Photo: Marili Forastieri/Photodisc/Getty Images
Picture-perfect makeup is all about emphasizing your natural beauty. For porcelain princesses, this means playing up your pale skin, rather than attempting to transform yourself into a sun-kissed goddess using lashings of bronzer and fake tan. Get ready for your close-up by gently warming and enhancing your fair complexion with flattering shades and textures.
Foundation
1.
Choose a lightweight liquid foundation with light-reflecting particles to enhance your complexion’s natural luminosity. Avoid heavy matte foundation, which can make fair skin look dull and lifeless.
2.
Go for yellow or beige tones to warm up your skin tone and counteract redness without making you look ghostly.
3.
Pick a product with built-in sunscreen to protect your delicate fair skin from the sun’s damaging rays.
4.
Test foundation on your jawline in store and take home the one that melts invisibly into your skin.
Cheeks
1.
Choose pink, peach (blondes and redheads) or rosy (brunettes) blush to add warmth and vibrancy to your complexion. Don’t be tempted by bronze hues, which will look too dark and unnatural.
2.
Go for pale shades with a subtle shimmer to perk up your complexion without leaving you looking clown-like or permanently hot and bothered.
3.
Stick to sheer cream or gel blushers that appear transparent on your skin to give you a natural "glowing from within" look.
Lips
1.
Complement your pale complexion with nude glosses or sheer lipsticks. Steer clear of frosted finishes to avoid an unflattering shimmer explosion against your pale skin.
2.
Consider your hair color when picking out the perfect shade of lippy. Pinks and mauves are a gorgeous daytime look for blondes, while plum shades add a touch of nighttime drama. Brunettes can keep it low-key with peachy hues or slick on red-brown shades for a burst of vibrant color. Nude lips look fabulous whatever your hair color.
3.
Beware of bright red lipstick. Intense reds can look too severe against very pale skin. Warm up your skin tone with the right shade of foundation and blush to make sure vamping it up with red lippy looks sexy, not scary.
Eyes
1.
Play up your eyes and flatter your skin tone during the day using pastel shadows with a light sheen. You’ll know you’ve hit on the right color for you when your eyes go “pop.”
2.
Swap black liquid eyeliner for gray or brown pencil eyeliner for a softer, more flattering look that really brightens your eyes without looking harsh against your pale skin.
3.
Smolder with smoky eyes. When the sun goes down, no-one pulls off smoky eyes quite like fair-skinned girls, especially when paired with nude lips. Look for smudgable powder eyeshadow in shades of gray, silver, pewter or charcoal.
Tips & Tricks
If you're torn between shades at a department store makeup counter, don't be afraid to ask the consultant for help. An experienced and well-trained consultant will know exactly which colors suit your skin tone, eyes and hair color.
Related Videos
References
InStyle: Best Makeup Shades for Your Skin Tone
Our Vanity: Makeup for Pale Skin
So Feminine: Makeup for Fair Skin
Daily Mail: Proud to be Pale
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