Have you ever looked in the mirror during the day only to find out that your makeup is looking dull and ashy? This can be embarrassing because it can make your complexion look sickly. I have personally suffered through this type of a tragedy and have found out when it is too late. I have realized through trail and error that there are a few guidelines to remember when it comes to avoiding dull looking makeup that will help you look more radiant.
The first question you have to ask yourself is why does my makeup look dull? And what can you do to brighten it up?
The simple answer is you need to have a good skincare routine, this will prepare your skins texture so when you blend your makeup together your skin will look hydrated and your makeup will not look dull.
Let’s look further into each technique and products that can help brighten up your makeup and give you that glow.
1. Always Hydrate The Appropriate Skin With Skin Care
It’s really important to keep the skin hydrated. One of the reasons why your makeup may appear dull looking is because the skin needs hydration. Hydrated skin will make your overall makeup appear hydrated. If the skin has a dull and dry texture then the makeup can accentuate that.
There are a few basic ways to keep your skin hydrated:
Exfoliate the skin: By exfoliating the skin this will remove any dead skin cells that may be sitting on top of the skin. Exfoliators reveal the new skin under the dry skin.
Cleansers: Cleansers remove any dirt, oils and makeup that maybe sitting on top of the skin. It’s important to cleanse the skin everyday.
Toners: Toners usually help balance the pH levels of the skin and remove any dirt and oils that maybe sitting in the pores of the skin. Toners preps the skin for moisturizers to sink into the skin better.
Serums: Serums are usually applied under your moisturizer. It allows your moisturizer to sink deep within your skin. Serums bring out the most out of your moisturizer
Moisturizer: Moisturizers should be used daily. Moisturizers keep your skin from becoming more hydrated and supple and allows your natural skin complexion to come through. Lastly, it allows your makeup to apply on to the skin smoothly.
If your using a tinted moisturizer and the skin isn’t properly hydrated, there usually isn’t enough coverage of the tinted moisturizer to give your skin a great skin complexion. It’s really important to keep the skin looking hydrated so that the finish of your makeup looks healthy and have a hydrating finish.
2. Use A Hydrating Foundation
The finish of a foundation is important to know, because it can give you radiance or make you look dull, it basically gives the overall texture of the skin. Sometimes using a matte finish foundation can make your skin look flat and lifeless.
Try using a more hydrating foundation because the finish of a hydrating foundation will usually help give your skin a healthy look complexion. Hydrating foundations usually have a dewy or finish which can make the skin look healthy and hydrating.
The following are Some of the hydrating foundations:
Tinted moisturizers: Usually have more hydration in them which give your skin a hint of color and usually are high in hydration.
Cream foundations: Are usually cream based and usually provide the skin with additional hydration, and blend into the skin like a cream that has more coverage.
Liquid foundations: Are usually hydrating due to the foundation formulation.
It’s also important to look at the finish of a foundation. The reason being is because the finish can determine the overall texture of the skin.
Dewy finishes: With a dewy finish it usually gives the skin a hydrated look, it makes your skin appear very hydrated
Satin finish: Usually this has a little luminosity and it makes your skin look like it is not oily. Satin finishes have a bit of a mattifying effect without making your skin look dry.
Luminous finishes: Usually have light reflective particles that make your skin glow and look more hydrated.
3. Use Color Correcting Techniques
One of the main reasons as to why your makeup may look dull is because there was no color correcting. Sometimes when we apply foundation on top of discolored skin it will make the skin look a bit ashy and dull looking.
It’s really important to consider using color correcting techniques which require using the color wheel to help cancel out certain colors, and to even out the skins complexion. Color correctors usually get applied under your foundation, they also come in concealers and in makeup primers.
Color correctors are great at cancelling out and covering redness, dark circles, dark spots and acne marks.
The following are colors that cancel out different skin color discolorations
Green: Cancels out redness in the skin
Peach/salmon corals: Cancel out purples and blues
Purple: Cancels out yellow pigmentation
It’s important to know that when it comes to concealers that a flesh toned that are similar in color as your skin’s complexion that, some formulations do contain light reflective particles which can help reflect off darker pigmentation and add brightness to the skin. Some of these formulations even have color correctors in them to help reflect off any dark pigmentation.
4. Use The Correct Illuminator For Your Undertone
When it comes to adding an illuminator to your over all makeup look it’s really important to consider wearing or adding illuminating powders that complement your skins complexion. Illuminators do help brighten up your skins complexion by having light reflective particles.
It’s really important to make sure you wear the correct color that compliments your skins complexion. For example if you wear a more cooler tone on a warm skin tone, it will make you appear more ashy and dull looking. It will definitely give you a more dead look, It’s important to use the following guide line for the different skin complexions out there:
Pale/Fair undertones: Usually have blueish veins which gives them more of a cool undertone. To get this skin tone, look at wearing illuminators with blue purple hints of color to compliment the cooler undertones that your skin may have. A cool pink or a duo-chrome illuminator with blue and pink will compliment this skins complexion.
Light complexions: Are complexions that are light but have a bit of a color in them. This type of an undertone usually can wear illuminators that have a bit of a warmer illuminator. It’s best to stick to pale yellow illuminators and some golden illuminators
Medium undertones: These types of undertones usually warm and can tan without burning and some of them turn olive. With this type of a skin complexion you should look at illuminators that are more on the golden side.
