How can you tell the undertone of a blush.
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May 7, 2016
Breanna E.
How can you tell if a blush is cool or warm? Is the color of a blush? Or the undertone? I have Mac Melba and Revolution nude, what type of colors are those?
May 7, 2016
Chris M.
Following! Every time I pick what I think is a "pink" blush, for instance, then use a pink lipstick, the blush looks peach.
May 7, 2016
Aurora S.
Some of them look clearly warm or cool toned but when they have a more subtle tone You just have to compare it to other blushes or bring a lipstick to compare it to since colors can look off with store lighting.
Also, keep in mind that gold shimmer can also effect the color resulting in a slightly warmer shade once on the skin.
I believe Melba is a warm toned type of blush.
May 7, 2016
Breanna E.
Chris I know what you mean! I have the same trouble! Aurora oh okay, I need to pick up some blushes and do my research really good. I've been looking to expand my blushes, do you recommend anything?
May 7, 2016
Chris M.
Thank you Jacqueline. I still have a hard time understanding the undertone. Also, I would have thought the red on the right was warmer by instinct, but can clearly see there is more yellow on the left one and more blue on the right one. I do need a color wheel!
May 8, 2016
Breanna E.
Yes Jacqueline it seems to make a lot more sense with the color wheel and seeing examples. I kinda have it in my head now. I definitely need to screen shot this lol, how I'm thinking right now is the left shade is much more brighter and warmer and the right is a lot more darker and cooler, is that going in the same concept or am I getting off track?
May 8, 2016
Breanna E.
Yay thank you so much Jacqueline! That is a huge help, especially the color wheel :)
May 9, 2016
Mar F.
When talking about color theory we need to distinguish between light and pigment color. To clarify that, light color would be what you see off your computer screens, whereas pigment color would be what comes off your printer.
On the one hand we have the light primary colors: Red, Green and Blue. This is what we call the RGB system, which works with addition (adding wavelengths of light) where black means no light and white means all the light (the three colors together).
Now pigment color (and here is what interests us as MUAs) works on three different primary colors: Cyan, Magenta and Yellow (which interestingly enough are the secondary light colors, and the primary light colors become the secondary pigment colors) This system is the CMY (or the CMYK, where K stands for black as a separate pigment to save ink) and its a subtractive system. That means that its works by the wavelengths the pigments absorb, and why the mix of the three colors together makes black.
Now, we need to understand that color-wheels are not as bidimensional, and most colors we see have a percentage of the three pigments. Also, colors don't depend only in hue (what we've been discussing) but also vibrancy and saturation.
If Red were indeed a primary color, and according to the wheel above) we would not have all the pinks and fuchsias (because red+white does not = pink) which would be a tertiary color between magenta and red. And how would the makeup industry be without our pinks!?
As for the lipsticks you showed (it might be the lighting or my screen calibration) but I see them both as cool reds, just the left one is much more vibrant! ;)
Sorry for the lecture! Hope I made sense. If not here's a picture that can help visualize things.
And feel free to let me know if you are interested in more science behind it ;) haha
May 10, 2016
Chris M.
So interesting, I'm sure, but too complicated for me! My brain does not work as an artist's does. For the average person, just looking at a color registers only what we see - no science at all behind it. Perhaps if I studied and studied the subtle differences, I could get an idea, but that doesn't mean I would see it - thus register it - any differently. I'd have to say that the best (and easiest!) way for someone like me to find the proper color of a blush would be to take my lipstick with me and match the tone of it to the blush. Some people can pick up any musical instrument and play it - they have an inbred understanding of music. They can comprehend the 'science' behind it. One can learn to play an instrument, yes, but it takes years of practice and diligence. For me, where art does not come naturally, and because I don't rely on art for my livelihood, I just want makeup to be fun and easy.
May 10, 2016
Mar F.
Yes! Makeup should be fun and easy, Chris :P
Also, the best way to really see the color of the blush is to try it on and rely on the color you see on your cheeks! Blushes usually leaves a sheer wash of color, with a high degree of transparency (versus a matte lipstick, which is opaque). That means that the color of your skin shows through the blush. If your skin leans towards the yellow undertones, which your amazing bronzed warm complexion seems to be, that would explain why your pink blush turns coral (yellow+pink=coral), specially when put next to a true and opaque pink lipstick, which serves as a reference that makes the difference more evident.
I didnt mean to imply that we should all know and naturally register all the information I mentioned above! Trial and error is a big part of the process. And as it had been suggested, taking a color wheel is a great way to see the subtle differences by direct comparison! I just wanted to suggest to get a color wheel that takes magenta and cyan as primary colors, rather than blue and red. It wasnt my intention to make anyone feel bad or anything, and let me apologize if I did.
May 10, 2016
Chris M.
Thank you Mar! You are very lucky to have the depth of understanding you do! :) For those who comprehend what you're explaining, it's fabulous. I was just responding for those who read the technicals and don't really grasp the concepts - like me! Thanks again!