Let’s take it way back, I mean way back, to when finger painting was something you did on the regular and a colour wheel was your best friend. You broke rules! Pairing your Reds, Blues, and Oranges together with wild abandon. There was always a proud teacher to high five you on your beautiful, colourful work.
Now, unless you work in a creative field or maybe have artsy little ones running around your house, you probably haven’t thought about a colour wheel in a long time. "So why are we talking about it today?" you may ask. Well, I often get asked by clients “How do I pair a blush with a bright/nude/red lipstick?” Or many feel compelled to rule out blush completely when rocking a fun lip or vice versa. Complimenting these two products can seem daunting, but with some basic theory, it'll be very easy to mix and match the products you own.
So let's dive into the rainbow lipsticks and blushes and I'll teach you how to pair them for any occasion in your colourful life. Let’s reinvent the wheel!
Let's start with the basics; colours that go together easily without fuss. On the colour wheel there are cool tones such as blue, purple and some pinks. Then there are warm tones which are your reds, oranges and some yellows. By pairing two cool toned shades (or two warm tones) you completely avoid the risk of 'clashing' and the look will feel very cohesive. Here is an example of a cool tone pairing:
All three of these products have a strong blue undertone so they match even though they are a variety of hues when examined closely. We used both a cream blush and a powder to lock those pigments in, and focused the product on the cheekbones to give a more sultry appearance.
Products used (in order): ILIA Multi-Stick in At Last, Rouge Bunny Rouge Blush in Gracilis, ILIA Lipstick in Pink Kashmir
Next is an example of a warm tone pairing:
Unlike the last three products these ones are on the same group of the colour wheel, but have different undertones. The blush has a red undertone, and the lipstick has a orange undertone, while the gloss pencil has more of a yellow undertone. But they all go seamlessly together because they are all warm shades. The blush was focused on the apples of the cheeks and swept backwards. While the matte Kevyn Aucoin lipstick was applied as normal. The Lipstick Queen gloss was inserted just on the centre of the lips to give a soft pouty appearance.
Products used (in order): Kevyn Aucoin Blush in Fira, Kevyn Aucoin Matte Lipstick in Timeless, Lipstick Queen Chinatown Gloss in Genre.
I see a lot of rule breakers out there!
Who are we kidding, there are no rules in makeup! I couldn’t encourage you enough to mix up your colours and play with the idea that everything can go together. Tones on the opposite end of the colour wheel can create an interesting and beautiful contrast. If there's anything us ladies know, its that with great risk, comes great reward, beauty or otherwise. So here's a example of a cool blush and warm lip combo to get those creative juices going. Experiment, but have fun and don’t be afraid to get a li'l colourful.
Products used (in order): Kevyn Aucoin Blush in Shadore (Cool tone), Lipstick Queen Lip Liner in Rouge (Warm tone), Lipstick Queen Lipstick in Fire Red Sinner (Warm Tone)
Model: Elizabeth Lyle
Hair: Phillip B Insta-thick
Eyes: Blinc Eyeshadow Primer, RBR Eyeshadow in Unforgettable Oriole (Highlight), RBR Eyeshadow in Chesnut Apalis (Crease), RBR Eyeshadow in Papyrus Canary (Lid), Kevyn Aucoin Eyeshadow in Coffee Bean (Cut Crease), Amaterasu Black Liner, Kevyn Aucoin Curling Mascara.