So I was playing around with the Wet n Wild Shimmer The Night Away palette the other day, and I decided to go against what I know to be true and wear the pink (actually mauve) shade and the purple shade in this palette. I also added a little of the white shadow in this palette on the inside corners of my eyes...
(excuse the brows--I took these pics right before I removed this look and went with something else)
Even before applying anything to my lower lashline, I once again realized that I cannot wear pinks/purples on my eyes. Something about pinks and purples brings out the red in my skin and makes me look pale and sick. You can see it in my eyes, and also on my face (it brings out the redness of old acne scars all over my face). Pinks and purples clash with my skintone so badly that people actually ask me if I'm sick whenever I wear them.
Also, contrary to what color wheels, etc. say, purples don't really bring out the green in my hazel eyes. Sometimes plums do, but if a plum leans purple, it makes my skin look red, so even though I love playing up the green in my eyes, the red skin kind of cancels it out.
What colors can YOU not wear? And do you keep trying, even though you know ahead of time that they just won't work?
the color of your eyes is really beautiful, but the "color wheel" rule is limited. the colors that look best on us depend on the color of our eyes, skin and hair :) that's what I'm starting to learn with the "seasonal color analysis". you're probably a "warm" season (spring/autumn) that's why cool colors don't look good on you :)
ReplyDeleteI am a "deep autumn", so I don't wear clear, bright colors or pastels. my best colors are deep/dark and neutral (coffee brown and dark green above all!)
Thank you! :)
DeleteI tend to avoid greens, at least, when I'm tired. When I don't sleep enough, my eyes get all red and bloodshot, and green eye makeup just makes them look redder.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! If my eyes are already red, green makes them look so much worse!
DeleteThe only colors I've found don't look good on me are gold and black,and not necessarily together.
ReplyDeleteGolds can be tricky on me too!
DeleteHave you tried wearing a plum with gold or brown tones? A pink with some gold tones would look pretty. You have lovely eyes.
ReplyDeleteYep, those are better for me, definitely. Like I mentioned above, it's the plums with a lot of purple to them that are usually a disaster. Lol!
DeleteRosy and orange colors. I have the Kat von d saint palette, and that rose gold just looks like a horrible orange color on me
ReplyDelete:(
I feel ya on that one! I have trouble with those if they're very warm. :/
DeleteI think that frosty (usually cool) pastels look terrible on me. I don't know.... If I blog about them & do tutorials while I actually look terrible I hope someone tells me! Lol
ReplyDeleteYes! Frosty pale greens rarely work for me...I know what you mean.
DeleteThey are the "bright blue eyeshadow" for me... Honestly I rock the hell out of bright blue eyeshadows.
DeleteI find that any blue with shimmer, while making my blue/gray/green hazel eyes look more blue/green,also ends up looking like a sad 80's tragedy on me! I've got some beautiful denim-inspired pallets but all but the darkest blues look frosty and dated on my skin :( My best colors are actually purples, but not anything light or "mauvey" EVER! Bright and dark purples. Btw, never comment here (ok, one), but wanted to finally say how much I LOVE this blog! It's my last stop on my daily blog scrolling - I like to save the best for last!
ReplyDeleteLOL at sad 80s tragedy!! I know exactly what you mean. :)
DeleteAnd thank you SO much for the sweet words!! *hugs* Hope you'll comment more often so we can get to know you better! :)
I'm exactly the same no pinks, purples or yellows around my eyes it really makes my pale skin look sickly!
ReplyDeleteJazz x
Oh yes, yellows are a definite no-go for me too. :(
DeleteHmm I can wear any color. I've used many different colors and it still looks great. :)
ReplyDeleteLucky you!
DeleteI can't wear blue, I always feel like it's "too much". Purple does bring out the green in my eyes (but my eyes are mostly green).
ReplyDeleteBlues are sooo tricky! :(
DeleteMaybe you haven't found the right shade of pink? I look terrible in cool greens such as seafoam, but I look great in warm one like olive green. However, I look much better in cooler pinks than warmer ones.
