The world of makeup can be so daunting, and whether or not it’s a part of your everyday routine, most brides opt for wedding makeup, either done by themselves or by a wedding beauty professional. But if you don’t already eat, sleep and breathe makeup, where do you even begin? We asked some of the best in the business about an important first step in makeup, which is finding your undertone! Read on as five Austin wedding beauty experts give us the ins and outs of what makeup is the perfect pairing for your skin tone – especially on your wedding day.
Ivory
What hues perfectly complement this skin tone?
This beautiful bride has more of a yellow undertone. If you’re wanting to stay with a very natural look, colors that go with that skin tone are ‘warmer’ colors. Think of the sun or fire—colors with yellow, orange and bronze tones. There are so many great palettes that have these colors. We love Buxom Cosmetics “May Contain Nudity” and Anastasia Beverly Hills “Soft Glam” palette. It’s a good idea to use a more peachy blush to complement those warm colors. Some great ones are “Peachy Keen” by MAC Cosmetics, “Peachy” by Limelife by Alcone and “Georgia Peach” by Benefit Cosmetics.
What products would you recommend to recreate this look?
The products we used for this look are:
Eyes: Buxom Cosmetics “May Contain Nudity”
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills brow palette in the color “Taupe”
Cheeks: Limelife by Alcone “Peachy”
Lips: KKW beauty lip liner in “Nude 1” and lipstick in “Nude 1.5”
What are some tips for finding your undertone?
Some tips for finding your undertone: Look at your whole body, especially your neck and chest, not just your face. Many times our face can have redness in it that is not really your undertone. Look at yourself facing natural light—indoor, facing a window. Looking at your whole body, do you feel like you have, in general, more pink or more yellow in your skin? If you have pink, you have cool undertones. If you are more yellow, you have warm undertones. Do you tan easily? Do you burn and then tan? Many times if you burn first, you have more of a ‘cool’ undertone (think pink). Note: This does not necessarily apply if you are just extremely fair.
Photo: Simon Ly Photography // Also Pictured: The West Studios, Vivienne Atelier Bridal
Porcelain
with Level 12 Salon
What hues perfectly complement this skin tone?
Our bride’s skin tone has both pink and yellow undertones. The first step, before concealer or foundation, is to moisturize and prime the skin, which is the most important step! I used two concealer tones — yellow under the eyes and the T-zone area. I used a pink tone on other areas including the neck, then followed with a light blend of foundation to seal and blend the concealer. The contour brush I used had a combination of pink and peach tones. The pink one is a powder, and the peach tone is a cream. I personally like the cream contours and blushes because they hydrate the skin.
What products would you recommend to recreate this look?
The products I use are from Branded J and can be found at Level 12 Salon.
What are some tips for matching your undertone?
The best tip I can give you in choosing the right undertones is as follows. During the spring and summertime, if you are out in the sun, most people have warmer (yellow) tones. In the fall and winter months, we are less tan and can use a little pink in our skin. Most cosmetic lines offer pink and yellow tones. I personally look at the skin tone on the neck and forehead to determine my blending tones. In most cases, I blend both pink and yellow tones to achieve the best blend.
Photo: Joslyn Holtfort Photography // Also Pictured: Altstadt Brewery, Blush Bridal Lounge, Nicole Mera
Warm Beige
with Think Brink Beauty
What hues perfectly complement this skin tone?
Our bride Laura has a neutral skin tone. Colors that fall in the middle of the color spectrum like dusty or soft pinks and rosy colors perfectly complement this skin tone, and that’s what we used to create this classic bridal look!
What products would you recommend to recreate this look?
You can recreate this look at home with the NARS Exposed cheek palette and the Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Liquid Matte in shade 401 Burnt Raisin.
What are some tips for finding your undertone?
Determining if you have a warm, cool or neutral undertone can be the key to creating your perfect bridal makeup look! Cool-toned skin usually has a pink, red or blue hue and warm skin tends to look more golden, yellow or peachy. Neutral skin is a balance of both! You can figure out if you have a warm or cool undertone by looking at your veins in your wrist! If your veins look blue, you most likely have a cool undertone. If they look greenish, you probably have a warm undertone. If you’re having trouble deciding if they look more blue or green then it’s possible that you have a neutral skin tone. Another trick is to look at your favorite jewelry! If gold jewelry looks best on you, your skin probably has warm undertones. If silver jewelry complements you best, you probably have a cool undertone. Like to mix and match between gold and silver depending on your outfit? You likely have a neutral undertone!
