Turn Your Pale Skin Into A Blessing Instead Of A Curse

Were you blessed with naturally pale skin? You may think that it's more a curse than a gift. Though, there's a big chance that you simply don't know how to make the most out of it yet. Fair skin is a sign of aristocratic background. It looks pure, subtle and heavenly. To help you embrace your Snow White complexion and love every inch of it, we've composed this comprehensive guide.

Meet the expert

Annie Walton Doyle

Expertise: Beauty Expert

Tailoring your makeup and skincare for pale skin is essential in making sure your complexion looks its best. Paler skin tones can look delicate and beautiful but do require some special treatment in order to really shine. In terms of skincare, paler skin tones need protection. Light skins have less natural melanin, which can help with protection from the sun. This means paler complexions need to be using a high SPF product, every single day. Harmful UV rays can penetrate through clouds and even windows, so come rain or shine, whether you’re heading outdoors or not, you need to make sure you’re applying your sunscreen. It’s also worth carrying sunglasses and a hat in sunny weather to keep those rays off of your precious visage. When it comes to makeup, the most important thing for pale customers to remember is to consider your skin’s undertones. There are three main undertone families - warm, neutral, and cool. Warmer skin tones are more yellow, cool more pink, and neutral are somewhere in the middle. You can determine yours by looking at the color of the veins on your wrist - green means warmer, and blue means cooler. Once you’ve determined your skin’s undertones, it’ll be far easier to find a foundation and concealer that match you. You can also better choose blush and bronzer colors that compliment, rather than clash!

Skincare For Pale Skin

Credit photo: Shutterstock

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Credit photo: Shutterstock

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You probably already know that pale skin is the least protected regarding the environmental toll and UV light. That’s why it is critical that you come up with a perfect skincare routine for your gentle complexion:

• Befriend an SPF: since sunlight can be extremely damaging to your skin, a dedicated sunscreen should be at hand 24/7. Keep in mind summer isn’t the only season for sunscreen. Incorporating a season SPF protectant is advised to keep your skin healthy and glowing.
• Upgrade the washing routine: it isn’t a widely known fact, but every skin type looks its best when you stick to the same care regime on a daily basis. When it comes to pale skin, you should keep in mind three essential steps: wash, tone, and moisturize. Seek out the products designed for your skin type in particular.
• Stick to natural skin care: pale skin is exceptionally susceptible to harsh chemicals that present-day skincare products are filled with. Thus, the more natural is the ingredient list, the better.
• Protective hat and sunglasses: the chances are that the piece of advice catches you by surprise. Even if you always wear quality sunscreen, extensive sun exposure begs for a pair of sunglasses and a trendy hat.
• Maintain your healthy diet: the health of your skin is directly impacted by the state of your inner systems. That is why you may want to go on a healthier diet streak and incorporate some vitamins and antioxidants into the regime. All sorts of leafy veggies, greens, and rick in Omega-3 products will help your skin glow like never before.
• Add some steam: you can’t affect the humidity level in your area, and moving to London isn’t always an option. Yet, you can invest in a quality steamer and help your pores open up so that you can remove all the excess dirt and help your skin heal and shine.

Your Undertones Matter

The first thing that you should take into account when picking out makeup products is undertones. There are three main types out there – warm, neutral and cool. Even if you have a pale skin tone, it doesn’t mean that it doesn't have undertones. It still has a light shade in depth, which defines what undertones you have. Warm undertones include peach, golden and yellow. Cool undertones feature red, blue and pink. Neutral undertones have both color palettes.

If you can't identify it at first sight, there are a couple of tricks to easily determine your undertones. First, you'll need two pieces of fabric. It can be anything, from clothes to towels. But, the main condition is that one of them should be white while the other one off-white. With no makeup on, your task is to decide which of the two flatters your pale skin more. For cool undertones, the white item will be more flattering. For warm undertones, the off-white piece will look more complimenting. And for neutral undertones, both garments suit equally well.

The second way to decide what your undertones are is to study your veins on the wrists. Girls with cool undertones will have blue veins. Those whose veins are green have warm undertones. If you see both colors, then your undertones are neutral.

The last way to tell your undertones is to try on jewelry and say which complements you best. Ladies with warm undertones will find gold jewelry more flattering while those whose skin is after silver have cold undertones. If both, then you’re neutral.

Best Blush For Pale Skin

Once you've found out your skin undertones, it's time to go shopping for makeup. You might have always shied away from blush, as it looked too evident and conspicuous on you. However, with the right shade, it may seem very flattering and genuine. Just stick to the soft shades of peach, pink and coral, which will turn out much more natural than others. To be more specific, girls with warmer undertones should go for coral and peach shades whereas those with warm undertones should choose fair mauve and rosy pink blush.

Besides, the result heavily depends on how to apply makeup. To achieve a natural effect and not to overdo it, the application should be gradual. And be sure to blend properly, as on your pale skin even subtle lines look harsh.

Foundation For Pale Skin

The perfect complexion is essential because it will serve as a canvas for further makeup application. It's also very important not only to choose the best foundation for pale skin but also to apply it in the right manner. You don't want heavy coverage, as it looks unnatural and dull. Besides, modern fashion trends prompt to choose radiant and glowy skin over matte and doll-like. To achieve such an effect, add to your foundation a couple of drops of your favorite liquid face product, such as serum, oil or even highlighter. Moreover, go easy on layering. It's always better to apply a thin layer of foundation and cover the remaining flaws with a cream concealer.

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Eyeshadow Shades For Pale Skin

It's actually not that hard to choose the best colors for pale skin, as there is a myriad of eyeshadow shades that flatter it perfectly. However, you should pay more attention to the application technique. Because your complexion is so fair, even the lightest eyeshadow may pop against it. So, as a rule of thumb, just don't overdo it.

