Yes, absolutely! I wouldn’t slather them all over my face 24/7, but sometimes, it’s just about pretty colors and putting them together and less how it looks on me specifically.
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Sure do! I’m a firm believer that if you like something, wear it, no matter how others may think it looks.
I do not. I’m always clad in warm tones. I have a handful of cool tones that I tell myself I will play around with but I don’t. I even stopped buying them because I know myself too well.
I have light-medium, neutral skin with olive undertones (Native American + Mexican), so pretty much anything blue and blue-based looks horrible on me. I still wear blues, especially eyeshadows, eyeliner, and the occasional blue lip. Darker blues and true turquoise tend to be more flattering than royal blues or teals. I won’t wear unflattering nude lip colors, though, and certain shades of pink do not work for me. Luckily, I can pass anything unflattering to my daughter, who has peach skin. She looks great in almost everything.
Depends on the look I am trying to achieve. For everyday, going to work I keep it simple and flattering.
I don’t. It’s just that I don’t really have time to play in new areas more it’s that makeup is to help me look best in daily existence like at work, so the more flattering the better.
Yes I do! Green or blue lipstick may look strange to some, but there are days when I feel a little ‘quirky’ and fancy wearing something unconventional. At 54, I’m too chilled to worry about what others may think.
“At 54, I’m too chilled to worry about what others may think.” <3 It is so incredibly freeing! You made my day–thanks! I think it's hilarious that my 17-year-old wears taupes and browns for makeup (gorgeously–she always looks super classy; I'm not putting that down) while I'm experimenting with purples, blues, and greens. Middle age is awesome 🙂
No – my preference for wearing makeup is to enhance and accentuate and I prefer cohesive, bleneded looks with dimension. For my makeup preferences, I don’t see the point in statement makeup or bold, clashing or mismatched colors – I’d feel out of sorts.
Yes, but not on a regular. I try to make them work at least a few times.
Frequently. My “fall back” look consists of things that are more flattering on me, but I experiment to see what I can make work all the time. There are things that I’ll only try once in a blue moon, but I feel like if I don’t try to push the colour envelope, I won’t ever know the full range of things that work well on me.
Rarely — if I do, it’s by accident, such as not really seeing a color isn’t right for me until in full sunlight, or wearing a lipstick color that ends up turning pink on me after wearing for an hour or two. I don’t wear makeup often, so I want to look my best when I do.
Oh no. I try to never do that.
Colors play a crucial role in looking attractive. When I am in “color harmony,” everything about me looks better and feels better. I feel more confident and content, and it shows in how I conduct myself especially at work. I have spent a lot of time understanding my personal scheme that coalesce with skin, eyes and hair, then add fashion and makeup colors that enhance. Color is that important to me. I never wear anything that I feel detracts no matter how objectively pretty I think it might be.
No.
My goal with makeup is to look my best.
If something is not flattering I will not use it
Yes: If I love a shade, I’ll wear it. I’m lucky in that I have very fair skin with neutral undertones, meaning that most shades work on me, including things like blue lipstick and green highlighter.
I have tricks for wearing unflattering shades. For example, I don’t think shimmery light blue eyeshadow looks good on me, but I will wear it along the lower lashline, inner corner, or as a brow bone highlight. Keeping it as an accent with more flattering colors is the key. If I wear a really light nude lipstick, I top it with a sparkly or really glossy clear lipgloss to give it some dimension and make it more flattering.
This too is how I make things work for me. I am very fair with cool undertones so almost everything works on me as well. I love to experiment and I’m not afraid to play with color.
Nope. Certainly not on purpose. I wouldn’t wear clothing colors that weren’t flattering either. I want to look my best. Life is too short (I am 60) to wear colors that make me feel lousy.
If I adore a color, I may incorporate into a look by adding it as an accessory.
Nothing is ever going on my face that isn’t flattering — period. I ditto your accessory trick. I love a cool sand color, but I can’t wear it near my face without looking jaundiced, so I wear it as an accent piece (whether clothing, shoes, bag, etc.) with black, navy, oyster, white, etc. Love your comment.
However, I have to add that I was stunned when considering a deep red or burgundy eyeshadow. I thought that was nuts until I realized that it made my green eyes pop! I never would have considered it before and now I wear burgundies and plums often to get that effect. Again, only if it flatters my coloring……A touch of Mac Stars and Rockets gets compliments on my eyes (not the shadow) every time I wear it. Who knew that a shadow geared towards a much younger clientele who have that effect? Never say never, I guess.
Heck yeah I do! Thankfully, as someone with fair skin and neutral undertones, very little looks truly “unflattering” on me. I love playing with colors and textures. My one exception to this rule is I do not do black winged liner, it looks too harsh on my face.
Not usually, no. But when I do, I will incorporate a shade that doesn’t flatter me/ my coloring in to a look where it’s paired up with shades that DO. At least when it comes to the types where I can actually pull that off, ie; cool toned smokey eyes paired with a warm cheek and lip color.
