Makeup for very pale skin
Is your skin the colour of milk?
It can be difficult for those with very pale skin to find appropriate products and get a uniform, natural look. Here are a few tips.
1) Foundation
Your foundation should be exactly the same colour as your skin even if this gives you a cadaverous look.
Don’t make the mistake of using a foundation darker than your skin, thinking it’ll give you a healthy look. The result will not look natural and you’ll be able to see dividing lines.
To get a nice glow, it’s better to use a bronzer (see tip #3).
To get the right shade, look at brands which offer a large variety of colours or go for professional brands. You’ll have a better chance of finding an unusual shade. Another tip: many Orientals like very pale foundations so check out Asian brands, you may find what you’re looking for there.
For more tips on choosing a foundation, consult my article, « How to choose the right foundation ».
The above advice also applies to concealer.
2) Loose or compact powder
To fix your foundation and to prevent your bronzer from looking patchy, you have to use powder. Tip #1 can also be applied to powder. If you can’t find one pale enough, go for translucent powder. It won’t alter the colour of your foundation because it doesn’t contain pigments. Most of them are white. Suggestions: Make-Up Forever HD Loose Powder, Ben Nye Neutral Set.
3) Bronzer
Choose a light-coloured one to get a natural-looking healthy glow. Clarins and Guerlain, for example, offer light-coloured versions.
Dip a large powder brush in the bronzer and shake it to get rid of excess then sweep it lightly over the places where you’d naturally attract the sun such as forehead, temples, nose, cheekbones, chin, cleavage. This way you won’t get dividing lines which you would if you applied it systematically over the whole face. You’ll have a healthy glow, with no dividing lines or streaks and that deathly pallor will be gone!
4) Self-tanner
If you don’t normally wear foundation and powder or if you just can’t find a foundation colour that works and you think you look too pale, a self-tanner can be a big help. To get a natural look, mix a little drop of self-tanner with your moisturizer. After a few days, you’ll have gone one shade darker. Don’t forget to apply it on your neck and cleavage to avoid dividing lines.