Hi, Ladies - I put this together recently because I had been thinking about the old color typing theory and how it had really let me down. This is focused specifically on redheads, but I KNOW it could be extended to blondes, brunettes, silvers and everyone else, too. Thought I'd post for your feedback. Haven't yet gotten into specific color recs yet - that's phase 2.
-b.

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I'm sure you've probably heard or been told by well meaning people, cosmetics sales associates, image consultants, moms and sisters that "you look best in green." Or " you should stick with earth tones and neutrals." Or "never wear black." Or "you don't look good in pink/red/orange/purple/grey/whatever." How many times have you been told that you are "an autumn?" Or that your coloring "requires muted shades so as to not overpower you." In my opinion - and that of top makeup artists and stylists - that's all nonsense.

There are so many variations on the theme of Redheads - it makes choosing makeup and clothing colors both exhilarating and challenging! There are muted, Autumnal redheads with golden ivory skin and coppery hair. There are those ethereal, gossamer creatures with translucent, milky white skin and fiery or deep red hair. There are redheads with pinked, English rose complexions and strawberry locks. Peaches and cream redheads. A full range of high contrast, low contrast, clear and muted redheads!

With so many skin and hair combinations, how could it possibly make sense that all redheads will wear the same foundation, look best in the same colors of clothing, and choose the same (limited) palette of eye shadows and lip colors? Truth is, it doesn't. And unless the person dispensing with advice is herself (or himself) a redhead passionate about fashion and makeup, they probably haven't really given the topic a whole lot of thought.

On the other hand, I have.

Here are some breakdowns on redhead types and colors that can really make them stand out - even more than any of us already does! Remember - it is possible to be two or even three distinct types, although one type will probably feel the best, look the most polished or sophisticated or natural.

Muted: You might be a muted redhead if your skin tone is light with golden undertones. You might even have pale olive skin. Your hair can range from the coppery end of strawberry to the chestnut end of auburn. Your eyes might be grey-blue, any variant of green, brown, hazel, or amber. You instinctively reach for olive green rather than forest green, or chocolate brown rather than charcoal. If this is you, then you probably got some good advice from those well-meaning folks who recommended earth tones, neutrals, pumpkin, olive, russet and such. However, while those shades might be phenomenal on you in clothing, they might not serve you as well in makeup. Your coloring is gorgeously characterized by the relatively low level of contrast between your hair and skin tone - putting a dark, muted-to-the-point-of-drab tone on your face could end up making you look sallow and lack-luster. Rather than matte olive shadow, try a medium golden olive or khaki. Instead of pumpkin lipstick, blush or shadow, look for a warm bronzy shade with some life to it. Try some slightly subdued reddened coral on lips and cheeks. And remember to go for the gold - subtle, warm sparkle can really lift your look while still remaining appropriate for daytime.

Gossamer: You might be a gossamer redhead if your skin is translucent to the point of being nearly transparent. Your skin tone likely carries more pink and blue than it does yellow and olive tones. Your hair likely ranges from strawberry to medium coppery red. And your eyes are probably blue or green - from true blue indigo, through aqua to nearly emerald. Left to your own devices, you probably reach for clothing at the lighter end of the spectrum - pinks (even though someone told you redheads should avoid pink!), lavenders, gentle mint greens, dove grey and so on. If this is you, you might have been feeling like you just can't make it work - the colors that you like - and that look great on you - just aren't the shades recommended by the color typing books, the sales person at the cosmetics counter, or the clothing sales associate. Relax! Forget what others have been telling you about those earthy, rich tones that look so lovely on your muted sister, and reach for the colors present in a springtime garden. All those pastels you love? Go for it - in sweet sorbet tones for your eyes, and petal soft washes of color on your lips and cheeks. Just avoid colors that are distinctly cool-white based - instead of that milky pink gloss, try one that is just a bit less washed out, perhaps a pale rose with a golden highlight.