Apply a small amount of the product and blend it carefully. As for the formula, stick to creamy eyeshadows because they are not only easily blendable but also long-lasting. Concerning colors, opt for green, purple and pastel hues as well as metallic shades. On the contrary, it's better to refrain from the colors that create too much contrast with your skin, such as blacks, whites, grays and rich earthy shades.

Best Bronzer For Pale Skin

The bronzer for pale skin may be a multi-purpose product because you can also use it as a contour. Be careful with it though. Instead of a subtle sun-kissed effect, it's very easy to create a bruise or orange spot on your face. Because you want to warm up your complexion a little, go for sheer shades with peachy or pinkish undertones and shimmery finish. If you find your bronzer too pigmented or want to add a touch of a natural glow to your face, mix the product with your trusty serum or moisturizer. Should you do overdo it, don’t panic. You can always remove the excess with the makeup sponge or a buffing brush you applied your foundation with.

Eyeliner For Pale Skin

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Credit photo: instagram.com/sophiecash

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With pale skin, it's very easy to create too harsh makeup, as a lot of deep shades contrast with it too much. For this very reason, when defining your eyes with eyeliner, opt for the colors other than black. Go with brown or gray shades to achieve a softer and more delicate effect. Though, it's not necessary to stick to neutral tones only. You can add a touch of color to your makeup by grabbing green or blue eyeliner instead. They not only bring a fun element to your look but also make your eyes pop.

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Flattering Lipstick Shades

Good news is when it comes to lipstick shades, there are basically no limits for pale skin girls. You're free to choose from nudes as well as vampy and dark colors. If you gravitate to nude lip colors, turn your eyes to those with peach or pink hues, which will help you avoid a washed out look. Girls whose skin is on the warm side will find orange and fiery red lippies the most flattering. For those on the cool side, peachy-coral and bluish red lipsticks are a way to go.

In case you decide to choose a deep or bright lip color, one of our most insightful makeup tips would be to keep it the focal point of the whole look. Thus, for the rest of your face, opt for natural makeup looks.

Concealer For Pale Skin

If you have pale skin, nobody but you knows how distinct and prominent those dark circles and other skin concerns are. When choosing the concealer, you want it to both disguise your skin flaws and highlight the areas that are dull and dark. You are welcome to choose the formula based on your personal preferences. You can either go with sheer fluids or thick creams. Mind though that the perfect concealer will also become the best highlighter for pale skin.

Contour Shades For Pale Skin

Although we mentioned earlier that the bronzer may also work as the contour for pale skin, it doesn't mean that you should waive it. To choose your perfect contouring shade, we strongly advise refrain from shimmery products, as the contour should create a natural shadow, and glowing particles reflect light thus giving the opposite effect. As for the shade, it's vital to keep it neutral as well. Different shades of a taupe color are a perfect option for contouring. Just consider your undertones when choosing one, and it will surely be your best shot.

When applying, take it easy on the contouring product, as you don’t want to overdo it. However, if this does happen, the trick with a makeup sponge or brush works here too.

Now that you know how to choose the perfect makeup products for your complexion, let's dive into the most popular ideas for makeup for pale skin. Click Next Page to see popular makeup looks.

Makeup Ideas For Pale Skin

Makeup Idea With Bold Eyes

If you've decided to keep the focus on your eyes, leave the lips neutral. It's always a win-win solution when you match your eyeshadows to your eye color. So, to make your blue eyes pop, go for deep blue metallic shades balanced with platinum eyeshadow. For the lips, soft peach or light coral will be a perfect choice.

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Nude Makeup Idea For Pale Skin

You can never go wrong with nude makeup, as it's always in fashion. Though remember not to use too subtle eyeshadows to avoid a washed-out look. Even though it should look natural, it’s aimed at enhancing your beauty. So, opt for the shades that will be distinguishable on your pale skin.

Smokey Eyes Makeup For Pale Skin

Who said that you can't wear smokey eyes makeup if you have pale skin? Don't listen to those ignorant people. You're so welcome to flaunt it! Just refrain from dark and gray shades opting for blues or greens instead.

Makeup In Dark Shades For Pale Skin

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Credit photo: instagram.com/sophiecash

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Credit photo: instagram.com/sophiecash

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Even though we recommend staying away from blacks and grays, it doesn't mean that you should deprive yourself of all dark shades. Deep burgundy lips and matching eyeliner make up an outstanding combo.

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Halloween Makeup For Pale Skin

One of the widely underrated perks of pale skin is that it reflects bold colors better than any other skin tone. Thus, you can pull off the simplest Halloween makeup looking your absolute best effortlessly. A tad of black eyeshadow smeared around your eyes, and you get yourself the hot Corpse Bride look everyone will fall victim to.

Autumn Style Makeup in Peachy Tones

Embracing your complexion is the best thing to do, no matter the season. However, playing around with seasonal shades and creating a natural look that will steal breaths away is rarely a waste. We suggest you pay increased attention to peachy tones when the fall hits with full force. Besides, enhancing the beauty of your natural eye color is always a good idea.

Smokey Cut Crease Eyes

Cut crease eye makeup and pale skin make a killer combo. The bold technique spiced with such a highly reflective canvas will project all the drama you seek. Make it your statement look when a daring vibe is needed. Don’t be afraid to embrace your stronger side and project it so it won’t go unnoticed.

Even though pale skin may have a couple of downsides, its upsides obviously outweigh them. As you can tell, to pull off a flawless makeup look, it doesn't take you much time or effort. Instead, you shouldn't go heavy on it to achieve the most flattering result. So, if Mother Nature blessed you with fair skin, there's no better way to thank it than embrace and love it to no end.

FAQ: Pale Skin