The Best Makeup for Very Fair Skin

Very fair-skinned women are always faced with several issues when it comes to makeup. Beginning with the base; it is very hard in fact to find the right shade of foundation, concealers and powders, since the lightest nuances are often an exclusive of Asian markets. The same goes for eyeshadows & co: it is essential in fact to find the right balance of colors to avoid a sharp contrast with natural complexion. We asked Claudio Fratoni, NARS Brand Manager, for some advice for a perfect makeup for those who have a very fair skin.

What’s the ideal makeup base for fair skins?
The first step for a perfect makeup is the primer, that evens and enhances the skin. Applying just a little on the whole face is enough to assure a perfect hold of the foundation and avoid unaesthetic color spots. Then it’s the turn of the foundation. It is best to choose one with a translucent finish to be applied with little touches only where necessary, that is cheeks and nose. Then proceed with the application of the concealer, from the inside corners of the eyes creating a ‘V’ that lightens not only the bottom of the eye but also the top part reaching the brow line. Lastly, seal everything with a transparent powder.

What colors for the eyes should very fair-skinned women choose?
There are two options: a very intense makeup, like “smoky eyes”, for example, or a very defined makeup in a 1950’s style. Very fair skins don’t do well with natural or nude shades, they don’t enhance them and hide their brightness. Beware of pastel colors as well, which tend to take away the freshness of the face making it appear unrested. Generally speaking, focus on black, brown, gold, silver, plum, bronze , very dark green, greige, warm pink and peach, while it would be best to avoid purple, gray, light green, baby blue, white, orange and fuchsia.

What are the lipsticks that complement a very light skin?
Red, plum, peach, ruby, flesh pink, peach and salmon are perfect.

What are colors to avoid ?
Definitely no brown, fuchsia, nude tones, pastel pink, purple and orange.

Can we use powder to give a touch of liveliness to our face?
Those with an extremely fair complexion must surrender to the fact that if the tan is not natural, it’s better to leave bronzing powders aside. Always use blush instead and match it with the lipstick. But beware of bright pink, you’ll look hot rather than ‘healthy’!