High contrast: The most distinctive aspect of your coloring is that your hair and skin sharply contrast. Your skin might be either pale golden ivory like your Muted sister, or the gentle pink or blue based pale of those Gossamer girls. Either way, your hair is dark red - auburn, burgundy, black-red (yes - this hair color is even present naturally!) and contrasts highly with the light value of your skin. Your eyes are probably in the blue/green/grey range, but hazel, amber and limpid chocolate are possible, too. This is a tricky redhead to dress and make up because all those rich earth tones which look smashing on a Muted and overpowering on a Gossamer really just make you look drab. And dull. And tired. If you have ever read the books Color Me Beautiful or Color Wonderful, you probably found colors on the Contrast and Winter palettes that worked beautifully for you. You need rich shades that are just slightly muted rather than clear and sharp like those found in those cool Winter palettes. In clothing, you probably can carry off black as well as a raven haired beauty. And shades like clear peacock blue, sharp, fresh apple green, slightly burnt orange, indigo, plum, and slightly browned wine make you sparkle! In makeup, look for colors that preserve that balance of clear to muted, but in slightly softer tones. Try a soft slate grey shadow along with tones of rich, fleshy pinks and wines (for a color cue, look at the inside of your lip, or pinch the end of your finger - the color of the blood under the skin is a great red tone for you !). Coppers that lean pink will be amazing on you, as will mahoganies, reddened plums, chocolate browns and golds. In lips, you can go a little cooler than your Muted sister - try a warmed up plum or burgundy along with nudes, and don't forget the power of a deep, dark chocolate mouth, too. When you find the right red - a clear, just barely browned neutral red with just a slight hint of blue - the result will be stunning! I fall into this category myself, as did an old friend of mine with alabaster skin and bright copper hair. She could have been a Gossamer, but her skin tone was perfectly neutral - not heavily pink/blue. She wasn't nearly as delicately translucent as a Gossamer, either. She wore colors straight from the Winter palette - cobalt blue, fuchsia, and anything that was a cool, clear bright. She even wore beautiful, hot flushed pink lipstick. She was a stunner!

English Rose: You might be an English Rose if the contrast level between skin and hair is relatively low. Your hair is probably a soft auburn, strawberry or gentled copper. Your skin tone is more pink, and you might be pale to medium complected. Your eyes are most likely blue or blue/grey. Like your Muted sister, your best colors will be slightly muted, but steer clear of the yellow-based shades she prefers. Instead, look at the colors of a vintage Chintz or English floral - those soft, lush shades of hushed rose, butter yellow, taupe, sage green, wisteria and iris. These are your best bets for clothing and makeup both! Accent your eyes with gentle, glowy yellows, lavender-rose, and fleshy, cooler taupe. Lips and cheeks shimmer in more roses, from tender baby pink to full-blown raspberry, just make sure to keep the colors on the muted end of the spectrum.

Peaches and Cream: Closely related to the Gossamer girl, you are also like Muted's lighter, brighter sister. Your skin tone is pale to fair, with peachy golden tones rather than the pure yellow and olive of the Muted or the pink and blue of the Gossamer. Your hair, likewise, is lighter than that of the Muted - likely strawberry with mango highlights, oranged-copper, and brighter auburn. Your eyes are probably in the green-hazel-amber range. You need clothing in warm, barely muted light to medium tones. A softer apple green, a brighter butter yellow, fresh picked peach (of course!!), chambray blue all suit you beautifully! In your makeup, accent the gorgeous peachy orange tones in your skin and hair with glorious coppers (at the bright end of the spectrum), mid-tone mossy greens, café-au-lait brown, coffee and toffee. Just remember to keep the shades just barely muted - if you drab them down too much, your sparkly beauty will tarnish and dull.

So - armed with the information on your best color ranges, how do you put that into action as the cosmetics counter? Firstly, start with a foundation, concealer and powder that match your skin perfectly in both depth and tone. And if mineral makeup is your thing - as it is mine - then you will undoubtedly find your match at http://www.aromaleigh.com And remember that you do not have to apply foundation over your entire face. In fact, it is more modern to spot apply only where needed - usually under the eyes, around the nose and on the chin - blend well, and dust with translucent powder. If you have chosen the right shades for your skin, there will be no line of demarcation!

