How to Choose Clothing Colors That Flatter Your Skin Tone
The right color near your face can make your skin look brighter and your eyes come alive, before you've even opened your makeup bag.
Have you ever put on a blouse, looked in the mirror, and thought, “Wow, I look fantastic today!” Your skin looks brighter, your eyes sparkle, and somehow you look like you’ve had eight hours of sleep—even when you absolutely haven’t.
Then you put on another color, look in the same mirror, and wonder why you suddenly look exhausted.
Ladies, sometimes it's not your skin, your makeup, or the amount of sleep you got last night. It's the color you're wearing! Learning to choose clothing colors that flatter your skin tone is one of the easiest beauty secrets I know.
As a celebrity makeup artist, I’ve spent years studying how color interacts with skin tones. Whether I’m getting someone ready for television, a photoshoot, or a special event, I know how much the right shade can change someone’s appearance.
But here’s something I believe just as strongly: the most beautiful color in the world isn’t going to make you feel fabulous if you’re uncomfortable wearing it.
Fashion and beauty should be fun. They should make you feel confident, beautiful, and completely yourself.
Let’s talk about how to make that happen.
1. Finding Clothing Colors That Flatter Your Skin Tone
You’ve probably heard people talking about warm, cool, and neutral undertones.
Understanding your undertone can be helpful when choosing clothing and makeup, but please don’t feel like you need a degree in color theory to get dressed in the morning!
Here’s a simple guide.
Cool undertones: Your skin may have pink, rosy, or bluish undertones. You might look especially beautiful in navy, cobalt blue, raspberry, burgundy, plum, emerald, and cool pinks.
Warm undertones: Your complexion may have golden, peachy, or yellow undertones. Try cream, camel, olive, chocolate brown, terracotta, coral, peach, tomato red, and warm turquoise.
Neutral undertones: You may be able to wear colors from both families, depending on their intensity and how they look against your complexion.
And remember, your skin’s surface color and undertone aren’t necessarily the same thing. You can have fair skin with warm undertones or deeper skin with cool undertones.
Christina’s Beauty Tip
Forget staring at the veins in your wrist and trying to decide whether they’re blue or green.
Instead, stand in front of a mirror near a window with good natural light.
Hold different colored shirts, scarves, or pieces of fabric directly underneath your chin.
Ask yourself:
Which color makes my eyes look brighter?
Which one makes my skin look fresh and healthy?
Which shade softens the appearance of shadows under my eyes?
Which color makes me look tired, even when I’m not?
You’ll be amazed at what you discover.
And please, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t wear a color you absolutely love.
2. The Colors Closest to Your Face Matter Most
Here’s something many women don’t realize.
The color of your blouse, sweater, jacket, or scarf can have a much bigger impact on your complexion than the color of your pants or shoes.
Why? Because those colors sit directly next to your face.
They can influence how we perceive the warmth, brightness, and evenness of your skin.
For example, a beautiful cream blouse might make your complexion look soft and luminous, while a stark white shirt could make the same complexion appear a little washed out.
Or the opposite could be true!
Christina’s Beauty Hack: If you love a color that doesn’t particularly flatter your complexion, wear it anyway. Just move it away from your face.
Choose that color for your pants, skirt, handbag, belt, or shoes, and wear a more flattering shade near your face.
Problem solved!
I love fashion far too much to tell a woman she has to give up a color simply because somebody handed her a color chart.
3. Every Woman Has Her Perfect Red
I absolutely love red.
It’s confident, glamorous, feminine, and makes a statement without saying a word.
But not all reds are created equal.
Maybe you’ve tried a bright tomato red and decided red just isn’t your color.
Not so fast!
You probably haven’t found your red yet.
There are gorgeous blue-based reds, cherry reds, raspberry reds, brick reds, coral reds, and deep wine shades.
The trick is finding the one that brings your complexion to life.
As a makeup artist, I have lipsticks in practically every shade of red imaginable. I can hold several different reds next to someone’s face, and suddenly one shade makes their eyes sparkle and their complexion look brighter.
The same principle applies to your wardrobe.
Christina’s Beauty Tip
If you’re shopping for a red dress or blouse, compare several shades near your face in natural light.
Don’t just look at the color on the hanger.
Look at what the color does for YOU.
And if you find a fabulous red lipstick that makes you feel beautiful, take note of whether it’s warm, cool, bright, or muted. That can give you a wonderful starting point when shopping for clothes.
4. Yes, You Can Wear Black!
I love black.
It’s chic, sophisticated, easy to wear, and let’s face it, there are mornings when I don’t want to spend twenty minutes figuring out what to wear.
Black is my friend!
But as we get older, our coloring can change. Our hair may become lighter, we might add highlights, or our skin may have a little less contrast than it once did.
Sometimes a solid black outfit right next to the face can look a little harsh.
Does that mean you should stop wearing black?
Absolutely not!
Try opening the neckline, adding a beautiful necklace, wearing statement earrings, or bringing some warmth back into your face with makeup.
A gorgeous blush, a touch of bronzer, and a beautiful lipstick can make all the difference.
You can also experiment with navy, charcoal, espresso, or deep chocolate brown.
Sometimes these shades give you the same elegant look as black but feel a little softer against your complexion.
Christina’s Beauty Tip: If you’re wearing an all-black outfit, don’t forget your cheeks! A beautiful blush and a little strategically placed bronzer can bring life and dimension back to your face.
