Most Flattering Neon Colors For Your Skin Tone
Summer is coming, which means for many of us, it's time to break out the brighter colors.
You've heard of matching colors to your skin tone, but how about which neon colors are right for you? Once a remnant of the past, the neon trend has been making a comeback in the last few years. This '80s look is making a comeback with neon shades exploding back into the fashion set back in 2017 (via Glamour). Celebs like Blake Lively were rocking colors so bold they almost hurt your eyes. Now, in 2022, It seems that the shades used are only getting more highlighter-like, as seen with the bright green used at Copenhagen Fashion Week (via Refinery29).
Undertones play a huge part in how your skin tone reacts to certain colors. There are several ways to determine your undertone, including looking at the color of your veins, how you tan, and whether you look best in gold or silver jewelry (via Paula's Choice). As outlined in Good Housekeeping, cool skin tones show up as pink and blue for fair skin, or purple and red if you have a more neutral skin tone. Warm undertones are yellow for fair skin, and peachy or golden in olive and darker skin tones. Finally, if you have a neutral undertone, you'll see a mix of both cool and warm undertones.
Those with fair skin and cool undertones don't suit highlighter neon shades
As much as you might want them to, not every neon shade will suit every skin tone. Cooler skin tones will look better in some neons than others, and vice versa.
If you have fair skin with cool undertones, you should opt for dark neon purple or hot pink (via She Knows). Fun and flirty, these two shades will illuminate you from within. However, you should stay away from some of the more highlighter-esque shades. This is because the pink in your complexion can sometimes make you look sickly if contrasted with colors that are obnoxiously bright. The same theory does not apply for those with warm undertones, as they don't tend to have as much pink in their complexion.
Other great colors for cool-toned and fair-skinned people are bright berry colors like magenta (via Live About). Jewel tones like emerald green and stunning turquoise blue will also really make you stand out, especially if your eyes are blue, green, or hazel. A good example of a celeb with fair skin and a cool undertone is Adele (via People).
If you're fair skinned but don't look good in berry, you could have warm undertones instead
If your veins skew towards the green or yellowish side but you are still relatively pale, you have warm undertones instead of cool. It's a common misconception that people with warm undertones have to have olive, medium, or darker skin, but this isn't necessarily the case. Remember, your actual skin color doesn't affect your undertone. Lighter skin can have warm undertones, and darker skin can have cool ones.
An example of a celeb with fair skin but warm undertones is Claire Danes (via Elle). Although she isn't tan, you can clearly see how gold complements her skin and she has more peachy undertones. Unlike Adele, Danes would not glow in berry shades, though she would look stunning in rose red and lime green (via Live About). This is because Danes' undertones are on the yellow side rather than pink, giving her more leeway for brighter colors.
If you have medium to darker skin, you'll most likely have warm undertones
If your skin is medium to dark and has warm undertones, you will look great in super bright colors. You can tell if you have warm undertones by assessing a few things, such as if you tan easily, whether your wrist veins have a greenish hue, and whether your skin looks yellow or olive in natural light (via Elle). If you have most of these things, you have warm undertones.
Bright coral, orange, and yellow are your key shades (via She Knows). An ideal color match for those with warm medium and dark skin tones is gold jewelry due to gold bringing out your inner glow (via InStyle). An example of a celeb with medium dark skin and a warm undertone is Halle Berry (via People). You can see in the picture above how she has yellow and gold undertones that are complemented by the gold accessories she is wearing.
Darker skin can have cool undertones too
Dark skin can also have very cool undertones (via Essence). In fact, if you have more red, blue, and purple undertones, you may notice silver jewelry will accentuate the icier undertone of your skin. This means you liked have a dark skin tone with cool undertones (via People). As for neon colors, shades like bright blue, purple, and fuchsia will bring out the beautiful bluish and reddish undertones of your skin (via She Knows).
Lupita Nyong'o is a great example of someone with dark skin and cool undertones. She has also worn neon shades on a number of occasions and looked absolutely radiant every time (via Elle). In the photo above, you can see how Nyongo's silver earrings and fuchsia eyeshadow bring out the natural coolness of her skin and makes her glow even more. Another great example of a deep-skinned celebrity with cool undertones is model Alek Wek.
If you're neither warm nor cool, you most likely have neutral undertones
If you don't seem to fit into any of the above categories, you could have a neutral skin tone. Neutral skin isn't one or the other, but a mixture of both cool and warm tones. You're neutral if your skin has golden and peachy undertones but also bluish and pinkish ones (via Byrdie). You are actually quite lucky if you have a neutral skin tone, as you can wear more colors than most. Nevertheless, turquoise, lavender, and electric red or orange will flood your features with warmth (via She Knows).
You will also suit neon peach or neon green (via Paintbox). If those colors seem a bit intimidating, you could always start off with your nails to create a holiday-ready look that will still pop. An example of a celeb with a neutral undertone is Natalie Portman (via Elle). Kerry Washington is also a great example of a celeb with darker skin but a neutral undertone.
You should always wear what you like, but with neon brights suited for your skin tone, you'll turn heads and look your very best.