Once you've got your bases covered - you have chosen the very best match for your skin - you have the delight of playing with colors.
If you are torn between two - or maybe more - redhead types, samples can really help you to narrow it down. Lipsticks, especially, are helpful. If you are an Autumnal redhead, then a swipe of a warm, rich copper will look great on your skin (even if you wouldn't want to wear it on your mouth for style or personality reasons), while a cool burgundy will just look a bit off. Gossamers can look at the difference between a medium depth clear rose and a muted, tauped-rose. The clear rose will be gorgeous against your skin, while the muted shade, although pretty, will just sort of sit there. High Contrasts can look at the difference between a very muted and subdued browned red and a clear, true red - again, even if you aren't in the market or the mood for a clear red lipstick, this can be a good color cue. English Roses can use the same shades as a Gossamer would - a clear rose or raspberry against a muted rose or raspberry. And Peaches and cream can test between a copper or russet versus a gentle peach. Your type should become very clear from these experiments. And once you know your type - or types! - color selection gets a whole lot easier and way more fun!

Bridget My Dear !
Positively excellent..

Just one thing wrong.. I did not have access to this Years ago !!!! This could help a person from age 12 on up to Highway To Heaven status..

There is a young lady in our hospital pharmacy who has the strangest coloring for a redhead I have Ever seen. Her hair is between strawberry blonde, copper penny, and carrot red.. But not colored..

Her skin is very very golden orange .. almost looks like the really old kind of sunless tanning that had an orange gold cast to it.. Her eyes are a very bright sky blue color.. She'd easily be a range of 3-4 in AL colors..

sounds yucky ?? But works for her. She is most attractive..

thanks for taking the time to do this Bridget.!@
You are an A # 1 Trooper !!!!!
Jane

Thanks, Jane - I appreciate your nice words! I wish I, too, had something like this back in high school when I was so gosh darned ugly and weird looking. Not really, but you know how it is when all the world is blond and blue eyed and tan and straight haired and taller and thinner and more gifted with womanly curves, and there you sit, redhaired and curly and freckled and spotted and acned and braces (with headgear) and nothing looks good on you. Pretty hard.

Anyway, there is such an amazing variety of redheads, and we don't all look best in olive and khaki all the time. And with globalization and multicultural beauty comes amazing physiotypes. I bet your coppery gal is a stunner! She might have some Native American heritage that has gifted her with such lovely burnished skin. or maybe Moorish, like the "black Irish" my mom used to talk about. I bet your cinnamon girl would be a Peaches and Cream/High Contrast hybrid - what do you think?

-b.

Bridget, You are "spot on" .. the coppery cinnamony girly does look good in high contrast colors.. Course I only see her in her department uniforms . But I bet she is reallllllllly pretty in "street clothes".

As to feeling weird in high school etc..
Well.. I always felt like Little Orphan Annie, with my Curly bright auburn hair, skinny legs, and not skinny body ! Then at age 10 started developing breasts ,and they forgot to "turn off" after an appropriate time of growth !

Growing up,my dad always said I looked like a kildee (bird with long thin legs) standing in watermelon rinds! not that my feet were big. just that the "bulk of me" stopped at my knees ! He was a major joker..He did not mean to hurt feelings etc.. I was Runner Up in a
Skinnest Legs Contest more than once ..

But as we get older, we realize even Bo Dereks, Nicole Kidmnans etc. have Something they don't like about their bodies, faces, hair,, etc..
So what the hey ! These skinny legs have carried me for 57 years with NO breaks... bones that is

well now.. Jane sure got off on a tangent there!

shut up Jane.. time to go......

Wow!! That is an awesome amount of information for redheads. I will have to pass this information on to a redhead I know.

Great job!! I love this forum.

Tina

Thanks, Tina - please do share it around. I think it's too important to keep it a secret

So glad you enjoyed it - and you are absolutely right - this forum is the BEST!
-b.

Oh my Goodness, I love you! I LOVE YOU!

I'm a strawberry blonde with pinkish, extremely fair skin and army green eyes, and I've always struggled with the variety of types of redheads and the typecasting that EVERYONE shoved down my throat for my entire life.

You analyisis is simply brilliant - I am bookmarking this AND putting it to use in my colour sample selections (I'm brand new to MMU and AL).

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Hi, Linnea! I am thrilled you liked the piece! What else would you add to it? I consider it to be a good start, but certainly not wholly inclusive and definitive. And if you have other redheads, do share it around and get their take on it, too.

As a dark redhead with plenty of pale golden freckles and green-blue eyes, I was always sort of shoved into the Autumn category. And while *some* of the shades work well, others are either just ok or else just plain blah. Mostly because they are too muted. So I decided to call myself a late fall bordering on early winter - I need a little more clarity in my colors, but also need the depth. And I just plain got tired of peach and cocoa and olive - there's only so much of that a girl can take!

