Embracing the pale

[cheesypeas123]

I’m about a Mac nc15 very pale freckled slightly yellow toned skin with dark brown/balayage hair. I’ve been (fake) tanning most of the summer and find that most of my foundations are several shades darker than my natural colour. I’m trying to embrace my pale skin for autumn winter but feel very pale/sick when I wear foundation that matches my skin tone even with blusher, bronzer etc. Any tips for how to change up my makeup/eye makeup/lipstick etc for us pale complexioned so I don’t look totally washed out. Dark eyemakeup seems to enhance my dark undereye circles. Thanks in advance!

[ThreeLittleDots]

Yea, the matt pale look...

Do you have good skin? With my pale, freckled face I just use a little cover-up stick under eyes, but not loads, then transparent 001 Rimmel powder on top, followed by blusher / bronzer on cheekbones, forehead, chin... Setting spray on top.

[ThreeLittleDots]

To clarify, matte Rimmel powder on whole face instead of foundation

[which1]

I'm NC10 and rarely come across anyone of my pallor.

I rely on blush and highlighter to bring the 'Oh right, so she is alive then' to the fore.

[which1]

Oh and bright lipstick like MAC Ruby Woo or a bright orange.
Genuinely.
Nude lipsticks don't do me favours as a pale one.

[Velveteenfruitbowl]

You shouldn’t use mac if you have a yellow undertone, it will make you look sallow. Use a warm toned foundation (these tend to be difficult to find in pale shades in Britain but there are a few around). You can also use purple colour correct if necessary. Don’t skip blush, use a peach toned blush and be generous with it brushing from the apple of your check towards your ears and then from the apple of your cheek to your outer jaw. Make sure that you are using a lipstick/lip tint in a dark enough colour. The key is to make sure you don’t look jaundiced or anemic.

[Velveteenfruitbowl]

*pink undertone foundation, warm isn’t the right word is it?

[Divebar]

Do you actually need foundation? I only wear foundation if I’m going for a night out or am having my photo taken for something. I’m blonde with a pale complexion with blue/ red undertone ( I tan but not easily ) but I wear a moisturiser with a slight tint and concealer. A bit of powder on my nose but only if I’m shiny. I’m currently leaning towards very minimal eye makeup ( just mascara) with very red lipstick for daytime.... it looks very contemporary. I wore a pale pink sweater at the weekend and for that I used a pink cream blusher and then dabbed a bit on my lips. I am the sort of person who’s not comfortable leaving the house without make up but feel full make up all the time is a bit too try hard. In your position I would go and get a makeover at Mac ( personally I’d favour Bobbi Brown) and see what tips they can give you.

[which1]

Why would you say that?
You realise that MAC does make for both warm and cool tones right?

Can't speak for OP but MAC Studio Fix NC10 is one of the best matches for my skin I've found so far.

Even though its better than 10 to 15 years ago many ranges still stop at around NC/NW 20-25.

& often when they do go pale enough it's only cool toned.

[Divebar]

This thread might be better over in style and beauty ... lots of make up junkies over there.

[Velveteenfruitbowl]

@which1 that’s just what I’ve been told repeatedly and also my own experience of it (also yellow undertones and pale). All of their ‘pink’ undertone make up is more of a neutral which is fine for summer but not good when you are using lighter shades during winter because you still end up looking yellow. To be fair it’s the same with most make up I’ve tried in Britain, it’s like no body in the industry realised that Asians also come in pale.

[cheesypeas123]

Thanks guys for all your replies - I have a tinted moisturiser BM complexion rescue in vanilla which is slightly too dark compared to my neck in autumn which I’m trying to use up. Re lipstick I must try something a bit brighter. I tend to wear a lot of nudes which probably wash me out more. I love Aisling Bea’s look and she’s pale and wears a brighter lip.

[JoanneMumsnet]

Hi, we're moving this thread over to our Style & Beauty topic at the OP's request.

[cheesypeas123]

Just to add I’m 40 with start of fine lines so prefer a glowy look over anything too matte. I also have some redness round my nose/chin so need a light/medium coverage. Any other recs for blusher/lipstick colours for pale skin tones? I was also matched to Nars sheer glow Gobi but ended up throwing most of it out as felt too washed out wearing it.

[YeahNahWhal]

Watch John MacLean on YouTube. He's extremely pale and has great advice on make up shades, brands and looks for the fairest skin tones. Plus he's hilarious.

