Making my undertones work for me

[elektra513]

Does any of this make sense? I'm confused on what actually looks good and what doesn't. I'm struggling a little bit right now, and as a result just wearing neutrals till hopefully a lightbulb goes off for me, haha.
I guess I just need to think out loud for a second, as it were...

*From what I can tell from the Px website, I have yellow-orange undertones, with some mild occasional surface redness (comes and goes throughout the day).

*Pinks and plums look really good on me.

*One time a Nars MA told me not to use red based blush, but put coral e/s, blush, and lippie stuff on me.

*This week a Bobbi Brown MA told me to never use coral colors, b/c they'll make me look like an orange

but peach is ok. Why is that??

*Most Blues or teals, I can make work for me, but when I put on straight greens, I feel like I look sick

*I hate the way I look with Coppering e/s on my eyes, but Peaches blush looks so good, like a natural flush.

Anyone as confused about their undertones as I am? I have all of these colors and being a woc, I want to rock them, but now not so sure what goes with what anymore...maybe I should go find a color wheel or something

I wouldn't know where to start though...

EDIT: I found my color wheel, but if anyone is mystified by undertones, feel free to post so I don't feel so lame, lmao.

 

[chocolategoddes]

When people apply so many rules to makeup, it's not fun anymore, so don't worry about what you "should" wear. Expiriment with all the colors you have, try things that you may think would look crazy, and then make it work for you.

Okay... I think you and I have similar undertones that are yellow-y for the most part but depending on heat or just blushing, we can get a bit red.
I prefer using bright jewel tones on myself (emerald green, gold, sapphire blue), rich, deep colors (navy blue, eggplant purple, chocolate brown), and then warm neutrals with coppers and bronzes in them.

 

[elektra513]

Yeah, I'm not really concerned with "rules" per se. I just don't want to wear something that clearly looks horrible on me. To me it's like not have the right foundation shade on...I hope that makes sense...

I want to be able to say I can wear whatever color I wish, but still be aware of the appropriate "shade" or "tone" of the color that suits me. That's the tricky part, y'know? In hopes that those in similar tones would have some insight...It might just be the perfectionist in me... *shrug*

Jeweled tones are awesome.

I got lots of compliments today when wearing cool heat e/s.

 

[elektra513]

Oh, one other thing...do you like wearing coppering?? I can't get it to work for me at all. Ugh

 

[MAC_Pixie04]

I'm looking at the small pics in your signature, and I would say you have a golden undertone. It's not yellow, it's not orange, but it's definitely warm.

Orange undertones...not really heard of...at least, i've never seen an orange based foundation. I'm thinking because you have golden undertones and you mentioned occasional surface redness, that's probably where you're getting orange from (yellow+red). As far as I'm concerned, wear whatever looks good! Orange blush (NARS Taj Mahal!) would be gorgeous on you. Soft pinky nudes would as well (NARS Madly!) I love the purple look in your signature, and the greenish look in your avatar.

As far as coppering eyeshadow goes...I'm not really a fan of it either. I think it's too reddish orange to be worn alone. Try it in the center of your lid with a light gold in the inside and a matte chocolate brown on the outside and halfway through the crease, I think that would be gorgeous!

 

[elektra513]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAC_Pixie04 I'm looking at the small pics in your signature, and I would say you have a golden undertone. It's not yellow, it's not orange, but it's definitely warm. Orange undertones...not really heard of...at least, i've never seen an orange based foundation. I'm thinking because you have golden undertones and you mentioned occasional surface redness, that's probably where you're getting orange from (yellow+red). As far as I'm concerned, wear whatever looks good! Orange blush (NARS Taj Mahal!) would be gorgeous on you. Soft pinky nudes would as well (NARS Madly!) I love the purple look in your signature, and the greenish look in your avatar. As far as coppering eyeshadow goes...I'm not really a fan of it either. I think it's too reddish orange to be worn alone. Try it in the center of your lid with a light gold in the inside and a matte chocolate brown on the outside and halfway through the crease, I think that would be gorgeous!

Hey thanks!

The px foundation I wear is in the y/o family so that's why I said that--they say it's suitable for "golden" skin. I guess it's their internal description.

...but yeah I am definitely warm toned...Bobbi Brown's 6.5 oil free is the only one I saw and thought "Wow, that's orange" lol. Oh and C8.

ETA: Now that it took me 2-3 yrs to finally find the MAC color that matches me (studio fix in c8: yellow, golden, olive) I'm so worried that they will receive the ToD. *smh* I just need to calm down, lmao.

That's so funny that you said to use Coppering with other colors, b/c I just did that the other day at work--I duped the Spiced Chocolate quad using Coppering Cranberry and Handwritten. Ahem, the only part of my eye I didn't like was the Coppering, and I put where you said, too lol! It's passable now that I know that combo will work, but yeah I totally don't like it by itself, ugh.

