Choosing the right colors to wear can have a big impact on how attractive you look. Certain colors tend to complement different skin tones, hair colors, and body types better than others. Finding your most flattering shades takes some trial and error, but is worth the effort. Here are some tips on determining what color you look best in.
How Color Impacts Attractiveness
Color plays an important role in physical attraction for a few key reasons:
– It impacts how vibrant, healthy, and radiant your complexion appears. Warm, jewel-toned colors near your face tend to bring out the glow in skin and eyes. Cooler shades can wash one out.
– Color draws attention to your best features. Wearing hues that flatter your hair color, eye color, and skin tone make these features pop.
– It helps create proportion and balance. Different shades can minimize or accentuate certain body parts, making you look more proportional.
– It impacts your mood and confidence. Feeling good in a color radiates in your body language, smile, and energy. Confidence is attractive!
Determine Your Skin’s Undertone
The first step to picking ideal colors is determining your skin’s undertones. Undertone refers to the subtle color underneath the surface of your skin, which creates a warm, cool, or neutral tone. Common undertones include:
– Warm – Yellow, peachy, golden. Think Beyonce.
– Cool – Pink, red, blue. Think Snow White.
– Neutral – No strong undertone. Think Kate Middleton.
Here are some ways to assess your skin undertone:
– Look at the veins on your wrists. Blue indicates cool, green indicates warm.
– Do silver or gold jewelry look better on you? Silver is best for cool, gold for warm.
– Are your eyes blue, green, or hazel (cool) or brown or amber (warm)? Eye color typically matches undertone.
– What colors look vibrant vs. dull on you? Warm undertones look great in warm colors. Cool undertones shine in cool colors.
Once you’ve ID’d your undertone, you can start narrowing in on hues that complement it.
Best Colors for Warm Undertones
Those with warm yellow, peach, and golden undertones look radiant in warm, vibrant colors that mirror and enhance their glow. Recommended colors include:
– Reds – Try brick red, coral, tomato, cherry. Avoid blue-toned reds.
– Oranges – Rusty orange, peach, papaya, melon, peach, salmon. Avoid neon orange.
– Yellows – Mustard, amber, peach, gold. Avoid pastel or lemon yellow.
– Greens – Olive green, moss green, chartreuse, lime green, avocado. Avoid muted or sage greens.
– Browns – Golden brown, caramel, mahogany, sienna, ochre. Avoid taupe.
– Metallics – Bronze, copper, gold. Avoid silver.
– Neutrals – Ivory, camel, sand, honey, cappuccino. Avoid stark white.
Warm hues near the face make skin glow. Try a burnt orange scarf or golden brown blouse for an instant vibrancy boost.
Best Colors for Cool Undertones
Those with cool pink, red, or blue undertones look stunning in cooler hues that complement their rosy glow. Ideal shades include:
– Blues – Royal blue, periwinkle, baby blue, cobalt, navy. Avoid warmer blues with yellow/green tones.
– Pinks – Magenta, fuchsia, bubble gum, cotton candy. Avoid orangey/peachy pinks.
– Purples – Lavender, lilac, orchid, plum, eggplant. Avoid reddish purples.
– Greens – Seafoam, mint, jade, emerald, forest. Avoid khaki, olive greens.
– Grays & Silvers – Steel gray, charcoal, pewter, silver. Avoid warm grays with brown tones.
– Reds – Cherry red, raspberry, wine, burgundy. Avoid orange/rust reds.
– Neutrals- Pure white, icy blue, porcelain. Avoid ivory, cream.
Cool-toned hues give the complexion a rosy luminosity. Experiment with soft pinks and frosty lavenders to highlight your glow.
Most Flattering Colors for Neutral Undertones
Those with neutral undertones have flexibility in choosing both warm and cool hues. But it’s still helpful to identify your most harmonizing shades:
– Greens – Jade, emerald, mint, olive, khaki, chartreuse, lime. Greens with yellow, blue, and gray tones.
– Blues – Royal blue, denim ,navy, cyan, baby blue, slate blue. Warm and cool blues.
– Purples – Lilac, lavender, plum, eggplant, mulberry, periwinkle. Bluish and pinkish purples.
– Reds – Cranberry, cherry, crimson, ruby, fire engine. Cool, blue-based reds.
– Browns – Cocoa, umber, clay, taupe, sand, caramel. Neutral browns.
– Neutrals – Pure black, white, beige, cream, ivory, gray.
