Makeup and Fashion Colour Theory

Colour Theory has a very big influence on Fashion Colour Trends and producing Eye-Catching Makeup Designs. I adore eye-popping colours so thought I would do a little taster on Colour Theory, for all you beauty enthusiast out there who just want to know how to use colour theory in your day-to-day beauty routine.

Knowing how to use the standard colour wheel can unlock the doors to producing spectacular looking Makeup and Fashion ideas. I hope you find this beginners guide helpful and do feel free to leave any questions below in the comment box, so let’s get stuck in.

Colour Wheel (Standard)

A basic colour wheel (as shown) consists of 12 Colours, with White, Black and Grey considered Neutral colours which are not normally discussed in-depth when talking about the basic colour wheel .
More in-depth colour wheels will show variations within these 12 colours known as;

• A tint, when white is added.
• A shade, when black is added.
• Tones, when grey is added

If you want to go a bit more in-depth into colour theory after this post, do check out this article on colour theory. But as I mentioned I’m only covering the basics as a platform for all my fellow beauty and fashion lovers, who are not familiar with colour theory.

Colours OPPOSITE to each other within the wheel are called Complementary, in others words they make each other stand out providing a high contrast. For example the Red Rose with its Green Leaves.

Colours SIDE-by-SIDE to each other (usually 3 colours are used for this scheme) are called Analogous, they are quite easy to blend together as they usually provide a softer contrast. For example check out the image of that beautiful sunset, and see how the purple, red and orange blend so well together.

Colours at a TRIANGULAR POINT (evenly spread out within the wheel) are called Triad colours, these colours provide a harmonious colour scheme using unlikely colour combinations. In the picture the colours within the scarf are vibrant, but blend well. Incorporating green, purple and a yellow/gold.

Colours using the NEIGHBOURING split complementary colours are called Split-Complementary; these colours provide a very high contrasting colour scheme which is softer than a Triad colour scheme.

Okay so the four colour schemes I’ve just mentioned are not the only colour combinations possible, but are a great starting point for beginners to colour theory. As you can see from the examples I used with each colour scheme, these amazing colour combinations are all around us in our environment and in nature. Once you can spot these colour combinations you can then beginning incorporating them into you outfits – for example a Green Dress worn with Red Accessories. Or with your Makeup –

producing a smoky eye look with Gold/Orange and smoked out with a Midnight Blue eyeshadow. The combinations are endless, so let you imagination explore the environment around you, and see what colour scheme combinations you can incorporate into you clothes and makeup. Remember, don’t forget to have fun and try loads of new different colour combinations out with your makeup and clothes.

Check out my Eye Shape 101 for applying eyeshadow to different eye shapes, if you’ve found some great colour schemes you want to try out. Till next time my fellow beauty lovers, stay beauty obsessed.