-b.

You really nailed my colour type - I am an English Rose, and what a lovely name for it! I've always thought that I looked good in those rose, petal pink, lavender and sage colours, much better for my colouring than the stronger earth tones, but only now do I really understand why!

I don't know how true this is of other hair colours, but as a redhead, I know that not only has my hair colour changed a great deal since I was a child (started deeper red and faded to copper penny) but it also changes a lot seasonally - in the summer it's quite pale and golden, and in the winter it's coppery and deep. My skin tone changes as well, more ivory and transluscent in the winter and much more ruddy and freckled in the summer.

I really think that your colour analysis is brillant and should be published everywhere - I will share it with any other redheads I meet!

I think we all go through the sort of color shift that you describe! Although I think my hair has gotten deeper as I've gotten older. It's still definitely red, though. My mom started out a coppery auburn, with very pink skin - she's an English Rose, too. Now that she's going/gone grey, her hair has shifted through the spectrum, even pausing for a while at a "pink champagne" stage. Now it would best be described as a pale ash blonde or very light ashy brown, though.

Do share the piece around - and give me feedback! It would sure be great fun to develop a new color system for all complexions and haircolors - there is such a tremendous range for all of us!

-b.

Great descriptions! But I still don't know where I'd place myself I was a strawberry blond child, but am told that I'm no longer. However, I don't feel I've reached the Carrot stage yet, so who knows. Light red with a few blond streaks underneith, blue eyes, and freckles.

So far, 2PL is my best fit here. In makeup, I've found my eyes do best in shades usually reserved for blush, at the darkest ~ I can Never get other color there w/out looking like I've been punched in the eye - blues, browns, greens, violets all are horrid on me... save the deep tones like that for clothing instead.

I absolutely agree with your comments on having the small 'this is for red heads' products or colors shoved on me. I think the only thing missing from your list is the statement that if there are two red heads in the same room, that doesn't mean they are related! hah!

Thank you, Bridget, thank you! I'm an odd red-head, and kept trying to fit in the pattern that I was told I was, and it never fit. I gave up trying. I stopped wearing anything except jeans and t-shirts and I never wore make-up. Now that I'm 42, I'm trying to learn everything I missed in "Girl 101" and this is a great help. I still can't pin myself exactly, but just knowing that I can think outside the box is a wonderful help!

I always had doubts about my own taste, because I thought X color looked good on me, but I was always told that Y color should. Now I feel that I can go play, and have fun, and if I like something that I "shouldn't", it's ok!

Thank you, thank you, a thousand times thank you!

It is really freeing to suddenly discover that we can actually wear colors, isn't it? And i really know how you can question your own taste when you find a color you love and feel it looks AWESOME on you, and then someone corrects you. I've really come to distruct those corrections. And old boyfriend used to tell me I looked "awful" in peacock blue - that bright tealish shade with just a bit of mutedness. He said it "overpowered" me and made me look sick. He said the same thing about apple green, slate blue, brick red, chocolate brown, everything. One day when shopping I really pushed him on what colors he thought looked good, and he actually said he didn't think any looked good. I was crushed, wore a lot of black (exclusively) and dumped him...

Turns out when I wear that "awful" peacock blue turtle neck, I get compliments from everyone - department store makeup ladies, strangers, my mail lady. And my husband. Same for the other colors I liked.

Recently I was craving a pink lipstick - a deep, rich pink, not too vivid, not pale or fleshy or delicate. A winter pink that was free of berry tones. And I think that most makeup counter gals would steer me away from pink lippes of any sort, and direct me to the auburns, brandies, bricks and other orange based shades. It took a long time, but I did discover - or create - my own shade of pink lipstick. Infrared and Honey are really l ovely, and make a great warm redhead's pink! Craving satisfied!

I guess the message is that ALL of us, redheads, brunettes, blondes, silvers, whites, and hair free beauties alike, can think outside the box, try new colors and textures and finishes, go bolder or softer, pale or vivid, vibrant or muted. It's through the playing and comparing that we can learn what we feel best in. Trust your own eyes! And order lots of samples!

-b.

Wow Bridget, I wish you were a brunette! I have medium-dark brown hair but in certain lights my hair has a red sheen to it. I don't know how to describe it. Both my sister and my brother are red heads (different kinds of redheads too!) so maybe I was suppose to be a redhead myself. I usually go for "safe" colors but sometimes I'm suprised to find ones that don't work. I like your describe of having depth but clear. I think I will keep that in mind next to I order some e/s.

