Use a Color Wheel to Create Foolproof Color Combos

Even for us regular girls, makeup is artistry. Every day we pick up our brushes and paint our faces with multi-colored products in an attempt to accentuate our features and look our very best. But with so many colors available, it isn’t always easy to know exactly which colors should be paired together.

One tool that has always helped me understand proper color balance is the color wheel.

The color wheel illustrates the simple basics of color theory, which is an important subject to get familiar with for any artist—whether you paint pictures or you paint faces.

A color wheel shows the three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue), the three secondary colors (green, purple, orange), and the six tertiary colors that are blends of the primary and secondary colors. When looking at the color wheel you will find complementary colors positioned directly across from each other.  By “complementary,” I mean color pairs that look good together and contrast well. For example: red and green, purple and yellow, and blue and orange are all classic pairs of complementary colors. So if you feel like rocking a bold blue eye shadow for a night out, consider adding a pale coral orange gloss to your lips as a perfect color complement. If you wear a bright green eye shadow, pink gloss is a classic pairing.

You can find a color wheel for your makeup case online or at your local craft store. Have fun with it and I hope you’ll report back with your favorite combos.


Read more of Sara's musings at The Makeup Snob.