By Klint Draper
Beginning with the basics, you should have a great foundation as the base for your makeup. Face makeup for fair skinned women can be difficult to match, but once you find one that matches your skin, it instantly makes you look more polished. Most colors for lighter skin have pink (usually denoted by the word "porcelain") undertones. While many people with lighter skin do have pink undertones, others are neutral or warm (yellow undertones), so it can be a bit more difficult to find a foundation that matches. A good rule of thumb is to test the foundation on the jaw line-not the back of your hand! At the jaw line, you see the color of both your face and neck, and you want a foundation that matches your skin and blends seamlessly between the two areas. Once you've found the perfect face makeup for your fair skin, you can move on to colors.
A general guide for lighter skin would be to avoid anything that looks harsh, whether it is a dark slash of blush, very deep lips with no other makeup, or tons of bright eye makeup. Choose one area of your face on which to focus.
Fair skin tones can have all different eye colors, so choose eye shadow colors that complement your eye shape. Make sure that the colors are well blended. Taupe is universally flattering. Mascara can be brown or black, although those with fair skin and very light hair might prefer brown, as it looks more natural on blonde lashes.
A flush of color on the apples of the cheeks makes lighter skin look healthy and radiant. Look for pink or peach tones, and apply with a light hand. Gel blushes may also work well, since you can sheer them out and they mimic natural flushing very well. Avoid brown or plum blushes, as these can look muddy on fair skin. Makeup should make you look brighter and fresher, not muddy and dull. You may prefer a bit of sun-kissed glow; bronzer, not the tanning bed, is the best and safest solution. Avoid any bronzers that have an orange cast, and dust lightly where the sun would naturally hit your face.
Most lip colors look lovely on lighter skin, except for deep browns. Although pale lips have been spotted all over the runway, choose a pale lipstick with a bit of color to it to avoid a corpse-like look. Similarly, very dark lips are huge for fall 2009. You can still wear this trend, but choose a sheer lip color or gloss instead of doing an opaque lip, which can look very stark. Red lips are always classic and look gorgeous on fair skinned ladies-just look at the Hollywood starlets of the 1940s and 1950s!
This guide to makeup for fair skin should get you started with your makeup routine. Remember to always have a good base, and that less is more when applied to fair skin. Embrace your beautiful, fair skin and enhance it with makeup.
Janey is fairly new to the idea of writing articles online, and has been spending much of her time writing for websites. You can visit one of her latest projects: Craftmade Ceiling Fans - and another project which helps people find the best information for modern fan company.
