| ardest part of getting dressed can often be the | | | | colors to add depth. If you have skin with more |
| makeup. You can spend hours at the counter and still | | | | wrinkles or scars, a darker color may make your |
| not know what to buy. Every expertly-trained clerk | | | | texture look even more pronounced by adding extra |
| seems to give conflicting tips that can leave you | | | | shadow. Color-matching not only involves your skin |
| feeling confused and disillusioned. What I am going to | | | | coloring, but also its natural lines and indentations. |
| teach you is color-matching for your face. No matter | | | | Another important factor is the natural patterns you |
| what the hot new shades emerge in the future, you | | | | find in your skin and hair. Again, whether you have |
| will be ready to choose the ones that work right for | | | | freckles or an even complexion factors into your |
| you. | | | | color-matching as well as your hair texture when |
| To begin color-matching, you first need to take into | | | | choosing makeup. Remember, you do not want to hide |
| consideration your natural contrast. If you have dark | | | | things like beauty marks, but to use your make-up to |
| hair and light skin and dark or medium eyes, like Jackie | | | | make them points of interest. As for your hair, whether |
| Onassis, you are a high contrast person. If this is you, | | | | it is curly, wavy or straight will influence your choices |
| you can pull off more dramatic make-up. If you have | | | | as well. The more patterns in your hair, the |
| medium-brown hair, medium-light skin and medium-dark | | | | “busier” the area around your face will |
| eyes, like Jennifer Anniston or Vanessa Williams, you | | | | be. If you have curls that fall into your face, your |
| are a medium-contrast person and should stick to a | | | | natural beauty may get hidden wearing elaborate |
| style that is less dramatic. Finally, if your skin and eyes | | | | makeup without the proper hair style. If your hair is |
| are softly blended, a look such as blonde hair, light blue | | | | straight and your hair style is not too complex, you |
| eyes and light skin, you are a low contrast person. | | | | may be able to pull off a more dramatic make-up |
| Examples of this would be Melanie Griffith or Meryl | | | | style. |
| Streep. You’d look best in a blended makeup | | | | It can be difficult to choose the right colors, especially |
| that does not stand out dramatically. As far as | | | | with the number of choices out there. The best thing to |
| makeup goes, color-matching is very important. If you | | | | remember is that no matter what the trend is, pick |
| are a low contrast person wearing make-up for a high | | | | make-up that matches you natural beauty. Look at |
| contrast style, people will only notice your makeup. | | | | your contrast and the patterns and textures in your |
| Take into consideration the texture of your skin when | | | | hair and skin. Do not cover up or try to hide your |
| color-matching. Do you have an even complexion or | | | | features, but accent the ones that are the most |
| do you have freckles and beauty marks? Is your skin | | | | attractive, thereby diminishing the ones that are less |
| smooth or does it have indentations? All these add | | | | flattering. Keep this color-matching advice handy and |
| elements of interest to you face and will affect the | | | | the next time you are at the makeup counter and you |
| way the make-up will look on you. If your face is | | | | will not be intimidated by all the choices. |
| smoother in texture, you can get away with darker | | | | |