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How to choose perfect color combinations
Jul 14

How to choose perfect color combinations

Have you ever wondered how to match the perfect lipstick with an outfit, or wondered what eye shadow shade would work perfectly with your hair? There are a ton of new options on the market of color products already grouped together for you to build a perfect look based on your eye color, but is there a trick behind it?

There are several ways that makeup artists select colors. Experience, inspiration and raw talent being amongst the most popular. But there definitely are tools out there that will help you avoid looking like a circus clown on a Saturday night. One of my favorite tools available is the color wheel.

Color Wheel

Standard Color Wheel

This isn’t something new to you if you’ve ever decided to add accent walls to a room in your house. Artists of all kinds rely on the science of compliments to coordinate seemingly opposing colors in a way that make them work. The end result is usually something amazing. You can use the color wheel in two different ways.

How the Color Wheel Works

First, by selecting the color across from the wheel will show you the color’s compliment. For example, if you’re wearing an yellow dress, colors in the purple or violet family will be its perfect compliment. You don’t have to only deal in the shades directly across, but the farther away you go from that compliment color the greater chance you have to clash.

colorcombo1

Navy blue eye shadow with gold accent. Nude lip.

Pink and Purple eyeshadow

Pink and violet liner. Colors that are next to each other on the color wheel.

You should never feel limited by only following the rules of the color wheel to try new looks. Keep reading, I have a tip at the end of this post on how to make any color combo work for you.

From beauty to life

 But before I give you this tip, let me divert… since that’s what I do. As I was writing this post, I started thinking about people and relationships. There is a cliché that gets tossed around all of the time that “opposites attract.” I think that there is a lot of fact to that. Heck, I married my opposite. There’s something appealing about the unknown, something sexy about the mystery. Even if you’re just developing a new friendship, its exciting to get to know someone that has completely different experiences. But is there any real lasting power in the opposites, or will you eventually find a place where what brought you together will eventually pull you apart? (Oh yea, because remember… I’m divorced.)
I think the lesson that can be learned about picking perfect color combinations, is really to find things and people that compliment you. It’s relevant to any type of relationship that you have. For example, I’m on a weight loss journey, and I’ve noticed that the friends that I have that have the exact same issues that I do, have the same excuses that I have as well. We’re terrible at motivating each other toward change, because we’re too much alike. I’ve started to look to people that are already athletic or have lost a substantial amount of weight to be my motivation. On the outside, its seems that pairing with an athlete is being attracted to an opposite. But the reality is, my desire is to be active and healthier. Therefore, we have a key thing that binds us and makes the relationship a compliment.

And back to beauty

So here’s the little tip to any color combo. Just like a common desire, belief or passion is that thing that makes different people connect, find a good blending brush and it will make any color combination work. Taking the time to blend the colors together will eliminate harsh lines and create a seamless, beautiful look. So have a willingness to step outside of your rules, and create something beautiful!
Do you think opposites can really create something lasting? What are some of your favorite color combinations?

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