ReplyDeleteI have the exact same issue as you with greens...olives look great but cool blues? Nope!
DeleteI've tried cool pinks and purples as well as warms, and light or dark or medium...they all end up a disaster! :(
I keep buying orangey lipsticks, and they are a disaster. Particularly this spring/summer when there was so much coral and tangerine everywhere. I wanted in! They either don't show up at all or make my face look grayish-green.
ReplyDeleteI totally know what you mean. If a coral or orange has more yellow in it (as opposed to pink) it looks dreadful on me!
DeleteSimilar for me - pink is a bad colour. Also blues and blue toned purples. Oh and silver - a traditional coloured smokey eye looks terrible on me. I have brown eyes and yellow undertones in my skin. Best shades on me are olives, plums, taupes and other neutrals. If i'm going smokey its always a deep brown or plum.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading you blog :), though it does make me a bit jealous of all the great brands you have out in the US that I can't get here.
I'm the same...neutral shades always work best!
DeleteAnd thank you so much!!! :)
I don't think it's so much the color.. but how you wear it.. for the most part. That said there have been a few colors that looked simply awful on me, for example the pink in the "sunburned" WnW trio. It seriously makes me look sick.. it's a really cool pink with a baby blue duochrome. I used to avoid brights.. until I learned to wear them as accents,like as a pop of colored liner on either the top or bottom lid- but not both- and to balance them properly with the other colors on my face. Same with blue shadow.. until I learned to pair it with brown. I have warm skin and hair.. I'm an "autumn".. but I can wear cool colors as long as my clothes and makeup coordinate. I have to make sure my lipstick, blush, and shadow do not clash. Wearing cool shadow with warm blush, or warm shadow with a cool lip color will simply not work. Hard to give advice without seeing the rest of your face, and the outfit you chose to wear with it.. but the colors themselves do not look bad.. I'm seeing a lack of contrast, the shades are all light and shimmery and kind of merge into the same shade. I bet adding a nice medium/deep brown in the outer corner and lower lash line would make a huge difference. Then again, everyone has their own preference.. and you should wear what makes you feel good.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I definitely agree to a certain extent that's it's dependent on other factors. For me personally, I've tried pinks and purples in a zillion different ways over the past 20+ years and this pic was just one quick example to illustrate a point I've learned over the years. No matter the shade, warmth, coolness or combination, pinks and purples make me look sickly. :(
DeleteI can't wear an inner corner highlight! I looks fabulous on other people but when I do it I feel like it brings out the grey in my under eye circles and makes them look SUPER dark! I put my concealer on and it looks good and then I slap on an inner corner highlight and BAMB- looks like i haven't slept in weeks. Such a shame :( Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you're using the wrong highlighter shade. I would experiment with other shades...try a champagne that has a pink undertone. If that doesn't work, try a beige that has a more brown or yellow undertone. Don't limit yourself to white...there are many great shades that can work for highlighting aside from white! Also try some different finishes. Instead of shimmer, try a matte or even a satin. One simple change can make ALL the difference. i am convinced there's a perfect highlight shade out there for each of us...and even at the drugstore! :)
DeleteI will definitely try out different undertones. Thanks for the suggestion!
DeleteI don't think gold looks good on me if I wear it with browns. I can wear it if I pair it with blues or greens- at least that's what has worked so far.
ReplyDeleteGlad you found a way to make gold work for you!!
DeleteOh I'm the same as commenter Michelle with the inner corners! Not only does the highlight make my eye area look purplish-grey, it also makes my eyes look really beady and closer set. (Isn't it suppised to do the opposite? LOL)
ReplyDeleteI've neutral-tone skin (a little yellow, a little pink), so I can make most colours work for me, but I really have to be choosy about lining my waterline. I don't know if I have sensitive eyes (I don't wear contacts or anything), or what it is, but when i line the waterline I feel like my eyes instantly look bloodshot. And I love silver shadows- in high school I wore silver shadow all around my eyes, like every day- but again, to me they emphasize any dark circles and redness.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes have a little trouble with dark green shades around my eyes. And I'm still messing around with shades of red and pink- I want to master them, but it definitely makes a difference where you place them! :)
even though I used to be very cold tones, I've come to realize very recently that I'm a warm tone. it hurt to try my silver smokey eye again and realize that it washed me right out!