At 59 years young, I do still experiment on occasion with an offbeat shade or shade configuration. However, most of the time, I opt for the shades that I know look best on me.
I’m all for trying new colors and there are so many more options nowadays then there were back in the 1950’s, but—after 60+ years of wearing makeup—I have a very good understanding of what colors will or won’t work for me. It doesn’t matter whether or not I like the color. That’s not the point. There are many colors I wear as clothing or accessories but I’d never put on them my face because they don’t flatter me. Since I consider makeup as the art of enhancement, why on earth would I wear a makeup color that I don’t consider flattering? Seems counterproductive to me.
I love the lines from the movie The Blind Side shopping scene with Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron:
“Well, one thing I know about shopping is that if you don’t absolutely love it in the store, you won’t wear it. The store is where you like it best. So before you choose something, think of yourself wearing it and say to yourself: Is this me?”
I have a solid idea of what is ‘me’ and I like to wear what feels like me. Me evolves over time, but I’m not one for shades that are not flattering.
Thank you! I’ve never encountered the axiom “The store is where you like it best.” Obviously never seen the movie either. That is so true. Also applies to what you buy off your screen. I think you’ll be saving me money!!
No I don’t try to make things work that do not look good on me or are not my style. I never wear gray or brown leaning grays because I feel like they look terrible on me. I refuse to wear on trend lipsticks like blue, green, gray and black because they are not true to my style. I would feel ridiculous and personally i really don’t think they look great on anyone. I love warm colors and jewel tones and they look good on me so that’s what I stick with.
I think that’s so key that you mentioned your style. Because if you get a good skin match for base products, I believe any color you feel good in is flattering. It’s all about being you and expressing yourself. If you follow that, you’ll always look great!
I don’t think I do unless it is an accident and I in that case I wouldn’t wash the makeup off if it didn’t suit me. I think I naturally gravitate to shades that I like and that I know would look good on me. There are very few shades that I like that don’t work for me. I think I am more of a traditionalist in my makeup choices. I love the look of blue and green lipstick on people but the thought of wearing it myself really wouldn’t dawn on me.
I have, but not on purpose. There are colors I’ve learned to avoid by trial and error. I love to experiment, but I don’t see the point in wearing something that doesn’t look good. For example, as much as I really, really wanted to wear blue lipstick, and even bought several different blue shades, blue just looks awful on my lips. (Three of them are MAC and are now in my Back-to-MAC pile, so at least it’s not a total loss.)
Yes and no. I tend not to ever wear pink/coral lipstick, because I see it as unflattering and swamp girl-making. Or big metals, because of my age. (70 in the fall.) However, I think of m/u as theatre, rather than as enhancement, and as Artaud said, ‘Theatre is like the bubonic plague.’ So, I will wear gray all over the face and menswear colored lips like dark green, blue, purple, red but never go midrange or light in the offbeat shades. Maybe had I been born a few decades later, I would have espoused goth. Not sure. Don’t like the accessories, piercings, and all black particularly! But I am sorry that I’m too old for Joan of Arc hair….
Yes, if I love the colour I’m going to wear it, although certain occasions may be more appropriate than others to go all out with “unflattering” shades. I love blue based pale pink, lavender, and light purple lipsticks and lipglosses but I can imagine some people might think they look a bit much on my super pale skin or might make my teeth appear yellow. Also blue eyeshadow is super fun!
This question is a bit odd to me. What is flattering really? If I like it and want to wear it, I will. So if I like it enough to wear it, I consider it flattering on me. Im not going to wear something I don’t like so that’s that!
Nope. Warm tones look awful on me, and it was an expensive lesson to learn. I’m not wasting money on unflattering makeup. I’m 58, and while I can’t be bothered by what others think, I care what I think about my look and am old enough to know what looks good on me. Do I experiment? Sure! But I’m not going to make myself look like a clown in the process.
Sometimes. I have lipsticks ranging from light gray-ish purple to pinky-purple and light frosty blue that my husband jokes makes me look dead. (Off the top of my head the shades include Urban Decay’s Asphyxia, Plague and Frostbite, and Rituel de Fille’s Prey, though I know there are others.) Not sure why I love these shades so much, but I don’t really care whether other people find them flattering. I’m 43 and have found I’m more adventurous with makeup now than I ever was — probably because I no longer care what others think. It’s actually quite freeing.
Eh. I prefer wearing flattering tones because I want to look good. Cool tones do not look good on me.
Unflattering is subjective.
Using blue or green metallic eyeshadow, in small amounts, blended in with my usual, yes.
I’ve stretched, using Lime Crime Diamond Crushers over matte lipstick, and I see people’s eyes being drawn to my lips, and I don’t want just one of my features drawing all the attention because it’s “bright” or “sparkly”.
I like harmony.
Would I use orange, blue, purple or Barbie pink lipsticks (for example), no.
It seems like too much.
Plus, it’s just not something I am associated with, and I am too old for unflattering attention to certain parts of my face.
