Is nude makeup suitable for Indian skin tone?

Nude makeup has been quite a rage from quite some time now. But while our Hollywood celebs flaunt it with such elan, the question that looms large is that is this suitable for our desi skin tone? Here we have veteran makeup artist Robert Naorem who shared his thoughts during the Bangalore Fashion Week.

Skin tone matters

First and foremost, you have to understand that the skin tone matters when it comes to nude makeup. “We all have different skin tones, so accordingly a suitable colour has to be picked. For instance, if you lean on the darker side, the muted hues can make one look ashy and deathly. On the other hand, in the West, most are on the fairer side. Everything you put on them pops out and gives a favourable effect,” quoted the expert.

He stressed that what is followed in Milan and Italy cannot be replicated here as the kind of skin tone and texture is different. As a matter of fact, there is so much variation within the country itself.

The different shades of nude

Just because it says nude on the label, that does not mean that the hue will remain constant. Robert elaborated, “It depends upon the colour palette that you are choosing as nude itself has so many shades. There are brown nudes, pink nudes and peach shades.” Even these vary in their hue as you might have a subtle brown to a rich cocoa.

Nude for the dusky skin tone 

So, the question arises that what works the best for those who have a lovely wheatish or darker tones? He suggested, “Those who are dusky cannot go along with the whitish shade or pinkish of the nudes. They can opt for something more on the brownish or peach side. This applies to the lips and eyes too.”

As you see, nude makeup can suit Indian skin tone as well, but you have to choose the shade wisely.  

-By Prajna Rao