Your Best Makeup Colors is a series here on The Style and Beauty Doctor aimed to help at taking some of the guess work out of choosing makeup colors for your skin tone. I’ll use pictures of celebs to help illustrate the series so when a celeb most closely matches your skin tone you can grab some ideas.
Note: The makeup I mention are colors that will go great with a certain skin tone, but aren’t the only ones you should try. They’ll give you a good idea of what colors will look best on you. Also I’ll be mentioning a lot of brands that are “internet popular” meaning that you’ll be able to check Google Images for swatches easily. This way you can still have an idea of colors and still shop within your own fave brands (drugstore, indie, department store).
Cool!
If you’re itching to see other complexions, check out: Best Makeup Colors for Every Skin Tone.
Up next is Zoe Saldana as requested by The Style and Beauty Doctor reader Lacy.
I’d say Zoe’s skin tone can be described as olive with neutral undertones. But we also need to add another dynamic besides skin tone and undertone—contrast. Contrast is the difference between hair and skin color. Zoe has a fair amount of contrast as her hair is very dark compared to her skin. This means she’ll look great in bolder colors with a neutral undertone and even some that ring on the cool side.
Eyeshadows (MAC–if MAC isn’t your fave brand still use this as a guide to figure out which similar colors look best in other brands):
P.S. I tried to only picked colors from the permanent line so you don’t get stuck on a color only to realize it’s sold out.
Neutrals: Blanc Type, Brule, Honesty, Shroom, Malt, Brule, Embark, Brown Script, Haux, Corduroy, Nylon, Ricepaper, Patina, Orb, Grain, Wedge, Saddle, Charcoal Brown, Satin Taupe, Bisque, Retrospeck, Woodwinked, Soft Brown, Honey Lust, Era, Cork, Romp, Arena, Texture, Swiss Chocolate, Mulch, Espresso, Bronze, Twinks
For Fun: Humid, Star Violet, Shadowy Lady, Sketch, Amber Lights, Goldmine, Gorgeous Gold, Antiqued, Handwritten, Contrast, Carbon, Nehru, Plumage, Vibrant Grape, Purple Haze, Hepcat, Beauty Marked, Nocturnelle, Sumptuous Olive, Greensmoke, Knight Devine, Print, Silver Ring
Blush: mid-tone brighter colors look best. Don’t be scared of brighter blush colors, it looks gorgeous on Zoe Saldana skin.
Illamasqua: Tweak (I mention this blush so often because it’s GORGEOUS), Beg, Excite, Panic, Sin, Thrust
NARS: Angelika, Amour, Desire, Dolce Vita, Exhibit A, Mata Hari, Taos, Torrid, Lovejoy, Sin
MAC: Frankly Scarlet, Breezy, Fever, Raizin, Loverush, Dollymix, Ambering Rose
MAC Pro: (go to maccosmetics.com for locations or call 1-800-866-6464. You don’t have to be a MAC Pro member to order) Flame Red, Azalea, Full Fuchsia, Rhubarb, Devil, Salsarose
Lips: mid-tone colors (not too light and not too bright) that are more on the cooler side look best
Reds: MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick, Stila Long Wear Lip Color in Fiery, Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté in #18, MAC Red Lipstick, MAC Dubonnet Lipstick, MAC Russian Red Lipstick
Berries: MAC Darkside Lipstick, MAC Film Noir Lipstick, MAC Desire Lipstick, MAC Rebel Lipstick, MAC Cyber Lipstick, Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture in #8 Belle de Rose, MAC Desire Lipglass, MAC Pop Mode Lipglass, Yves Saint Laurent Golden Gloss in #9 Golden Plum
Nudes: (color looks best on this skin tone and coloring but if you must do a nude…) MAC Spite Lipglass, MAC Half N’ Half Lipstick, MAC High Tea Lipstick, BECCA Glossy Lip Tint in Caipirinha, MAC Viva Glam V
Pinks: MAC Up the Amp Lipstick, MAC Pink Plaid Lipstick, MAC Please Me Lipstick, MAC Bombshell Lipstick, MAC Speak Louder Lipstick, MAC Show Orchid, MAC Chatterbox Lipstick
Looking for other skintones in this topic? Bookmark this category: Your Best Makeup Colors.
