A new trend has been taking the beauty industry by storm. This concept went viral on TikTok by the creator @Alieenor, who explained that one of the many reasons all makeup looks different on every individual person is due to our contrast level. Many beauty creators have posted videos, fascinated with the concept. There are three contrast levels – light, medium and high. Every person has one of the levels, and learning about what it means can bring your makeup to the next level.
The contrast levels are portrayed in photography foremost. To understand contrast begins with photography. Contrast is the distinction between all colors. A very dark contrast photo could be a black dog in the sand at the beach. The shocking difference between the colors is prominent- and the dog is what grabs your attention. But if someone took a photo of a green apple in the grass, the contrast would be low and no certain point would attract your eyes.
To understand your personal contrast level, the steps are simple. Consider your features- hair color, skin tone, eye color, and eyebrow shade. The general colors on your face. Is your skin tone close to the color of your face? Does your hair match the color of your eyes? Does your skin match your hair? If you’re unsure, an easy way to see the contrast in your face is to take a selfie in natural lighting and switch it to black and white. What features jump out at you? Or do they all blend together, with similar tones?
If you feel like all of your features are monochromatic and blend together, such as a pale skinned blonde with light eyes, you have a light contrast. Light contrast makeup is simple- it is very noticeable when you wear makeup, since it contrasts with your tones. Minimal makeup looks best on a light contrasted person. A red lip or bold eyeshadow looks very prominent on people with light contrasts. For example, Taylor Swift is a light contrast, and when she wears a red lip, it stands out on her skin tone and looks very bold. Your eyes are automatically attracted to it.
If you have dark hair and pale skin, with dark eyes, this is an example of high contrast. This is the opposite of light contrast. The contrast of your features enables your face to handle more makeup without it looking unbalanced. A red lip or dark eyes looks more at home on your face, and it would look much more balanced than it would on someone with a light contrast. Minimal makeup on someone with a high contrast is not as suitable for their face. An example of this is Jenna Ortega, who often has a dark, smoky eye and it doesn’t look too glamorous on her due to her coloring.
There is a middle ground and it is called medium contrast. Medium contrast is in between- maybe your hair isn’t too dark, nor too light. An example of this would be Emma Watson who looks good in natural makeup, as well as more glamorous makeup. Having a medium contrast would be having higher than low, but not completely monochromatic features. Your face can handle a good amount of makeup while maintaining balance, but not quite as much as a high contrasted person.
Learning about your contrast level can be interesting and helpful, but of course, always remember that makeup is just makeup, and it is a form of art and expression. Do your makeup how you want to, not how anyone tells you to.