Since any hue can work, focus on shades that you find most pleasing. For professional settings, stick to rich, neutral colors. For play, try accents in any color.
Colors to Enhance Specific Features
Beyond undertone, you can also select colors to spotlight your best features.
Hair Color
| Hair Color | Most Flattering Colors |
| Black | Pure white, jewel tones, neon brights |
| Dark brown | Camel, mocha, cream, olive green |
| Light brown | Royal blue, pinks, emerald green |
| Blonde | Navy, purples, cherry red |
| Red | Blues, emerald, neutral browns/grays |
| Gray | Yellow, rose, violet |
Wear colors that contrast and complement your hair tone. Darker shades make light hair pop. Soft hues flatter dark hair.
Eye Color
| Eye Color | Most Flattering Colors |
| Brown | Blues, greens, purples, pinks |
| Amber | Royal blue, magenta, jewel tones |
| Hazel | Lavender, olive, emerald, rust |
| Green | Reds, pinks, magenta, plum |
| Blue | Orange, peach, coral, browns |
| Gray | Cobalt, purple, cherry red |
The opposite or complementary color on the wheel (blue vs orange, red vs green) makes eyes pop.
Skin Tone
| Skin Tone | Most Flattering Colors |
| Fair/Porcelain | Mauve, rose, sky blue, emerald |
| Light Beige | Lavender, baby blue, light pink |
| Medium Beige | Wine, purple, navy, grass green |
| Olive/Tan | White, lemon yellow, jewel tones |
| Dark Brown | Aqua, fuchsia, lime, violet |
The most luminous colors have a lively contrast with skin yet still feel harmonious.
Most Flattering Color Palettes by Season
Your seasonal coloring also guides what hues look best. Here are palettes by season:
Winter
Cool undertones, dark hair, bright blue/green/gray eyes. Looks great in cool, bold hues like fuchsia, ruby red, cobalt blue, emerald green. Avoid pastels.
Spring
Warm undertones, light hair and eyes. Stunning in warm pinks, coral, amber, sky blue. Avoid dull, muddy tones.
Summer
Cool undertones, ash blonde/brown hair, blue eyes. Shines in soft, cool hues like mauve, lavender, periwinkle, jade. Avoid neon brights.
Autumn
Warm undertones, auburn/strawberry blonde, amber/hazel eyes. Looks amazing in mustard, olive green, teal, cinnamon. Avoid icy cool colors.
Use your seasonal palette as a guide when selecting hues for clothing or makeup.
Choosing Colors for Body Type
Color can also help balance your shape for a gorgeous silhouette:
Hourglass
Draw the eye up with deep tops and lighter bottoms. Try navy on top, light wash jeans below. Add volume up top with bold, bright colors.
Pear
Create balance with lighter tops and darker bottoms. White or blush pink shirts with black or indigo jeans. Brighten bottom half with light hues.
Apple
Slimming dark colors on bottom, lighter hues up top. Pair black pants with billowy chiffon tops in airy colors.
Athletic/Ruler
Add shape with bold colors. Try an emerald dress, cherry red coat, electric blue suit. Patterns and textures also add dimension.
Use this cheat sheet when getting dressed to look shapely and chic.
Picking Colors for Your Wardrobe
With all this guidance in mind, here are some tips for choosing a fab, flattering wardrobe:
– Determine your undertone, season, best feature shades, and body type.
– Collect several go-to colors that you know you look great in. Use them as a base.
– Add pops of complementary shades that make your eyes, hair, and skin tone pop.
– Include neutral basics (black, white, denim) for mix-and-match outfits.
– Choose a few statement colors outside your comfort zone – bright red, cool jewel tones, sunny yellow.
– Avoid hues you always feel drab in. Don’t cling to a color that drags you down!
– Use accessories – scarves, shoes, jewelry – to experiment with color.
– Pay attention to how colors make you feel. Your mood impacts your look!
With some thoughtful selection, you can surround yourself with shades that make you look and feel like the most attractive, vibrant version of yourself. Live your best colorful life!
Conclusion
Determining your most flattering colors takes some effort to decode what works best for your unique undertone, features, and body type. But embracing hues that complement your look helps you appear more attractive, healthy, radiant, and confident. Use these guidelines to steer you towards shades that make you look like your beautiful, vibrant self. Let color elevate your mood, highlight your assets, and inspire you to dress in a way that makes you feel amazing every single day.