of warm and cool tones, warm brown or ashy blonde hair, hazel or brown eyes, and tend to burn and then tan in the sun.

What Colors Suit You Best

Once you are clear on your skin tone you’re free to experiment with clothing, hair, and makeup that suits you best.

If you are cool toned, your skin has red, pink, or blue in it. This pairs well with jewel toned colors, like rich blues, greens, or magentas/purples. In terms of makeup, you should look for colors with pink or blue undertones.

If you are warm toned your skin is more yellow, golden, or olive based. This pairs well with earth tones. Think oranges, reds, olives, and golden colors. For makeup you should choose colors with yellow undertones.

If you are neutral toned, you likely have a mixture of warm and cool tones. In this case—you’re lucky! You have more of a range of colors you can wear. For makeup you should stick with neutral tones that match your skin color.

Keep in mind, deeper skin tones with darker hair can be both warm or cool, and redheads can also tend to be on either side, according to makeup artist Jaleesa Jaikaran.

 

Examples of Colors That Work Well for Your Skin Tone

 

Cool Skin Tones

Choose cool colors on the color wheel that create contrast with your skin.

Example, if you have:

  • Fair skin
  • Blonde hair
  • Blue eyes

Wear:

  • Bright blues
  • Royal blues
  • Emeralds
  • Deep purples
  • Pinks
  • Lavenders

Avoid:

  • Oranges
  • Yellows

Makeup:

  • Blue-based eye shadows
  • Red, pink, or purple toned lipstick
  • Pale or rose toned blush
Photo Studio 308 What Colors to Wear for Your Skin Tone Nicole Kidman
Photo Studio 308 What Colors to Wear for Your Skin Tone Nicole Kidman

Celebrity match: Nicole Kidman

Warm Skin Tones

Choose earth tones on the color wheel that are warm or golden and compliment your skin.

Example, if you have:

  • Tan olive/skin
  • Brunette hair
  • Brown Eyes

Wear:

  • Oranges
  • Reds
  • Peaches
  • Ambers
  • Corals
  • Gold

Avoid:

  • Icy blues
  • Amethyst
  • Ruby

Makeup:

  • Earth toned eye shadows
  • Darker red toned lipsticks
  • Coral toned blush
Photo Studio 308 What Colors to Wear for Your Skin Tone Jennifer Lopez
Photo Studio 308 What Colors to Wear for Your Skin Tone Jennifer Lopez

Celebrity match: Jennifer Lopez

Neutral Skin Tones

Choose colors on either side of the color wheel.

Example, if you have:

  • Mix of warm and cool skin tone
  • Ashy blonde hair
  • Hazel eyes

Wear:

  • Peaches
  • Pinks
  • Rose
  • Light blues

Avoid:

  • Browns
  • Black
  • Navy
  • Reds
  • Yellows

Makeup:

  • Blue-based or earth toned eye shadows
  • Red, pink, purple, or darker red toned lipsticks
  • Pale, rose, or coral toned blush
Photo Studio 308 What Colors to Wear for Your Skin Tone Julia Roberts
Photo Studio 308 What Colors to Wear for Your Skin Tone Julia Roberts

Celebrity match: Julia Roberts