Colors go great with dark skin tone

By Al Varela

Dear Al: I have olive skin tones and dark brown hair. When I shop for cosmetics it seems that the colors available don't go with my darker skin. Any advice?

This reminds me of the parents who were worried about their son because he only colored in brown or black, so they took him to a psychologist. The psychologist asked the boy why he only used those two colors to paint with. The boy replied that it was because those were the only two colors his sister gave him to use.

It's a big, bright colorful world out there, so stop looking at color as a "no-no" for you to wear.

The best way to start is to get a complete makeover from a professional makeup artist who can look at your skin and match a foundation to your skin tone, an eye shadow to enhance your eye color and lip colors that will make your lips irresistible.

The perfect foundation can be determined by finding out the base color of your skin. Base colors of skin are either pink or yellow.

For your skin tone, choosing foundation colors in gold or bronze tones will work best. If you use a pink base foundation for a yellow skin tone, an ashy or pasty look will result. And, if you use a finishing powder, remember that for a darker skin tone a translucent powder is the wrong choice and can also result in that pasty look. You'll want one with a little more color to give you a more natural look.

Regardless of the color, when it comes to eye shadow always have a shade of color added to it. If the shadow color palette you select doesn't have that mixture, then you can certainly mix one yourself.

Place a brighter color over a shade of color. Remember that shades mean dark. For example, a charcoal would be a base shade color and then a green would be a top color. Or use a little purple over that charcoal base. You get the idea.

Using eye liners in deeper shades such as charcoal, black or dark brown will add more definition to your eye scheme. Always finish with several coats of a black mascara.

For lips use a lip liner similar to the lipstick but almost a shade deeper. This will give you that fuller, more desired lip appearance.

Regardless of your skin tone and the darkness of your hair, be confident that you can splash those browns and blacks with color!

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