The Beauty Benefits Behind Contrasting Colors

Have you seen the latest toothpaste commercial with Blue Foam Technology? It covers the yellowish stains on teeth making it whiter. The same concept is behind art, design, beauty, and fashion. “Colors opposite each other in the color wheel are called complementary colors. They show a contrast between cool and warm colors,” explains fashion designer Richie Ortega Torres.  “When opposite colors are put side by side each other, they accentuate each other instantly,” says makeup artist Gela Laurel-Stehmeier.

The catwalks saw many examples of such contrast in this year’s resort and summer collections. Our favorite makeup looks: strong cyan eye shadow paired with bright orange lipstick on models’ faces in the Anna Sui resort collection; satiny sky blue eyelids dotted with cranberry-colored crystals in the Christian Dior collection, and a meticulously lined mint green lower lash mixed with a wash of old rose on the lips in the Stella McCartney collection. While these looks may be too much to wear in reality, take your cue from the color combinations. Or match a clothing piece shade with its corresponding contrasting color, suggests Laurel-Stehmeier: “if you're wearing a blue top, the hues you can wear for makeup can be from the warm orange or peach family. Try wearing a corral lip shade with that royal blue dress.”

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The blue and orange combo was a favorite among designers like Diane Von Furstenburg, whose shiny aqua and red orange cocktail dresses lit up her summer collection, as well as Marc by Marc Jacobs’ versatile tangerine and cyan scarves and head wraps. But for those who are new to wearing bright colors, Ortega recommends taking baby steps. “Wear a monotone dress in cobalt blue, for example, then use the complementary color as an accessory. In this case, you can match it with an orange clutch,” suggests Ortega Torres.

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Those averse to brights can stick to deeper hues. Stylist Pam Quinones suggests using white or tan as your main canvas, then throwing in their complementary colors via accessories. “Try mixing a mustard silky dress with chunky bold plum rope sandals,” says Quinones. In terms of makeup, Laurel-Stehmeier says you don’t have to wear two shades to exemplify this color theory. Your skin tone is your canvas, and all you need is one other shade to accentuate a facial feature. “Accentuate your Asian skin by wearing a plum lip color,” she recommends. Going off tangent for a moment, Laurel-Stehmeier brings up an interesting fact: When put side by side, complementary colors accentuate each other, “but when put one on top of the other, one eradicates the other.” To use this to your advantage, she suggests cancelling out the purplish hues of dark circles/dark under eyes with a yellow-based concealer.

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While not exactly a fashion or beauty commandment, this color theory is something we can all try, whether we’re putting together an outfit or choosing a makeup palette. So go ahead and experiment. “The possibilities are endless,” says Ortega Torres.