Deep undertones: These undertones usually are rich and are warm in color and have a bit of red in them. It’s best to stick to either a deep golden illuminator or even a bronze type of illuminator that will compliment it.
5. Use The Correct Foundation Undertone
When it comes to foundation it’s important to know your skins undertone. If a warm undertone was to wear a cool undertone’s foundation then the skins complexion will look ashy, because the undertone does not match and will make the skin look dead and ashy.
If a cool undertone was to wear a warm undertone it would look too yellow on the cool undertone, this could be another reason as to why you’re makeup would look dull. That is why it’s really important to know your skins undertone.
There are three main undertones that you will need to know:
Cool, Neutral, Warm
A cool undertone usually has a bit of a blue undertone, this can be determined with the skin having blue veins. A warm undertone usually has more of a yellow undertone which can be determined by having green veins. A neutral undertone has a bit of both cool and warm undertones in it which can neutralize the skins complexion.
6. Use The Right Undertone Of Lipstick
Just like wearing the wrong foundation undertone, lipstick falls under the same category. Lipstick which is supposed to be a signature look for many is something that makes or breaks your entire look. A lipstick color can look great on a friend and can make you look deadly, It’s really important to remember to understand the skin undertones when choosing a complimentary color of lipstick.
A cooler lipstick that has more cool undertones such as blue can look deadly on warmer skin tone. For cooler skin tones warmer colors wont look as sickly.
Again, there are three undertones to remember. Cool, Warm and Neutral.
A cooler undertone usually burns in the sun and has more blue veins. Cooler skin undertones can pull off silver jewelry which it can pull off.
A warmer undertone usually tans in the sun and has more yellow to it. Warmer skin undertones have more green veins. Warmer undertones compliment gold jewelry.
A neutral skin undertone usually has a mix of cool and warm colors. Neutral undertones don’t burn in the sun and take time to tan and both silver and gold both compliment this undertone.
When it comes to lipsticks there is a simple guide line to follow:
For cool undertones the following lip color
Pinks: look at a bubble gum pink
Reds: lipsticks a cherry color would compliment this undertone
Purples: A more berry color will compliment this undertone
Browns: Mauve brown, duo chrome lipsticks that have a shift of blue and brown will compliment this undertone.
For warm undertones:
Pinks: Peachy pinks
Reds: Orangey reds
Purples: Mid tone mauve
Browns: Golden- browns
Stick to this basic guide and you will find that these colors will compliment your skins undertone which will give your makeup a more lively look.
7. Use The Right Undertone For Blush
Just like foundations and lipsticks, the right undertone should be worn. It’s happened to me where I have worn the wrong blush undertone and it looked as if I had a bruise on my face. This can make your overall look unhealthy and dull looking.
Applying blush should give the illusion that you have a healthy flushed look. It’s important to understand the three undertones which is cool, warm and neutral. When it comes to blushes a cool undertone will have more blues and purples in them. A more warm blush will have more warm colors such as corals and golds in it.
As mentioned a more cool undertone will more likely burn in the sun and it’s common more with fairer skin tones. A more warmer tone will be for skin tones that are able to tan beautifully and is common with medium to tanned tones. Neutral undertones can wear both cool tones and warm tone blushes.
Complimentary cool tone blush colors: Bubble gum pinks, cherry reds and plums shades
Warm tone blush colors: corals, orangey-reds, peachy-golds and pink-gold shades.
By using this type of blush colors for your skins undertone this will help compliment your skins undertone, giving your skin an overall healthy glow the way blush is intended.
8. Use The Right Undertone Contour Shade
Another reason as to why your makeup could look deadly is because of the wrong contour shade. Once the contour shade is blended to the skin sometimes it can appear looking almost grey and ashy. This all boils down to the contour shade being too cool on a warmer skin tone. If the contour shade looks too orange it could be because it is too warm on a cooler skin tone.
In order to avoid these mistakes it’s important to determine your skins undertone. A cool undertone will usually use a more greyish shade of brown for it’s contour shade. A contour shade for a more warmer skin tone a more golden-yellow brown as a contour shade. By using the right contour shade you will find your skin wont look deadly or grey instead it will help give your skin the right dimension.
9. Wear The Correct Shade Of Foundation
We now know about how the right undertone plays a big role in the overall look of our makeup. Another reason why makeup may look dull on the face is because of wearing the wrong shade of foundation. If foundation is too light for a darker skin tone it can make the skin look more pale giving the skin an unhealthy look which can even appear dull looking.
It’s a good idea to see if your makeup does oxidize because if the foundation appears lighter and is supposed to oxidize, it can prevent the pale look. When a foundation oxidizes it blends in with the natural skin’s complexion. When purchasing foundation it’s important to allow it to oxidize for at least half an hour to see the true color of the foundation.
10. Makeup With A High SPF
Sometimes when makeup has a high SPF it can make the skin appear almost grey. This especially shows up on medium to darker skin tones. Sunscreens that have zinc oxide and titanium oxide can leave a chalky film on the skin. This can make the makeup appear dull looking especially under certain lighting.
When it comes to more deeper and darker skin tones a blueish grey cast may appear on the skin due to the spf ingredients. When it comes to taking pictures it’s a great idea to avoid foundations and creams with a high spf because these foundations would have a high UVA/UVB protection this will protect the skin from certain lighting including flashes for pictures. This can make the skin appear lighter and ghostly looking and even more dull looking depending on the skin complexion.