The Five Must-Have Makeup Colors

The best thing you can do at the threshold of a first impression to reinforce the “Know, Like, and Trust Factor” is to leverage makeup as a tool and skill. By mastering your on-screen look, you can effectively and confidently show up as the face of your brand and serve your audience in a big way.

Your best look makes you feel more confident and serves your audience by allowing them to feel more deeply connected to you. People want to hear from a person rather than a product or a clean logo. They will buy into you before they buy into your offer. The more consistently you show up as the face of your brand, the more your audience will associate you as their go-to expert to solve their problems. 

The five must-have colors in your makeup collection are go-to shades for daytime, evening, and on-camera opportunities. These five colors will help you go from tired, dull, and washed out on camera to vibrant and excited to represent your brand, to 10 X your visual impact, and move your valuable message forward. By carefully curating these five must-have colors, you can feel confident that you’re putting your best face forward, no matter the occasion.

But first, when choosing your best colors, the general rule is: the darker the skin tone, the more intense your colors have to be. Conversely, the lighter the skin tone, the less intense they must be. If we deintensify our colors too much, our image will look lifeless (especially on camera).

Must have color number #1: Cheek Color (Blush) 

The purpose of blush is to brighten and wake up your face. Your best blush shade will be the one that most closely matches your natural flushed look (i.e., after a rigorous workout). Well-placed blush and defined lips can make your eyes look bigger, therefore eliminating the need for excess eye makeup.

Must have color #2: Lip Color 

Your best lip shade is the one that features your mood, personality, and style. Whether you choose a pink for something more fun and feminine or a neutral to tie your look together, opt for a shade that is at least 1-2 shades deeper than your natural lip color. Your lip color is a key player in successfully achieving a vibrant and dynamic look instead of dull and washed out.

Must-Have Color #3: Base Eye Color

The base shade is a mid-tone eyeshadow complementary to your natural eye color and your skin’s undertone. Determining whether your skin undertones trend cool, warm or neutral requires a few answers about how your skin responds to the sun. This 1-minute Skin Undertone Quiz can help determine whether your skin has a cool, warm, or neutral undertone. A base eye color complementing your natural eye color and your skin’s undertone will help blend the last two must-have colors. 

Must have color #4: Accent Eye Color 

The accent or crease shade is the darkest shade used in the eyelids’ creases, lashlines, and outer third corners. Your eye shape and setting provide a map of your ideal accent placement. For example, do you have wide-set or narrow-set eyes? Hooded or deep-set? To accent your eyes to create the most depth, interest, and dimension (whether you are face-to-face or on camera), the placement strategy for your makeup is the one that best accents your natural bone structure.

Must have color #5: Highlight Eye Color

The highlight shade or the lightest color brightens the eyes, usually on the brow bones or the inner corners. If neutral enough, this color can also double as a cheek highlighter. This 3-point highlighting approach adds brightness to the brow bone, the top of the cheekbone, and the inner corner of the eye. Professionals use this makeup technique to guide the eye of the viewer toward the character, lift, and the dimension of your face. In other words, it shows off your best features.

To show up as the face of your brand more effectively and confidently, access the placement key to these 5 Must-Have Makeup Colors in my free guide, The Ultimate Makeup Makeover: The High- Performer’s Guide to Camera-Ready Makeup.