Why Color Theory Applies to Beauty Products
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Imagine this: you just ran out of your favorite lipstick, and instead of repurchasing it, you decide to look for a new one. You head to your local beauty supply store, and as you walk in, you spot an advertisement for a lipstick featured on a model with pale, white skin. It’s the exact shade you’re looking for, so you’ll probably decide to buy it, right? For someone who is white, the most likely answer is yes. For someone of color, the answer is not quite so simple. Many beauty products may look a certain way on paler skin, but the same shade could look totally different on darker skin. This can be attributed to color theory.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
When creating their work, artists use color theory as a practical guide to choosing color combinations, mixing colors, creating harmony in art or design, and challenging color harmony. The color wheel, used to show the relationship between primary, tertiary, and secondary colors, was the product of Sir Issac Newton’s experiments when looking at sunlight through prisms. He determined that colors sitting across from each other on the color wheel are complementary towards one another.
For example, the warmth of the color orange would have a balancing effect when paired with the much cooler blue and both colors would appear much brighter (As they say, opposites attract!). The same effect occurs when layering colors. Many artists use a technique called underpainting, which consists of putting down the complement of a color intended to be used on a painting, then layering over it in said intended color, often multiple times. Since light passes through all layers of transparent color, your eyes and brain will mix the colors to create a new color.
This explains why the same shade of lipstick can look very different when used on multiple skin tones. Think of skin tone like the first layer of an underpainting, and the lipstick shade as the intended final color. Light passes through the lipstick, allowing the brain to mix its color with the color of the skin underneath and to perceive an entirely different color than what it originally saw in the tube.
Tik Tok user @/makeupbymonicaa shows this perceived difference by testing out different products on both her dark skin and friend Jazzi’s light skin. A pink blush looks much lighter and brighter on Monica, who has warmer undertones in her skin, and much redder on Jazzi, who has cooler undertones in hers. A brown eyeshadow appears much darker on Jazzi and the opposite is true for Monica. They also show how color theory applies to other beauty products such as hair dye and even sunscreen. A brand of sunscreen, claiming to be white cast-free, looks completely clear on Jazzi, but does, in fact, leave a white cast on Monica. Both women have received a plethora of hate comments from viewers, accusing them of switching products when showing the difference in color on their skin tones, despite both having provided proof that these claims are false.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Color theory shows how representation matters, especially in the beauty industry. It can be really beneficial for someone trying out a new look to follow a tutorial or take product recommendations from people who look like them, not only to make sure the look or product appears exactly how they hoped on their skin, but also to prove that they are important and are being acknowledged by brands regardless of their skin tones. Rare Beauty, a makeup line created by Selena Gomez, and Haus Labs, created by Lady Gaga, both advertise the same shade of products on a variety of different skin tones. Both companies also boast large shade ranges. In comparison, many brands refuse to show diversity and representation in their advertising, which is incredibly harmful and minimizing towards people of color.
As we move toward an era of change, I am hopeful that this will change, too.
Strike Out,
Writer: Maya Kayyal
Editors: Marissa DeMaio & Madison Sloan
Saint Augustine
