An example of monochromatic colors used in an artistry based makeup application.
Photo by Henry de Guzman from Pexels
Welcome back to Color 101, the series that discusses how color theory pertains to makeup application and creation. This post will be highlighting monochromatic color schemes and how these can be utilized to create artistic and natural makeup applications. Color theory is important in the beauty world since makeup is used to be expressive of one’s true character and their feelings. Color is known to be able to portray these feelings in an art form to let loose and get creative.
You may be wondering, what are monochromatic color schemes? To answer this important question, it is defined as all of the colors of a single hue. This is created by using a single base hue to extend the shades. For example, any color can be used in a monochromatic color combo; however, this can be the only hue in the creation. This can be different shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and the list goes on. As long as the base color is the only true color in the scheme it is considered a monochromatic color. If you’re confused, just refer back to the name. ‘Mono’ means one or singular, so in this case it means one color.
There are many ways this color scheme can be incorporated in makeup looks. Pink is a popular color used in monochromatic makeup looks since this hue is often made in various eyeshadows, blushes, lipsticks, etc. It is not a hard color to find for any specific makeup product. Pinks will look more natural since they can be pastel, muted, or if a bold look needs to be achieved it can relay that message as well with bright and bold colors. On the other hand, blue can be harder to come by. Eye products such as eyeshadow or eyeliner can easily be found in blue; however, blush and lipstick can be a bit more challenging to find. A pro tip here is to use eyeshadow as a blush and eyeliner as a lip pencil if the other products are not available in the colors needed to create the monochromatic look.
There is a certain unity when it comes to monochromatic colors used in makeup, as seen above in the featured image for this post. The model here is wearing mostly peachy tones to convey this monochromatic vibe. There is a pop of a darker liner color, which accents this feature of the makeup look, but overall still incorporates a monochromatic color scheme since the main features: eyes, cheeks, and lips are all done using peachy hues. Next time you want to be creative with your makeup, but you’re not sure what to do, monochromatic colors are always a fun and artistic option to try!
I thought this post was fun to read because it added a lot more perspective to a monochromatic color scheme in makeup. I thought that a monochromatic color scheme in makeup was sort of simple and could only look natural or toned down but I realized from this post that you can add brighter shades of that one color to make things pop more or add more dimension. As someone that sticks to the monochromatic color scheme for eyeshadow, I think it would be fun to experiment with brighter shades of that color to make it pop more.
Colored looks have become so popular in the recent year and I think that they are so cool. The monochromatic trend challenges makeup artists to be creative with the different shades they are using. I appreciate how you included different definitions and ways you can achieve this look almost step by step. Great job!
I think this post really helped open peoples minds to not always using multiple colors. I have seen it become a common thing for makeup artists to use one color in their look. Like you had mentioned, pink can be used for eyes, lips, and even blush. This post was fun because as an art student, it is always fun to try new challenges such as only using one color. It can be interesting to see how many hues one color has to offer.
I have always been timid to use bright colors when it comes to makeup. This post really gives me an insight of how colors work when it comes to doing makeup. You don’t always have to use multiple colors for different things. Loved reading about this!
I really liked your blog post this week! I am so used to doing minimal makeup when it comes to eyeshadow and eyeliner. But, I think your post gave insight into how different people can use different colors and how amazing they can look. Great job!
Love this take on such a trending style right now! I have been seeing monochromatic fashion looks all over my tin Tok and Pinterest so this post for monochromatic makeup looks is just perfect! Great Work!
I really like how color is coming back more and more in makeup. It’s so expressive and like you said, there’s so many interesting ways to use it. Monochromatic is definitely one of those ways. I have yet to brave such a look, but I’m glad to read all about it and why it stands out. I think pink is a really good color to start with as well.