SKIN TONE BEFORE PIGMENT

SKIN TONE BEFORE PIGMENT

We've applied our decades of expertise to formulate amazing lipsticks and eye shadows in an array of shades designed to work with every skin tone.

SKIN TONE

For too long, people have been told that skin tone determines beauty options. We couldn’t DISAGREE more! Skin tone—The overall color of our skin—is the result of genetics and UV exposure. Dominant skin tones are either brown, olive or pink.

Where our ancestors lived is mapped in our genes, with skin tones being darker in the South becoming lighter in Northern regions. Skin tones range from the deepest velvety purple-brown to the lightest alabaster rose-white.

In an effort to equalize, the beauty brands are attempting to launch a shade for each skin tone. This sounds good from a PR and marketing perspective, but it’s sending the wrong message: that if you have a certain skin tone, there’s only a specific range of colors available to you.

Skin Tones and Lip Tones

UNDERTONE

Undertones are either red, yellow or blue, and are determined by skin translucence, nutrition and the concentration of chromophores; hemoglobin, carotene, collagen and, of course, melanin. Here’s how:

  • Our circulation affects undertone as oxygenated hemoglobin is red and deoxygenated hemoglobin is blue
  • Phytonutrients ingested through diet eventually show up on the skin. For example: a high beta carotene diet results in a golden-orange tint
  • A slightly yellow color is the sign of healthy collagen. However, the grey-yellow hue of sallow skin can be a sign of impaired collagen renewal
  • There are two types of melanin visible in the skin: red-yellow pheomelanin and black-brown eumelanin

Undertone Appearance

COOL: Pink, red or blue

NEUTRAL: No obvious overtones of red or blue. It’s a blend of cool and warm. Think varying levels of beige!

WARM: Yellow, peach or golden-olive

Knowing your undertone will help refine your beauty decisions. The cool-warm-neutral palette influences how shades look when you wear them, but keep in mind that reds, blues, purples, greens, oranges can all be either cool tones or warm tones, depending on the pigment used to create the shade.


VIOLA ROUGE EMPOWERS YOUR BEAUTY DECISIONS

Traditional theory states that makeup shades are most flattering and impactful when they either match your skin color in level or contrast. At Viola Rouge, we’ve taken care of that so the only thing that matters is your personal style!

Color cosmetics selection facts:

  • Selecting a nude shade lighter than the skin might not look great on deep skin tones.
  • Vibrant pink shades aren’t always the best accent for pink undertones

SKIN TONE & UNDERTONE GLOSSARY

Definitions

Color:
A specific combination of hue, saturation, and lightness.

Complexion:
What the human eye perceives of as skin color. It is the cumulation of skin tone and undertone.

Hue:
Pure color without white or black added.

Shade:
The lightness or darkness of a color.

Skin tone:
Describes depth, warmth or coolness.

Tint:
The degree of color saturation, it changes as white is added.

Tone:
Generally described as light, medium or dark.

Undertone:
The underlying color that can be seen through the skin. Usually red, yellow or blue, but also referred to as cool, warm or neutral.



WHAT'S YOUR SKIN TONE?

Find your skin tone and the VIOLA ROUGE shades designed to perfectly compliment any look you wear! 


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