Goldmine, Amberlights, and Woodwinked are also some I cannot stand seeing on myself. On others it's to die for...hey come to think of it, they are all warm golden shades. Maybe that's why--I always feel like a disco ball with them on...Unless I smoke them out or something...but never all over the lid

 

[makeupgirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elektra513 Goldmine, Amberlights, and Woodwinked are also some I cannot stand seeing on myself. On others it's to die for...hey come to think of it, they are all warm golden shades. Maybe that's why--I always feel like a disco ball with them on...Unless I smoke them out or something...but never all over the lid

OMG it's funny you said that about woodwinked, amberlights eyeshadow. I went and bought woodwinked eyeshadow a few days ago without even trying it on or even seeing what it looked like. I just asked the SA to give me woodwinked, because I was so sure it's going to work. "I mean why not? everyone here loved it and it's a neutral tone lol

I was going to church on sunday and decided to wear it, it was horrible on me. The disco ball thing you said was on point, it did absolutely nothing for me. I tried to make it work, but I'm returning it over the weekend. I feel you on wanting to find colors that compliment your skintone the best. I'm trying to do the same thing too. I'm especially trying to find the best natural blush for me. And by that I mean a blush that could pretty much go with any eyeshadow or lipgloss/lipstick when I'm wearing it. When I emailed a mac artist, she told me to try sheertone blush in peaches for that natural flush. I haven't tried it yet. I'm also NC45, and sometimes NC50 when I'm really tanned.

 

[elektra513]

Quote:

Originally Posted by makeupgirl OMG it's funny you said that about woodwinked, amberlights eyeshadow. I went and bought woodwinked eyeshadow a few days ago without even trying it on or even seeing what it looked like. I just asked the SA to give me woodwinked, because I was so sure it's going to work. "I mean why not? everyone here loved it and it's a neutral tone lol I was going to church on sunday and decided to wear it, it was horrible on me. The disco ball thing you said was on point, it did absolutely nothing for me. I tried to make it work, but I'm returning it over the weekend. I feel you on wanting to find colors that compliment your skintone the best. I'm trying to do the same thing too. I'm especially trying to find the best natural blush for me. And by that I mean a blush that could pretty much go with any eyeshadow or lipgloss/lipstick when I'm wearing it. When I emailed a mac artist, she told me to try sheertone blush in peaches for that natural flush. I haven't tried it yet. I'm also NC45, and sometimes NC50 when I'm really tanned.

Yeah, she's right. Try Peaches. I use it all the time when I'm not wearing any other makeup, unless I'm rocking Nars Lovejoy. Actually, try Lovejoy first.

I'm glad someone can relate to what I'm going through. Over the weekend, I invested in some more makeup books, so I'm gonna keep practicing my techniques, etc to see what I come up with in terms of using what I have. I tend to buy a lot of eye shadows simply because I like to swatch them on my hand, but then when I get them home to play on my eyes, it seems like what I bought just wasn't what I thought it was...

Oh also, keep experimenting with Woodwinked. It is way too yellow on me, yes, but I put Indianwood paint pot underneath and put it with bronze and expensive pink and it turned out better. Still pretty disco ball though--some of that cannot be avoided, as I have prominent eyes and lots of lid space

. But I shall overcome.

My other thorn in my side is...Humid e/s. Greens look good on me generally but that one...damn. I just don't know.

 

[Misstink]

Every line has diffrent set of rules for their undertones. somelines say gold undertone and another will say olive. so its kind of hard to pick one exaclty lol.

its more your natural skin color, ie. are you fair or dark skinned.

Any complextion can wear any color, its the shade in that color that looks more "natural" or "easy"

For example a color like this is going to have a more softer appeal on a dark complection compared to a light complextion since on the fair complextion it stands out more.


I hope that makes sense

anyways, my honest opinon, no matter what complextion you are, you can pull off any color if you have the confidence to it. without even speaking people can see the akwardness in someone and the colros therefore look awfull lol

 

[dazzle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elektra513 Hey thanks! The px foundation I wear is in the y/o family so that's why I said that--they say it's suitable for "golden" skin. I guess it's their internal description. ...but yeah I am definitely warm toned...Bobbi Brown's 6.5 oil free is the only one I saw and thought "Wow, that's orange" lol. Oh and C8. ETA: Now that it took me 2-3 yrs to finally find the MAC color that matches me (studio fix in c8: yellow, golden, olive) I'm so worried that they will receive the ToD. *smh* I just need to calm down, lmao. That's so funny that you said to use Coppering with other colors, b/c I just did that the other day at work--I duped the Spiced Chocolate quad using Coppering Cranberry and Handwritten. Ahem, the only part of my eye I didn't like was the Coppering, and I put where you said, too lol! It's passable now that I know that combo will work, but yeah I totally don't like it by itself, ugh. Goldmine, Amberlights, and Woodwinked are also some I cannot stand seeing on myself. On others it's to die for...hey come to think of it, they are all warm golden shades. Maybe that's why--I always feel like a disco ball with them on...Unless I smoke them out or something...but never all over the lid

And i thought i was the only one who looked gross with gold mine, amberlights and woodwinked. its not even funny, every friend i have uses at least one of these and it looks gorgeous on them. I have golden (yellow) undertones as well and i find it difficult to find e/s that suit me.