We’ve all been asked before, “Do you wear anything besides black?” The figure slimming color is always a staple of anyone’s closet, particularly women, and so it is constantly being slammed as a color that is “worn too much.” Let’s be honest, black looks great on everyone so it’s no coincidence we all rely on it as a fallback when we feel like nothing fits right, nothing looks good on us, and so on. Black can be paired with every color and it can be worn often and washed numerous times before it starts to fade, so it’s an easy purchase to make and one that we often value as a necessity within our wardrobe.

Nothing is wrong with black, but what if we stretched our imaginations a little and ventured into the world of color? What if we were able to match colors that complimented our skin tone and our existing clothing? Would we then shop the rainbow and implement splashes of color here and there? I believe so and I say we should. It never hurts having options other than black so let’s try our hand at something new. Who knows, you may soon replace your all black closet with a mélange of color!

How do you figure out what your skin tone is? The three tones are as follows: warm, cool and neutral. There are many simple ways to figure out what exactly is your skin tone. The easiest option is the paper test. First, make sure you have washed your face so that it is free of any and all traces of makeup. From there, grab a plain sheet of white paper. In a room with natural light, hold the piece of paper up next to your face. If your skin looks yellowish, greenish, or light brown, then you have more of a warm skin tone. If your skin looks pink, rosy, or blue, then you have what is more likely a cool skin tone. Lastly, if your skin looks gray or ashen, then you fall within the natural skin tone bucket. If you have rosacea, acne, or are really tan at the moment, ask a friend to compare the piece of paper to the spot of skin behind your ear as it is less affected by these variables. One additional way to figure out your skin tone is based on the veins in your hand and wrist. Flip your hand over: if your veins appear to be blue or purple, you have more of a cool skin tone. If they appear more on the green side, then you have a warm skin tone. And if it’s hard to tell one way or the other what color your veins favor, then you have a neutral skin tone.

Now that we know what type of skin tone you have, let’s discuss the colors that accentuate your tone, in a positive way. But remember, you don’t have to stick to these colors. If you are interested in another color outside of those listed below (which is not an exhaustive list), then try them, just remember to try different shades of different colors until you find the one that most compliments your skin tone. And if a color that you like isn’t necessarily flattering to your skin tone, than add it as an accessory versus the main attraction (i.e. a scarf, belt, shoes, etc).

Warm skin tones: shades of honey, olive, coral and cream

Cool skin tones: shades of blue, lavender, rose and grey

Neutral skin tones: shades of medium blue, jade, red, and white

Now the challenge begins. Go to your closet and look at what you currently have in your closet. What colors do you gravitate towards? What colors are missing from your wardrobe? What colors would you like to add a splash of to your existing options? Then, figure out what tone of color your skin has and pick one or two colors you would like to add into your collection. You don’t have to spend a fortune to add a touch of the rainbow to your clothes. A few key pieces or accessories are all you need to add a little flair. Good luck, have fun with it, and as always, let me know how it goes!

Content credit:

http://www.thelist.com/20621/best-clothing-colors-skin-tone/?utm_campaign=clip

http://www.instyle.com/how-tos/