Why You Should Match Your Makeup to Your Outfit

Matching your makeup to your outfit might sound old-fashioned. But over the past couple of years the retro ideas looked fresh on runways—Prabal Gurung, Fendi—and on the women whose style we love—Poppy Delevingne, Rihanna—meaning it’s time to try this out in real life. Lisa Aharon, a New York City based makeup artist who has worked with Florence Welch and Jena Malone, says the makeup should complement your look, not compete with it.

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“If the dress or fabric is multi-colored or there’s a pattern, I’ll work with one of the less obvious colors. If it’s a solid, I try to choose a shade that nearly matches but may be slightly off so that it still complements the color,” she says.

As far as what part of your look to play up, let the color make the decision for you. “If the dress is blue, you likely wouldn’t wear a blue lip but you could easily wear a matching eyeliner, shadow or even a colored mascara.”

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You want to stay away from picking colors that don’t naturally complement your eye color, hair color, or complexion. “Keep the rest of your face fairly neutral to ensure it stays modern and fresh,” says Aharon.

Now that you know how to pull it off, here’s your inspiration.