[cheesypeas123]

Thanks YeahNahWhal will check him out!

[FreeStar]

I think Mac is really good for yellow toned skin- they do shades in warm and cool toned.

[dontgobaconmyheart]

I'm this pale/paler and brunette- I find autumn winter makeup so much easier than the summer which is a nightmare.

Go to changes for me are to switch to a brown, brown/black or auberginey brown (if you can find one) shade eyeliner for tight lining the upper waterline and smudging out the lower.

Any pale or neutral nude lipstick just doesn't work for me, I need the colour from something more plummy or rosey, but still fairly sheer which makes me look healthier.

What makes the biggest difference is blusher, without it my face looks flat and I look unwell. I use a medium warm pink cream blusher then set with a powder blush and use a bit of cream highlighter on the top of my cheekbones. Haven't yet found any bronzer that works on my skin tone so it's all about the blush for me, I look for neutral/brown tones in it to get the colour in my face.

If I wear eyeshadow I either buff in browns with a bit of pink or orange but mostly just use a neutrals or creamy shades, never anything heavy and usually just to extend my eyeline out a bit.

All I do otherwise is my brows, making sure they are a good colour match, not too dark, and I set them brushing upwards to open up my eyes.

This is an essay but foundation wise I just bought a £5 foundation from Primark in 'porcelain' - it's bloody brilliant and a good colour match. Usually use a mixture of Lancome Teint Idole, It cosmetics CC and a No. 7 foundation but i prefer it to any of those! It's the Matte one in the glass bottle. No pump but I'll let it slide for £5.

[NC4this123]

Ahh as if you threw out nars 🤪 I am also nc15 in Mac and bought nars in gobi but it was too pale so I bought a cheap dark foundation to mix it with to make my perfect colour and can make it darker when I need and lighter when I need x

[cheesypeas123]

Thanks for your replies really helpful. Actually I had the nars so long I had to chuck it as it was past the shelf life - but had used about half. I just felt too pale with it on! Will give some of your recs a go - sounds like I need to up my blusher and go a bit brighter with lip shades. Where I live everyone fake tans so I feel like a ghost if I wear makeup that actually matches my skin tone/neck!

[Igetknockeddownbutgetupagain]

Just watched John Maclean - they (?) look just like the woman whose children I used to nanny for. Wowzers.

[JorisBonson]

I'm the palest person I've ever met and I love it.

Daytime makeup is Benefit Porefessional primer and Hello Flawless powder in "ivory I love me". Blush is Benefit Galifornia. Eyes are whatever I feel like that day and eyebrows are a mid brown Collection palette.

Seconded Mac Ruby Woo, it's been my go to lipstick forever.

I always enhance my gingerness too which I think looks good with pale skin.

[Divebar]

OP I think the problem is not your cosmetics but your perception. If everyone around you is tanned / bronzed then you’re probably feeling paler than you are in reality. I think pale is way more interesting than fake tanned looks any day of the week ( thinking Dita Von Teese etc). Maybe you need a Pinterest board with some inspirational pale beauties to inspire you.

[Thinkle]

I’m the NW version of you OP. I’ve recently discovered (late to the party) the hourglass ambient lighting powder. But against my instincts I got dim light which is amazing. It gives me enough of a glow without giving me that floating head look.

[which1]

Oh and Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer is pretty good for undereye in the shade Chantilly.

I think it's easier to get away with having pale skin if your skin is perfectly even in tone and without flaw. Mine is certainly not.

[SapphireSeptember]

I love John Maclean, he's brilliant!

Anyway, I have very pale yellowish toned skin, but I have dark brown hair and hazel eyes. I don't actually wear foundation very often (too much faff) but concentrate on eye make-up and lips. Love deep coloured eyeliners (green, blue, violet, gunmetal) as opposed to straight black, and I wear bright lipsticks because nude shades do not look good on me at all (but greige-y or purple-y grey ones do, which is weird.) Bright fuchsia looks amazing on me (bonus points if it has blue iridescent shimmer, because I love that kind of lipstick.)
With eyeshadow I go wild as I like everything, and different colours make my eyes appear to change colour, which is cool. I also find make-up a way of trying on colours that don't really suit my colouring but which I like anyway (like warm toned colours instead of the cooler tones I favour in clothing.)