Lacy also asked for hair color suggestions—dark colors particularly off black with honey brown or deep red highlights look best. Colors like full brown, red, or blonde will be too harsh on this skin tone so if you want to mix things up do it with highlights.
Like these:
Zoe herself doesn’t stray very far from her raven tresses going no more than two shades lighter or deeper than this:
Feel free to add your favorites in the comments! If you have questions, leave me a comment or contact me.
Images via Getty Images
New blog post: Your Best Makeup Colors: Zoe Saldana: http://t.co/N7V6z9s
Your Best Makeup Colors: Zoe Saldana http://t.co/g4ZF8Kg by @StyleNBeautyDoc
New Blog Post: Your Best Makeup Colors: Zoe Saldana http://t.co/UwHpp7Y
so this is why i can never find a great nude? OMG. I am not exactly her color but close enough. brown nudes look blah (mac touch or siss) and lighter nudes pink or otherwise (mac blankety, myth, cherish) no bueno w/o some serious liner and gloss. viva glam V (gloss only) has always been a go to. 2N gloss can work with a liner… bummer. I really love the nude lip look!
Author
I feel like a lot of “traditional” nudes can look a little washed about because of the drama in the skin/hair coloring (dark hair, dark olive undertones). Glad you like Viva Glam V on you! Try and go for colors that have a little brownish-pink in them similar to what Zoe’s wearing in the first pic. I didn’t mention it in the post, but now that I think of it Viva Glam VI gloss would look good, too though not a “traditional” nude.
Would you wear other colors?
thanks. I keep hearing about viva glam VI but I didn’t think it was sold anymore. I will have to check into it. I absolutely love up the amp but I do not adore berries or reds as much as I should. I like barely there colors with color ( i know) or hot pink. Purples make my teeth look yellow. It’s as if i prefer looking like tyrone biggums as opposed to yuck mouth (yellow teeth). A lose/lose situation. *sigh* . Also, I recently found bobbi brown pink buff gloss…that color i love. seems like a pinky brown? I want it in a lipstick. but not sure how it would translate. Thanks for the response.
Author
I think they still do sell VG VI. I think the only LE ones were the Gaga and Cindy ones. OMG–if your coloring is close to Zoe’s, berries and reds would look SOOOO good on you! Please try one (even if you rub it off right after…lol). But I feel you about loving a certain shade range. I’ve been wearing bolder colors so much that when I try and do a nude, people ask me if I’m feeling ok…lol.
Blue-based colors will make your teeth look whiter. LOL @ Tyrone Biggums. I’m sure you don’t look like TB when rocking your nudes…lol. My favorite pinky brown lipstick was Dior Addict High Shine in Model Brown, but they redid the line and from the last time I went they didn’t include that color in the new line. grrrr. I’ll see if I can find a swatch of BB pink buff to see if I know of a lipstick version :)
what about nars gina or luster with this skin tone? I finally got matched to a color in MAC studio fix POWDER + foundation -C8. Still no liquid match w/o mixing. Do you have any suggestions of celebrities that might “match” this coloring? Not sure if I’m thinking too much but I would like to see make up looks on these folks. It seems like I can’t really “See” myself-or better yet, if I like a color…I want to wear it even if it doesn’t work *shrugs* So if I see that someone else looks ridiculous that might help me out LOL thanks!
Author
Hey!
NARS Gina would work since peach/coral blush colors tend to work on all skin tones (they just need to be more intense the darker the skin) and Luster would be good as a highlighter.
I’m not very familiar with Studio Fix C8 other than thinking its a bit of a tan color with yellow undertones and when I went to Google to see pics of people claiming to be C8 I saw a huge range of shades…lol. You can always send me pics of yourself (in great lighting and without makeup on) to thestyleandbeautydoctor@gmail.com and I can help you out behind the scenes :)
none of the pictures are showing up on this page :-(