Is it possible to wear a color that drains your face by compensating with makeup?

I have light olive skin but love the color of pale yellow. Every time I try it on the salesstaff shakes their heads and even strangers in the dressing room come up to whipser, "NO!" Eileen Fisher has a color "daisy" in a fluffy open weave sweater but ... no one will let me buy it. They say it drains all the color from my face. I say, "Well, I'll wear blush!" They ask, "Would you really want a piece of clothing that you just can't put on and forget about?"

Is it possible to overcome this sad situation, and how?

Thanks.

11 years ago

Dressing

13 replies

Latest reply was from

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I think it can be tricky. I know some people would say if a color makes you happy, just wear it, but once I know a color makes me look sickly (I'm looking at you, yellow and citron), I really don't want to wear it. I have so many other items in my closet that look great on my coloring, I know I'd never reach for it.

Here's a qualifier, though -- would it work with a scarf or a statement necklace that pulls a more flattering color closer to your face, to act as a sort of buffer? That's usually how I deal with less flattering colors, when I chose to wear them.

11 years ago

Liz

Veteran

Hmm. How important is it to you that a color flatters you? If it's not important, wear the yellow. If it's very important, than you'll have to find a fix. I'd probably go with a scarf in a flattering color rather than try to fix the problem with makeup.

You could also find a purse or shoes in that color, and then it wouldn't matter what it looks like next to your face.

Personally, I have had to come to terms with the fact that just because I love a color doesn't mean I need to wear it. If I were you, I'd probably be decorating with it -bathroom towels, sheets, couch pillows, or plates.

11 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

You won't be able to fix it with makeup, but you can accomomdate with the other items you wear -- to some degree. If you put something else nearer your face, it will work (a scarf, say).

I have done as Liz does. I love yellow and gold but it looks awful on me. Our house is full of yellows and golds!

11 years ago

Aziraphale

Veteran

I'm going to have to agree with the others. I'm like Janet here: once I know a colour makes me look ill, I won't want to wear it. No amount of makeup can compensate for a colour that is truly "the wrong colour" for your skin tone.

The good news is, there are many colours that are neither terrible nor fantastic. At least for me (and I suspect for others as well), there are a handful of colours that look great against my skin, and a whole pile more that are sort of neutral (and by neutral, I don't mean neutral colours; I mean neither good nor bad), and another small handful that are dreadful.

I like Liz's suggestion -- put that colour in your house!

11 years ago

rute

Veteran

yes, I do it all the time: a scarf on a color that flatters, a colorful necklace or a flattering lipstick!
Just bring the flattering color near your face

11 years ago

Echo

Veteran

It absolutely CAN be done with compensating through other colours worn near your face, a scarf, jewelry, differing makeup colours. But like others have mentioned, once you notice how certain colours make you look, most people do not want to reach for them.

I convinced myself that ice blue/powder blue was fine for me as long as I compensated in some other way. But when I passed a mirror while I was out, I was literally horrified at what the colour had done to me. I looked worse than I could have imagined, and much worse than I had convinced myself of at home. I never, ever wore that item again because of it, and my love for the colour and items in that colour died immediately.

If you really love the piece, give it a try. Either you will be successful at making it work, or you will have an experience like mine. Either way, you will find out how well it works in reality instead of wondering.

11 years ago

Thistle

Veteran

Honestly, I think you have 2 routes.

1. - Wear what you want because you love it and it makes you happy. That can be far more important that color or figure flattery. Understanding that make-up in not really going to help.

2. Accept that the color does not flatter and choose it in small doses away from your face. Yellow trousers, handbags, shoes, etc.

I have this same conundrum with true red. I have chosen to have or two pieces of red clothing anyway and am looking for red shoes.

11 years ago

Helena

Veteran

Hi, I agree with the comments in the thread. I'd try a scarf or bold necklace in the "right" colors, wear it as a v-neck so it's not too close to your face, or incorporate the color in pants/accessories. I will go rogue and say I do think that if it is a draining color, a pop of blush and lipstick in a flattering color can help; even earrings in the right color can counteract the draining effect imo.

You might want to take some photos of yourself in this color and then in a color you know to be flattering and just note the differences ... I do agree that once you see a flattering color, it's hard to go to an unflattering one!
Good luck!

11 years ago

Anonymous

I'm with torontogirl. I think you can counteract it with accessories and makeup and also, with your love of the color. I wear every color. Sure, some are less flattering, but if I enjoy the color, I rock it anyway. And it makes me happy. Hopefully, you can get that sweater or something of that pale yellow color and feel great enjoying it.

11 years ago

abc

Veteran

I'm with the others re adding a scarf. I used to have a "soul sucking beige" sweater that always needed a scarf. Always. It didn't bother me so I guess try to figure out if you are ok with adding the accessory (is it too high maintenance for you).

11 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I have a soul-sucking olivey-beige silk shirt that is one of the few full-sleeved items that actually feels comfortable to me in the summer -- I work with it by wearing it with a bold turquoise necklace, which is one of my best colors.

11 years ago

L'Abeille

Veteran

Once my daughter took me shopping with her to choose a green sweater for a Christmas party, knowing that some shades of green "worked" with her colouring and some didn't. She found one she liked and came out of the dressing room to model it for me. It looked just okay on her; her face looked pale and sallow. I told her, just add some blush and lipstick and it will do fine. And she said, Mom, I am wearing a ton of blush already.

So, makeup can help, but it can only take you so far. My advice, if you really love the colour, get it in a purse so it can make you happy every day.

11 years ago

Anonymous

I think Angie would say that you might be able to combine yellow with another color that would make it work for you. Maybe, if the yellow EF sweater is a cascading cardigan, you could wear a really flattering color under it, and that would be the color that "registers" to the eye. If the EF sweater is a pullover, however, you will need a scarf or statement necklace to counter act it. Even better, how about a lovely bag in your favorite yellow. You would carry it every day and it would be far away from your face. Suz did that one summer and was surprised at how her yellow bag "went" with everything in her closet (all of which was non-yellow)!

11 years ago

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