Photo: Patti Darby Photography // Also Pictured: MAD Flowers & Co., Coreena’s Bridal, Ashley & Co., The Weinberg at Wixon Valley
Golden Olive
with Makeup ATX
What hues perfectly complement this skin tone?
Esmerelda has beautiful, golden olive skin. When working on more of a natural look like this, I tend to use soft washes of color. For this look, I wanted to play up the skin, keeping everything else minimal. For Esmerelda’s skin, I prepped the skin with Charlotte Tilbury’s Magical Cream. To get this youthful glowy skin, I mixed FACE Atelier Ultra Pro Foundation with MAC Cosmetics Prep + Prime Essential Oils. Keeping the cheeks soft and fresh, I applied SENNA Slipcover Cream to powder blush in Tender Rose.
What products would you recommend to recreate this look?
For the lips, I used LANEIGE’s Lip Sleeping Mask. This is my personal favorite lip conditioner and has a subtle shine. This is a staple in my kit, and it works for everyone. I also keep several of them around my house and in my car.
What are some tips for matching multiple skin tones?
There are a few things I factor into finding the perfect skin tone. When working on clients I like to mix shades. It’s not common to have the same tone all over. You want to match your face to your body. If I’m uncertain of an undertone or shade, I will take 2-3 shades of foundation and apply it with a Q-tip at the jawline. Next, I let it sit for about a min (this gives it time to oxidize) to see which color blends in the best.”
Photo: Dani Bauer // Also Pictured: Jones Model Management, J.A Montgomery, Raven Row Salon
Chestnut
with flAir Style Lounge
How did you enhance this skin tone to create the perfect glow?
Enhancing the skin with a warm glow and adding accents of peaches and warm pinks pair wonderfully with this skin tone. Becca Backlight Priming Filter Face Primer is a go-to product to enhance the warm glow of skin tones like Carneisha’s. Cream blushes like Glossier’s Cloud Paint or Tarte’s Sugar Rush Beach Cheeks are favorites to deliver a healthy and fresh finish with an authentic flushed glow. Lips are a great way to add a subtle pop of color that enhances the soft golden caramel of the skin. There are great options for all budgets. Maybelline Color Sensational in Blushing Bud is a beautiful everyday option, while Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in Mademoiselle is the perfect splurge for a special occasion. No matter what, don’t be afraid of warmth. It will help bring the face to life with a natural-looking flushed look and accentuate the golden caramel tones in the skin.
What products would you recommend to recreate this look?
For Carneisha’s understated glam look, Becca Backlight Priming Filter Face Primer was used to enhance her natural glow. Her cheek color is Tarte Cheek Stain in Blushing Bride accented with a highlight of Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter at the high points of her cheekbones. Chanel Rouge Coco Lipstick in Mademoiselle was the perfect choice of warm pink lip color to complement her glowing complexion. The eyes were kept simple with a champagne shimmer shadow on the lids and a soft neutral mauve shadow blended in the creases. A scatter of cluster lashes was added to the lash line for the perfect amount of glam that brings attention the eyes without overpowering the entire face.
What are some tips for finding your undertone?
Sometimes finding your undertone can be a little tricky since some skin shades have more subtle undertones. The most commonly known trick to determining your undertone is to look at your veins. If you have blue or purple veins, you more than likely have a cool undertone. If your veins are mostly green or olive, you are considered to have a warm undertone. If you find that you have both blue and green veins, then you have neutral undertones. Even neutral undertones tend to lean one way or the other as to what colors really look best. Jewelry can help those with neutral undertones determine if warmer or cooler color palettes look best on their skin. If you prefer the way that silver jewelry looks against your skin, then try out cooler colors when choosing makeup. If gold jewelry seems to work better for you, warmer makeup colors are the way to go. If you are ever unsure about a color with your undertone, try it out, then look at yourself in natural light. Natural light will give the most accurate lighting to see if your color choice enhances your skin and features or if it seems muddled or too harsh with your skin.
Photo: Caitlin Rose Photography // Also Pictured: Lucky Arrow Retreat, Unbridaled, Form to Feeling, On a Limb Creative
See even more bridal beauty looks here, and connect with our favorite local hair and makeup artists here!
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Other Local Vendors: flAir Style Lounge, Makeup ATX LLC, Level 12 Salon, Sunny Hair and Makeup Artistry
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