Wearing any outfit means having the right makeup look to go with it. When you do so, it’s very important to inspect the different colors and hues of your outfit and consider the use of complimentary colors and shades. To many people, it comes naturally to coordinate the way they do their makeup to the colors of their outfits. Going thrifting is the best way to find those outfits.
If we use the movie Wicked as an example for outfit-makeup coordination, we can see the clear blend with both Glinda and Elpheba’s makeup and outfits. Glinda’s character is very light, pink and sparkly. She has a very pale complexion with a very pale pink wardrobe, and her makeup matches very well with a natural-looking face with pastel pink glossy lips, a white shimmery highlight on her nose, and a little wing of black eyeliner for a little contrast. Elphaba is a green witch, and she has a dark wardrobe that pairs well with her black and dark green high-contrast makeup (to match her skin in the movie). When someone’s outfit is paired with makeup that doesn’t fit the vibe at all, it can be off-putting and displeasing to the eye. “I usually base my makeup off the color of my top. I think that the color of your top is the first thing someone sees when they look at you and it’s the closest to your face” is what Bridget Brady said, describing how she balances her look. It’s always good to play it safe by matching your makeup to the color of your top. For example, having light, natural makeup with some white shimmer when wearing a white top that matches. Matching makeup with jewelry or accessories can be a bold statement, in a good way. If someone wears a turquoise stone necklace and has matching eyeshadow on their eyelids, there is a good pop of color that isn’t too much on the eyes, but perfectly cohesive. In the movie The Love Witch, the main character Elaine always has blue eyeshadow on her eyelids, causing a perfect contrast to her dark hair and her outfits. The best example is when she wears a full red outfit, paired with a red lip and her blue eyeshadow, which all contrast as complimentary colors, making the entire appearance pleasing to the eye. It all depends on your personal skin and hair types, which is what comes first when choosing makeup and outfit colors. Once that is figured out, the little details on the face matter in order to bring an outfit together.
The best way to coordinate outfits with makeup is to go thrifting. Shopping for used makeup isn’t very appealing, but when you thrift for a good outfit, it provides a blueprint for the perfect makeup look to go with it, for a cheap price too. Thrift stores are such a good place to find any item of clothing. You can find any color tops, jeans, skirts etc. Thrift stores are also a good way to shop sustainably. It’s a reduction of waste production, meaning less clothing items end up in landfills, lowers the carbon footprint and most stores support a good cause like Pink City Thrift in Sellersville, PA. Pink City Thrift is where I got the sweater in the picture shown. The store donates to breast cancer research and helps spread awareness on the topic. Most stores have some sort of colored tags on their clothing that means that you get a certain percentage off on certain days. This gives you even more of a discount on your clothing giving you even more of a reason to thrift. Bridget Brady says her favorite thing about thrifting is “you never know what you are going to find. You could go to the same store one hundred times and you would find new pieces of clothing every time. I also like that the thrift stores have everything, not just certain pieces of clothes.” When matching your outfit to your makeup, it’s always good to go somewhere that gives you a lot of options to choose from. Eye shadow palettes can have so many colors ranging from red to purple, so you want to choose a place that has just that.
Next time you put on a sweater or just an outfit in general, make sure you take the extra time to coordinate your face with your outfit to give the best look you have. As fun as regular shopping is for new trends, thrifting is even better to find the timeless, original pieces for so much cheaper than anywhere else. With those pieces found at the thrift store lies the perfect opportunity to cohesively blend your entire look.