I will just to experiment artistically and see if I can make it work. I think it’s also a matter of perspective. Personally I feel like very dark, smokey eye makeup is unflattering on me because I have fairly hooded eyes and I feel that so much darkness only serves to make them look all the more hooded/small but whenever I do smokey eyes I get LOADS of compliments and people always tell me how good they think it looks so… *shrug*
No I don’t – either in my clothing choices now (I’ve picked some shockers in the past) and for my eyes and lips. By my age, you know what suits and works for you and I stick to that.
However I will say that in the past I did shy away from neutral eyeshadows (which is why I took so long to purchase UD Naked 1) and have found that they work so well on me. And now I am exploring plum shades and I love those too. Which goes to show that you still need to be open to different colours and the undertones make the difference as to whether it suits you or not.
I asked that question once, years ago, on Makeup Alley.
People seemed to think it was an odd question.
Sometimes I just want to play with colors & have fun with makeup, but it’s not always the colors that flatter my coloring the most.
I try not to look scary or hideous, but I do like to have a good time with my makeup.
Yes! To me is half the fun of the game! I love to change everyday my colors I think is a great way to figure out some styles. I was afraid for the longest time to try a vampy color once tried fell in love with them and bought a bunch of reds, berries, mauves for winter. It makes my hazel eyes pop out and adds a nice jump of color being dam pale. My mom and daughter wear softer more neutral shades I’m the one who loves experimenting but within what I think is suitable never been into the gothic look or wear a green/blue lipstick but if you want to why not? Be yourself and be unique and enjoy.
Sometimes I need bright corals and pinks on the lips: Summer + Stupid Love lipsticks, Retro Coral or Neon Coral liquid matte lipsticks from ABH. Sometimes I crave bright orange lips like Melt’s Bang Bang although darker colors are usually more flattering on my fair-almost translucent-pinkish skin. It gets boring wearing the same reds or blackened reds over and over. My hair would flatter my skin more if I went back to a darker color but there’s something addictive about platinum blonde. It rarely makes us fair types look like we have MORE hair but it’s a thing I may as well do while I can get away with it. If I’m managing to at all. Hopefully It’ll be pale blue or coral again soon.
Yes and no. The original UD Naked looks terrible on me. It made my eyes look yellow and just gave me an overall sick look so I gave it away. On rhe other hand, I love bright colors on the eyes and lips. Im nearing 40 and my daughter tells me that anything other then neutral looks terrible on me because of my age but I dont care and I wear my bright colors anyway.
Our daughters can be so critical, can’t they? According to my daughter it’s inappropriate for me to show cleavage because I’m 40 but perfectly ok for her because she’s 20.
Thanks God for sons (okay and daughters LOL)! My youngest child is 8 and he loves bright colors on me! I thank God for him every time I do my makeup because I’m over 50 and he likes colorful makeup on me (and so do I). I don’t know what I’d do if I felt bad about wearing duo chromes, bright colors or dark sultry ones as they are like having jewels for me.
I love this question! I tend to stay in my eyeshadow comfort zone of golds, coppers and browns because they are most flattering for my skin tone, BUT I love silvers and pinks – colors that I don’t think look unflattering on me, but don’t think they look super flattering either.
I try.
But being very fair & very warm strong colors can quickly overwhelm my coloring and I look clownish or corpse-like.
Rarely-I seem to have too good of a sense of flattering colors to make very many bad picks. Probably the least flattering shade I wear is Thrash from the UD Electric palette, and even then it looks decent because I wear it with a flattering cooler cheek and lip.
Yes.
Not every day, maybe not even once a week, but sometimes.
Not so much so that it makes me look ill or clownish though.
Outside of the wrong skintone products, I don’t think there’s any unflattering colors – only unflattering shapes. So I wear whatever colors I want, but apply them in a way that flatters my facial structure and style.
Is there such a thing???!!! Of course, I’m joking, but I tend to wear what I like and I tend to like colors that are flattering on me, but if it really isn’t, like a crazy, hot neon orange (which I like, but isn’t necessarily “flattering” (say as a lipstick), I won’t wear too much of it. I’ll find some way to use it (him of eyeshadow or blush for this color as a example).
Not unless I like the color and I tend to not like shades, especially for the face that don’t mesh well with my nc-15 coloring, like a medium-deep warm brown-ish blush or bronzer, for example. I feel like having the requisite skill and proper tools would make me more confident in trying colors I’d otherwise avoid.
Some responders seem to imply that bright, colorful looks immediately fall under “not flattering” which I disagree with. Anything’s “wearable” if you are willing to give it a go. When I wasn’t as confident in my ability I used to stick to cool colors mostly as I though they were “safer” but now I’m practically averse to cool taupes. Preferences change over time, and mine have definitely changed as I’ve been spectator to the “Warm” eyeshadow trends. But I personally still want to march to the beat of my own drum so I try to not limit myself to what’s safe/popular/deemed trendy at the moment.