I think I know what you mean by medium dark brown hair with a red sheen. My daughter has very dark brown hair - her father is Phillippino and Aleut Indian, and she gets her hair from him - and hers has a red, almost burgundy sheen to it, too. Ever since she was a baby. Now that she's grown up, though, sometimes it's blue black, raven black, burgundy, plum black, and so on. But her natural color is really striking.

Colorwise, there is the relative warmth (how much yellow) or coolness (how much blue) of a shade. Then there is intensity or saturation - ie, pastel baby pink through deep fuschia rose. Then there is the shade, or how much black is in a color - think of a sharp yellow green, like a fresh leaf bud on a willow tree, that shifts toward olive as more black is added in. The more black, the less "clear" a color is.

Overall, for myself, the amount of mutedness of a color, or the amount of black in it, is the biggest determiner of how good I'll look in it. I need the depth, but need some mutedness as well.

And you can find warm or cool shades of ANY color, too - brown can be warm or cool, purple, pink, red, even yellow (icy lemon or warm mustard). So do keep playing. I also know what you mean by "safe" colors that don't work. Although I wear greens in clothing, I don't like them on me as makeup. And I don't do well in peach or fleshy pinks - they wash me out. Guess there's not enough depth there!

-b.

What a lot of information. I am not a redhead, but it is still very interesting. I see so many people and think, oh, that looks terrible on them, who told them to wear it? You are so right on thinking outside the norm.

I am a natural blonde, medium to dark now at age 48, but was once asked by a makeup and clothes consultant if one of my parents was a redhead (two of my aunts were)... she said I had cool hair but warm skin. They considered me a 'spring'. And I do look great in the peachy-pinks, turquoises, lime greens, but I can also wear well straight blues, greens and pinks. And true red is one of my best colors according to everyone. Taupe washes me out, but chocolate looks good.

So, do you know anyone, maybe yourself even, who could break down blondes the way you do redheads? I don't know that it matters, I do know what looks well on me, but I find it so interesting to understand why.

I can try to break down blondes - and brunettes - this way. I will be fun. GIve me a little bit of time to think on it and I'll give it a shot. Of course, any and all input and suggestions and such are welcome! Even the comments that tell me I'm way out in left field!

-b.

Hello!
I'm a newbie to the forum but been using AL for a while thanks to a nice lady I know in the US shipping it to me in the UK!
I am a qualified Aesthetician and hated it when I was training as we used to have to practice on each other and that included make up. I was ALWAYS put in browns, browns and more variations on browns - it look ghastly and I hated it - I tend toward cooler softer colours typically those listed in the gossamer catagory. I think I fall into that catagory more than the others.
My hair is coppery red and my skin is really really fair/transparent (I burn in the shade and have to wear SPF60 even in the UK; and am prone to pale freckles which have got less as I have got older)- I use 00 Alabaster Voile and its a perfect match!
Its so nice to see what I have felt all my life that there are different 'types' of redhead just as there are for blondes and brunettes
Anyway - just wanted to say Thanks for this - it's fabulous!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: LuciaW,

Oh, Lucia, you made my day! I'm so happy this seemed to ring true for you!

I am working up a similar typology for blonds and brunettes - it's slow going since i have to train my eye to really see the nuances in others. That, and there seem to be so few natural blonds...of course, there aren't that many natural redheads either. And that's ok! Just that it seems easier to spot our redheaded sisters who've had a little help than it is to figure out who's doing what to blond/light brown hair.

Anyway, so happy that something in there rung true for you!

-b.

Hi Bridgite!
Yes redheads are easy to spot! I'll be keeping an eye out for your take on blondes and brunettes too. The variation that nature comes up with is pretty amazing isn't it?

By the way made my day too! I can wander round and think to myself ' I'm a gossamer redhead!' (Don't know what its like in your part of the world but here in the UK we get a hard time and get called lots of unflattering names about our colouring - even in the Media its still ok to ridicule redheads - there was a whole telecoms ad series that was based on how awful it is to have had a redheaded baby...it eventually got taken off. So when I get those 'comments' I can say 'Yes well I'm a gossamer don'tcha know?'LOL!)