And of course, a fabulous pair of earrings never hurts!
5. Your Coloring Changes as You Age, and That’s a Beautiful Thing
The colors you loved at 25 may not be the colors you reach for at 45, 55, or 65.
And that’s perfectly fine!
Our hair changes, our skin changes, and our personal style evolves.
Maybe you were a brunette who loved wearing icy pink, but now you’ve added golden highlights and suddenly find yourself drawn to peach and coral.
Or perhaps you once avoided bright colors and now absolutely love wearing cobalt blue or fuchsia.
I think that’s wonderful.
Beauty isn’t supposed to stand still.
I always encourage women to keep experimenting.
Try on something unexpected. Pick up that colorful sweater you would normally walk right past. Put on a lipstick you’ve never worn before.
You might surprise yourself.
And please don’t fall into the trap of thinking that getting older means you have to stop wearing beautiful, vibrant colors.
Quite the opposite!
Color can be one of the easiest ways to bring freshness and personality into your wardrobe.
6. Neutrals Are Not One-Size-Fits-All
Every woman needs a few fabulous neutrals in her closet.
They’re the pieces you can mix and match without giving them a second thought.
But here’s the secret: not everyone looks their best in the same neutrals.
Some women look absolutely stunning in crisp white, while others glow in ivory or cream.
Some women look fabulous in black, while navy or chocolate brown is more flattering on someone else.
Experiment with:
Ivory and cream
Camel and taupe
Chocolate brown and espresso
Navy and charcoal
Black and soft gray
Find the neutrals that make your complexion look beautiful, then build your wardrobe around those colors.
It makes getting dressed so much easier.
And once you have a few great basics, you can add all the fabulous color you want.
7. Your Makeup and Wardrobe Should Work Together
This is where my two favorite worlds collide!
Your makeup and your wardrobe should complement one another.
If you’re wearing a gorgeous jewel-toned dress, you may only need fresh skin, mascara, blush, and a beautiful lip.
If you’re wearing soft neutrals, adding a little color to your cheeks or lips can keep your complexion from looking washed out.
And if you’re wearing a color you adore that isn’t necessarily your most flattering shade, makeup can help bring everything back into balance.
A little blush or bronzer can work wonders.
Christina’s Beauty Hack
When you’re getting dressed for an important event, choose your outfit before finishing your makeup.
Look at the color of your clothing against your face, then decide how much warmth, blush, or lip color you need.
For example, if you’re wearing a bright pink dress, you might choose a soft rosy blush and a complementary lip color.
If you’re wearing warm terracotta or camel, a peachy blush and warm nude lip might be beautiful.
You don’t need everything to match perfectly.
You just want the entire look to feel harmonious.
And remember, beautiful makeup should enhance your features, not compete with your outfit.
8. The Compliment Test
Here’s one of my favorite ways to figure out which colors really flatter you.
Pay attention to the compliments you receive.
If every time you wear a particular blue someone tells you how beautiful your eyes look, remember that blue!
If people consistently tell you that you look rested or radiant when you wear a certain shade, pay attention.
Sometimes other people notice what looks beautiful on us before we do.
But I also want you to pay attention to how YOU feel.
You know that feeling when you put on an outfit, look in the mirror, and think, “Oh, I look good today!”
Yes, you can admit it!
I want you to feel that way more often.
Confidence is beautiful, and when you feel wonderful in what you’re wearing, it shows.
9. Fit Is Everything!
We can talk about colors all day long, but if your clothes don’t fit properly, none of it really matters.
The right fit can completely transform an outfit.
More importantly, it can change how you feel wearing it.
Clothes should flatter the body you have today, not the body you had ten years ago or the body you think you’re supposed to have.
And please don’t be afraid to have your clothes altered.
I do it all the time!
A beautiful jacket, pair of pants, or dress can go from looking just okay to absolutely fabulous with a few simple adjustments.
Sometimes taking in the waist, adjusting a hemline, or shortening a sleeve makes something look as though it was designed especially for you.
I’d much rather have a smaller wardrobe filled with pieces that fit beautifully than a closet overflowing with expensive clothes that don’t.
And please, don’t buy something simply because it’s 70% off!
If the shoulders don’t fit, the waist is uncomfortable, or you spend the entire day pulling at your clothes, it wasn’t a bargain.
It was just something on sale.
10. The Most Beautiful Thing You Can Wear Is Confidence
At the end of the day, I don’t believe your wardrobe should be dictated by rules.
Understanding which clothing colors flatter your skin tone simply gives you another tool.
It can make shopping easier, help you build a wardrobe you actually wear, and make getting dressed feel a little more effortless.
Choose beautiful colors, absolutely.
But also choose fabrics that feel wonderful against your skin, cuts that flatter your body, and designs that make you feel like yourself.
Because beauty isn’t only about what someone else sees when they look at us.
It’s also about how we feel when we look at ourselves.
When your clothes fit beautifully, the colors complement your complexion, and you feel confident wearing them, something changes.
You stand a little taller.
You smile differently.
You walk into the room with a little more confidence.
And that, my beautiful friends, is what I want for every woman.
Wear the colors you love. Celebrate the body you have. And never forget to walk into the room like the queen you are!
With love,
Christina Flach
Celebrity Makeup Artist & Beauty Expert
www.christinaflach.com