First off, let's talk about skin. Skin is so different. Some skin is oily, some is dry. Some skin is dark and others can be light. Smooth skin, rough skin, acne prone skin, uneven skin; it's all varies from person to person. Knowing the undertone of your skin is crucial in the makeup world. You could have a warm undertone, like orange, yellows, or pink. You can have a cool undertone, like blues and purples. Not know what your undertone is? Check out the video posted below.
Let's discuss diverse ethnicities and their skin types.
Asians tend to have yellow undertones and are prone to sunspots. Sunspots can be difficult to conceal, depending on skin texture. If you're Asian and have a sunspot, try using a peach colored corrector. This shade will look the most natural. After that, apply a yellow-toned foundation for a flawless finish.
Black skin comes in many shades, some fairly light and other very dark. The skin on the forehead and the outlines on the face tend to be darker, and the skin on the middle of the face tend to be lighter, like on the cheeks. The trick to making an even skin tone is finding a foundation that fits all areas of the face. It depends on if you want to enhance the golden tones or the warm tones. Applying a dark foundation all over the face won't look natural, the darkest areas will appear extremely dark and lightest areas won't blend in. Most African American women should use a foundation that is inbetween the lighter and darker shades of the face. Lighter black skin looks most natural with yellow based foundation. Darker black skin looks better with warm bases.
Latin skin tends to be golden with olive undertones. Some women have pink undertones, in areas around the nose, mouth, and cheeks. Latin skin tans easily, so most women have to change their foundation shades depending on the season. Something Latin women should look into are bronzers, but be aware of this: not all bronzers are one size fits all. They have different undertones as well. If your skin is lighter, look for bronzers with pink/red undertones. If your skin is darker, look into bronzers with brown/red undertones. As for foundation, use a type that has a yellow undertone. Avoid golden undertones because it can make the face look orange.
Analysis: Skin tones are extremely important to know. If you aren't aware of yours, watch the video posted below. Knowing the undertones of your skin will help you be more successful in your daily makeup application.
Reflection questions: Did you know what your skin understone was?
Citation:Brown, B. (2008). Bobbi brown makeup manual. New York, NY: Grand Central Life and Style.
