The color wheel is the best-kept beauty secret behind flawless makeup looks. You probably use it all the time without realizing it, from picking out outfits to decorating your home. In makeup, the color wheel helps match and balance shades, making sure every hue complements a person's complexion.
When it comes to creating your own makeup line, mastering color theory is a game-changer for developing products that work with all skin tones and complexions. Let’s talk about how it works and how it will impact your beauty business and brand.
The makeup color wheel and skin tones
The basic color wheel is made up of 12 hues: primary colors, which can’t be made by mixing other colors; secondary colors, created by mixing two primary colors; and tertiary colors, made by mixing a primary color with a neighboring secondary color.
- Three primary colors: Red, yellow and blue.
- Three secondary colors: Green, orange and purple.
- And, six tertiary colors: Red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-purple, and red-purple.
The color wheel for makeup is used in a few different ways, mostly in contrast to your skin tone or concern, but also to complete an entire look. It is a cheat sheet for understanding which colors play well together and which don’t.
Complementary Colors: These colors sit opposite each other on the wheel. When paired, they create a contrast that makes each color stand out.
Analogous Colors: Analogous colors sit next to each other. These shades naturally blend well and create a harmonious look.
Monochromatic Colors: A monochromatic color scheme involves different shades, tints, and tones of a single color. These shades complement each other without major contrast.
The color wheel for makeup design and development
When building your makeup line, it is important to understand what your target audience needs. If you are building a full lineup of products, from concealer to eyeshadows, focus on the base to start– your playful colors will come after in the form of eyeshadows or lipsticks. The color wheel will help you understand these three things when developing your product line:
Color correction
Color correction is all about how complementary colors, found on opposite sides of the wheel cancel out imperfections (e.g., green hues neutralize skin redness). It’s like magic, use the right shade, and the problem areas disappear. The right color formulations can hide blemishes, redness, or under-eye bags– your customers will thank you.
Shade matching
Shade matching is another big reason you’ll want to understand the color wheel before creating products like foundations and concealers. These products should come in different shades to align with warm, neutral, and cool tones. When a consumer tries a foundation that’s right for their skin tone, it should blend so perfectly, that they’ll forget they’re wearing it.
Harmonizing product lines
The makeup color wheel can also be used to help create looks that match. Just like clothing, makeup, particularly eyeshadows, blush, and lip glosses, should be thought out to offer consumers a choice of colors that can be worn together. Creating products using analogous and complementary colors will also impact how you market, display, and bundle your products.
How the color wheel impacts your beauty business
In the beauty industry, everything from product development to branding and customer experience is influenced by the color wheel tool. Whether you're coming up with the next concealer or designing packaging that will sell, color theory plays a major role in making your business stand out.
Product development
Ever wonder why certain eyeshadow palettes just work while others feel off? That’s color theory in action. Understanding complementary, analogous, and monochromatic color schemes helps brands create products that work. It also helps in the development of foundations and concealers. Understanding undertones means that you can produce shades that better match your consumer’s skin, making a big difference in brand loyalty.
Marketing and branding
Beyond makeup formulation and colors, knowing complementary, analogous, and monochromatic color schemes will help you to develop a beauty brand that speaks to your target market. The ability to build an aesthetically pleasing brand color palette will make you stand out online or on crowded store shelves.
Customer experience and retention
As mentioned, understanding the makeup color wheel will help you create the products that work to do the things they are purchased for. If you can’t get the colors right, customers aren’t likely to value your products or buy them again.
Understanding the color wheel isn’t just important for makeup artists—it’s essential for beauty entrepreneurs looking to create products and brands that resonate. Getting the colors right ensures you deliver an experience your customers can trust and love.
Build a beauty brand that pops with Blanka
Understanding the color wheel for makeup is the foundation of a successful beauty brand. From developing the perfect line of lipsticks to designing eye-catching packaging, color theory impacts every part of the industry.
With Blanka, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Our platform makes it easy to create your own brand. Curate your product line from hundreds of premium color-matched makeup products, and easily personalize it with your brand colors. Whether you’re launching a full makeup line or perfecting a single eyeshadow palette, Blanka makes launching your own private label product line easy.