ReplyDeleteI'm not compatable w/ sunscreen. I have a very fair, freckled complection and evertime I use a product that contains a spf I breakout the very same day. I've tried numerous bb creams, forulas for sensitive skin, and even gentle sunblock from the babycare isle and nothing doesn't break me out...not a rash, but acne. Powders w/ spf seemed to be ok, but I just don't feel as though they offer enough protection when used as the only safeguard against sun damage, burn etc. Besides all that, the feeling alone of most spf lotions is so greasy, and w/ severely oily skin to start, that just makes it worse. :(
ReplyDeletemy skin tone is pretty warm, and I have green eyes so I can work with pinks, but purples do absolutely NOTHING for me unless they're dark and plum-y. Also, blues make me look washed out :P I like to stick to golds, bronzes, pinks, and some rust-y/orange-y tones.
ReplyDelete-hannah
I have the same problem but its ok cause I don't like wearing colorful looks anyway. I'd rather wear neutrals
ReplyDeleteWarm bronzy colors look awful on me and I love them so I keep trying; even nail polish doesn't work if it's too orangey bronze.
ReplyDeleteI cannot wear ANYTHING that even leans towards a cool toned pink. Cool toned pinks look so off on me. I on't even feel that my undertones are that warm, but my goodness, cool toned pinks look great in the store, but not so much on me at. all.
ReplyDeleteI've got deep set eyes, so I can't wear anything too dark without looking like a zombie. This includes black eyeliner, which is unfortunate. I have to go brown, which means certain (usually silvery) shadows don't work either.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I didn't even know that was an issue. Thanks for informing me about it. I guess I'm a neautral shade or something because I have never had an issue w any shade and I use all the colors in my 120 BH cosmetics pallets (not trying to brag about being able to wear any color I promise). So I wld have never guessed it was an issue. Is it due to an undertone? Skin color? U got me curious!
ReplyDeleteMost taupes do not work on me, if they have more brown than gray sometimes they can work. Anything with gray undertones (ie. most taupes, some greens/blues/purples) looks awful on me, sometimes I can pull off charcoal gray. No white eyeshadows either, they just end up looking chalky. No bright pinks or fuchsia lipsticks and blue based red & some berry/plum lipsticks/glosses pull fuchsia on me also.
ReplyDeleteMy eyes are green so I definitely prefer purples, greens and golds, and of course, neutrals. Never been a fan of pastels, though. Most of the time those make my eye whites look yellow or sickly so I avoid them. Love your makeup in the photos.
ReplyDeleteMy skin is really warm-toned, I have to be careful with jewel-tone colours. Most purples don't work for me either. I also found that reddish purples like plum or really deep eggplant colours are ok.
ReplyDeleteCan't wear a lot of silver either. I once got a silver & purple, super shimmery eyeshadow duo and tried to use it for an eye look. Needless to say, it was a disaster, I looked sick.
I actually don't think these look bad on you! It's not your best color, but not the worst! I really can't wear bright pinks, they just look icky on me >_<
ReplyDeleteAny pastels or cool-toned pales without something to balance/when not used as a highlight, for sure.
ReplyDeleteI'm the same coloring as Valentina C (from my own self-analysis); deep/dark colors seem to work out better for me more often than paler ones. I was actually scared away from a lot of neutrals for awhile because I wasn't confident that those kinds of colors had enough contrast against my skin to look good.
I don't shy away from brights, though; as my dad says, I might as well try them while I can, haha (I'm still in college)!
I shy away from color and just stick with neutrals. Pinks/purples make me feel like my eyelids are either super heated or bruised... But since I have a warm undertone, there's no way I'll be sporting pastels of any kind
ReplyDeleteI can't wear most browns, they make me look like I haven't slept in a week. I'm pale with cool undertones. I do well with purples, greens, blues, and even bright warmer colors like yellow and orange...but if a brown has even a hit of warmness to it, it's a disaster for me. I do have to be careful with red toned purples, as well.
