Must-Have Makeup For Every Skin Tone

There may be other minefields to tackle when planning your dream day, but finding makeup for your skin tone shouldn’t be. As more brands stand tall for inclusivity, we streamline the ultimate wedding day recommendations the A-list turn to for their red carpet knockout looks. You’ll be oozing beauty confidence from every pore.

Words by Wersha Bharadwa

Celebrity Favourite Makeup To Suit Your Skin Tone

Makeup for Fair to Medium Skin Tones

The Base

Kat Von D’s Lock-It Liquid Foundation, £28

Kat Von D’s Lock-It Liquid Foundation, £28, comes in 43 vegan-friendly shades with warm, cool and neutral tones with one pump enough to cover your entire face.

Hourglass Veil Fluid Makeup Oil Free in Nude, £55

Marion Cotillard endorses Hourglass’ Veil Fluid Makeup Oil Free in Nude, £55 – it contains SPF15 and stimulates natural collagen production.

Marc Jacobs Beauty Shameless Youthful-Look Longwear Foundation, £32

Or take centre-stage a la Lady Gaga with Marc Jacobs’ Beauty Shameless Youthful-Look Longwear Foundation SPF 25, £32.  There’s no shimmer or shine –  the 29 shades look like skin, feel like silk.

The Concealer

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer, £24

“If I’ve got any blemishes I’m all about Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage Concealer [For Under Eyes],” quips Margot Robbie. The blend’s 22 hues cost £24 each and nail the magical world of sweat-proof, tear-proof and waterproof concealer.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, £24

Gemma Arterton swears by the instant eye power of Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, £24 – arguably one of the best concealers ever created. The stick applicator slays at fine contouring and diminishing fine lines.

The Bronzer

Too Faced Chocolate Gold Soleil Bronzer, £25

Prepare to fall in love with Too Faced’s Chocolate Gold Soleil Bronzer, £25 – it’s packed with gold shimmer and smells like a sundae. 

The Blush

Laura Mercier Crème Cheek Colour in Blaze, £23

Know how Reese Witherspoon and Mandy Moore get their killer cheekbone / healthiest glow ever combo? It’s with Laura Mercier’s Crème Cheek Colour in Blaze, £23.

The Highlighter

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder, £42

Like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, sweep Hourglass’ Ambient Lighting Powder, £42, over your face to blur foundation, set concealer and for an Instagram filter effect.  Check out her fab online YouTube tutorials here.

Lips

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Infatuated Red, £24

As a peroxide blonde, Emilia Clarke’s go-to signature is Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Infatuated Red, £24. “I think it looks so chic,” she says.

Bobbi Brown Sandwash Pink Lipstick, £24.50

For serious staying power, try Bobbi Brown’s Sandwash Pink Lipstick, £24.50.  Worn by the Duchess of Cambridge for her wedding, it plumps from within.

Eyes

Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner, £17

“I like to use Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner,” says Victoria Secret supermodel, Elsa Hosk.  “It stays on all night long.” From £17.

Makeup for Olive and Tanned Skin Tones

The Base

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation, £32

You’ll be a glow-giving goddess like Emily Ratajowski in Magic Foundation, £32,  which comes in 20 shades.

Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation, £32

Or, Sofia Vergera who wears the retinol-infused Light Wonder Foundation,£32, both from Charlotte Tilbury.

The Concealer

Bobbi Brown Corrector, £19.50

Bebe Rexha wears Bobbi Brown Corrector, £19.50. Used alone or underneath concealer, the warm pink and peach tone pigments neutralise discolouration and very dark under-eye circles.

The Bronzer

Marc Jacobs O!Mega Perfect Tan Bronzer, £35

Marc Jacobs O!Mega Perfect Tan Bronzer in Coconut Tan-tastic, £35, helps Selena Gomez get  her 24/7 golden-hour gleam.

The Blush

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge, £22.50

Jennifer Aniston mixes up Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks in shades Rose, Blushed Rose and Pale Pink, £22.50.

The Highlighter

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, £30

Amal Clooney’s incomparable royal wedding glow came courtesy of Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter, £30, in shade two, a silvery cream glow and shade four which leaves a bronzed effect. Apply after foundation by dotting on the cheekbones, temples and nose.

Lips

MAC Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo, £17.50

Be bold in a blazing red like Rita Ora who sizzles in MAC’s Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo, £17.50.

Eyes

Charlotte Tilbury Icon Palette, £55

Charlotte Tilbury’s Icon Palette, £55, will stand up to jam-packed weddings like a boss. Apply nudes and browns softly for a daytime look before amping up to the max for the night.

