The Best Make-up for Your Skin Tone

Depending on your skin tone, the make-up you choose will need to flatter your face and hair. If you apply the wrong colors, you're not doing yourself a favor -- and you can look all washed out, or overdone. Play up your features with the best make-up colors, tints and hues for your skin tone.

Make-up for Fair Skin

If you're fair-skinned, sheer colors look best on you. Apply light earth tones and soft pastels, such as blue and lavender to accent your eyes.
Various shades of pink will look good on your eyes, cheeks and lips. Keep your mascara to brown or brown/black. Light, sheer lipstick adds a finishing touch. Peach is always a good choice for our fair-skinned friends, it looks natural and compliments blonde hair.

Medium Toned Skin

Your warmer completion gives you many options for a fabulous makeover. Being "in-between" does have it's benefits. Deep matte earth tones and jewel colors such as hunter green, dark grey, beige and brown will accent your eyes. Coral and plumb colors work good to accentuate your cheekbones.
Experiment with your lip color. Your skin tone is very versatile and if you're brunette, anything from pink to red will look great on you. Top it off with lip gloss for extra staying power. Bronzing powder dusted over your forehead, nose and cheeks will give you the ultimate sun-kissed look.

Makeup for Dark Skin

You may need a heavier hand when applying make-up to dark skin -- but you need to choose the right shades. For eye shadow, gray, brown and natural shades will compliment your eyes. Also try shimmer colors such as silver, bronze, and terra-cotta. Experiment with mascara colors such as navy and dark purple.
For blush, more pigment for darker skin is a must. Deep rose and apricot shades highlight your cheekbones beautifully. Sometimes a bronze highlighter does the trick. Stay away from anything with a strong orange base as this will not flatter your skin.
Dark lip color such as apricot, blackberry, caramel and red will compliment your lips.

Olive and Ethnic Skin Tones

With your darker skin tone, neutral shades as well as dark purple and blue will look great on your eyes. Metallic colors also look remarkable, as long as the shades remain darker.
Highlight your cheekbones with bronzing powder, dark plum, chestnut, or terracotta blush. Keep the tones natural and avoid anything too light.
Lipstick shades that will bring out your lips are berry, plum, russet, or almond. Avoid "true" reds, they will clash with your skin tone.