ReplyDeleteI can wear just about any color, however I choose not to wear any blues and greens!!! Golds, black, plums anything neutral is my favorite!
ReplyDeleteI love wearing all colors, but I find that matte pastel colors as well as not very pigmented pastel shimmers look terrible on me! I can never get that fairy look - I always get this sick ghostly look instead.. I can't wear white either.
ReplyDeleteI agree, G, those colors wash u out! But I'm glad you didn't lose all faith in purples and pinks because there are some that are just gorgeous!! I love pinks and purples with rich pigmentation, anything with that funky white base doesn't do it for our eyes :-)
Also any shade on my lips with a cooL shimmerl tone! I have very pigmented lips and those look awful on me!
ReplyDeleteMy skin tone is on the golden side (NW25-30), and I think all pastels look heinous on me. But all browns look great, as do deep, rich colors you could smoke out (like dark green, navy, eggplant, charcoal). I also wear black eyeliner all around my eye on a daily basis, and I can get away with it b/c of my hair color.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess I can wear most anything dark, but nothing light, unless it's metallic/in the highlight color range.
Anything with too much yellow is a no-no for me. I'm caramel brown with neutral-cool skin and mauvey brown lips. I simply cannot pull off peaches or oranges on my lips unless they have a lot of red or pink in them. I'm still experimenting on my eyes.
ReplyDeleteI have fair skin, blue eyes and dark hair...you'd think cool plums and pinks would be good for me...but that would be a big fat NO! I look sick and like I've just cried my eyes out. Cool taupes and blues usually work the best.
ReplyDeleteAnything pastel or gray does not fair well with me on my eyes. I tend to have a neutral-warm undertone, but have always favored earth-tones & more jewel-tone colors in my clothing. But I can usually get most other colors to work regardless, except those pesky pastels...
ReplyDeletei have extremely fair cool toned skin and can pull off some purples and blues but have to be careful of looking like i got punched in the eye. The worst for me is anything warm though. Golds look just horrendous, and even bronzes or more neutral browns can pull orange on me. Yellow, orange, and red shades are unthinkable.
ReplyDeleteTaupe is by far the most flattering on my blue eyes, and other good shades are pale pink, silver, grey, and cool browns. Luckily i can get away with black eyeliner with my very dark hair and brows.
I think a purple eyeliner would completely rock on your hazel eyes G, they are beautiful! Love this question, the comments were very helpful.
I have fair-medium, cool skin, and dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. (I'm a winter skin tone.)
ReplyDeleteI can wear purples, but every darn thing I read says that purples look FANTASTIC with brown eyes, so I'm sick of hearing that. Also, purples just don't appeal to me all that much. *shrug*
I can't wear anything warm, and I have a hard time with neutral colors. I basically wear only cool-toned colors. I can't wear any sort of gold, yellow, orange, or any sort of pastel color. I can't wear most greens, since most of them have a yellow undertone to them. I also look horrid in pastels, and I have a hard time with some pinks (they can't too brown or too Barbie). These colors apply to both clothing and makeup.
For makeup, a lot of browns just look odd on me, like brown eyeliner -- it doesn't work. Black eyeliner looks much better. (For clothing, it's not so bad, but it's certainly not the most striking, stand-out color I could wear. Blue looks the best on me.) I can't wear any sort of tans or most creams, and anything that's "warm", "golden", "bronzed", "glowing", or anything like that makes me look horrible. I look bad with a tan or with any sort of warmth. (It's funny, though, since I tan easily. I don't really burn. That's pretty odd for somebody with lighter skin/a winter skin tone.)
Most of my clothing is either black or blue, since I look best in those colors, and also because it's extremely easy to find a blue that looks good on me. My favorite color is red, but I don't own a lot of red clothing, since most of the clothing I find in stores are yellow-toned reds. It's so hard to find cool reds, it's ridiculous.