Celebrity Makeup Favourites: Asian and Middle-Eastern Skin Tones

The Base

Laura Mercier Silk Crème Oil Free Foundation, £36

Archie Punjabi uses Laura Mercier Silk Crème Oil Free Photo Edition Foundation, £36 – a fresh and light high performing number lasting 12 hours.

Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation, £36

Chrissy Teigan’s flawless complexion is thanks to Tarte’s Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Full Coverage Foundation in Tan Honey, £36. It dials up a SPF15 in 40 hues, sucks up excess oil and doesn’t cake.

Bare Minerals Original Foundation, £28

Crazy Rich Asian’s Jing Lusi, uses Bare Minerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15, £28 – it’s excellent at covering hyperpigmentation.

The Concealer

The Sensual Skin Enhancer, £39

Kevyn Aucoin, the Sensual Skin Enhancer, £39, comes in 22 extremely photo-friendly, highly-pigmented shades. Star fans include Rita Ora, Bebe Rexha and Mindy Kaling, who mixes shades 13 and 14 and calls it “indispensable to my makeup routine.”

The Bronzer

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze, £49

Gemma Chan wears Charlotte Tilbury’s Filmstar Bronze and Glow in Light to Medium, £49,  for on-screen glamour.

The Blush

Laura Mercier Blush Colour Infusion, £24

Constance Wu adds pops of pretty to her cheeks with Laura Mercier Blush Colour Infusion, £24.

The Highlighter

Amal Clooney’s secret: the Glowgasm Face Palette in Lovegasm, £60.00 from Charlotte Tilbury highlights the high points of your face to give a lit-from-within ethereal look.

Lips

NARS Velvet Matt Lip Pencil, £22

Both Rachel Roy and Jing Lusi unleash their inner sirens with bright red lips courtesy of Nars Velvet Matt Lip Pencil, £22,  in shades ‘Red Square’ and ‘Cruella’.

Eyes

MAC Coffee Eye Pencil, £15

Archie Punjabi’s make up artist, Beau Nelson, combines MAC’s Coffee Eye pencil, £15 and Charcoal Brown Shadow, £15, for a subtle smokey eye.

Must-Have Makeup for Black Skin Tones

The Base

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Foundation, £27

Rhianna enhances her succulent skin with Fenty’s Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in shade 340, £27. Formulated in 50 ground-breaking shades with no photo-flashback – it effortlessly melts into the skin.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, £33.50

Loved by Zendaya, NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, £33.50, comes in 40 shades of buildable coverage, stays put all day and leaves skin naturally radiant.

The Concealer

NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer, £24

Serena Williams turns to NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer, £24. It boosts the skin with collagen peptides, hyaluronic acid, and a protective cocktail of Vitamins A, C, and E.

The Sensual Skin Enhancer

Kerry Washington applies Kevyn Aucoin’s The Sensual Skin Enhancer in shade SX11 under her eyes and to the centre of her chin and forehead for contouring.

The Bronzer

NARS Bronzer, £25

Kelly Rowland doubles up her NARS Bronzer in Taj Mahal, £25 as an eyeshadow to “warm everything up.”

The Blush

NARS Orgasm Blush, £25

Meghan Markle uses NARS Orgasm Blush, £25, because of the “perfect rosy flush tone that brightens the face”.

The Highlighter

Fenty Beauty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter, £28

Loved by Cardi B, Fenty’s Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter in Trophy Wife, £28, is a highly-pigmented gold suitable for all.

Bare Minerals BarePRO Grow Highlighter Drops, £23

Black Mirror’s Letitia Wright’s skin oozes luminousity with Bare Minerals BarePRO Glow Highlighter Drops in Fierce, £23.

Lips

Lipstick Queen Sinner Lipstick, £22

Lipstick Queen Sinner Lipstick in Plum Sinner, £22, is 90 per cent pigment, contains natural oils and give the illusion of whiter teeth.

Eyes

Pixi Glittery Eye Quad Palette, £20

Jourdan Dunn loves Pixi make up – try the Glittery Eye Quad Palette in Rose Bronze, £20, for all day colour.  It’s basically a cheerleader for your peepers.

Top Tip for Your Wedding Day Makeup

When choosing your wedding day foundation, opt for a light-reflecting one to neutralise your skin tone. However, avoid powder foundation as it can make your skin appear dry. It will also sit in any creases and wrinkles. Instead, opt for a liquid foundation.

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