Colour Therapy

When it comes to make-up, bronze, orange and purple are the new colours of summer. Time to outpower the sun.

Words by Tracey Strange  Photographs by Belinda Merrie

Purple

MAUVE MAGIC It’s called the shade of kings but there’s nothing stuffy or conventional about the colour purple. Intense violet or lilac, the various shades of purple are huge news this summer. You’ll even find little reflections of it in lip gloss.

PURPLE RULES There’s nothing to fear about purple’s reign. As a shadow, purple is fantastic for enhancing brown or hazel eyes. Lighter shades add a pastel gleam to blue, green or violet eyes. But the colour really comes into its own this summer on the fingers and toes; purple polish rocks.

REGAL ACCESS From mauve-tinted white (try Essie’s Looking for Love, $23.90) to the richest mulberry, purple rules summer nails. Sheer or opaque, it sets the trend without appearing hard, flashy or faddish.

WEARING IT Everyone can try purple shadow or polish. But you do need to be a little careful with lilac-accented lips since they can appear washed out. In gloss, however, a purple accent will add a pearlized sheen. Wear it over your favourite lipstick.

Bronze

BRONZED GODDESS It may not have the flash of gold or the sparkle of silver but bronze is seldom bettered when it comes to the face. For a start, its base is brown – a very wearable colour, albeit a bit dull. But where brown palls, bronze shines. Its metallic reflection catches the light; its subtle gleam adds sophistication. In short, if gold is money, bronze is that thing that can’t be bought: elegance.

METAL APPEAL Wearing bronze is as easy as wearing brown. Pick it if you’re after a polished, natural look. As a colour it means “I didn’t have to try too hard to look this good”. As a cosmetic, it’s very versatile; to varying degrees blushers, lipsticks, shadows, glosses, illuminators and eyeliners are blessed if they have a warm bronze reflect.
AN EYE ON THE MONEY Getting your hands on bronze this season is easy. It’s everywhere. After all, you could argue that bronze is the colour of summer skin. So look out for it in bronzers – from liquid to powder, gradual tans to sun-touched illuminators. You’ll also find it in shadows and liners and elements of its sunny disposition in lipsticks
and glosses.
WEARING IT If you are at all unsure, think of it as an accent. Apply it to those areas of the face the sun would naturally strike – the nose, forehead and cheek-bones. But when it comes to lipstick and blusher, it pays not to go too dark. Consider it a pretty but subtle light-catching accent. The eyes, however, are a different story: as a shadow, bronze – subtle or strong – works for most eye colours.

Orange

HOT ORANGE There’s nothing shy or retiring about the colour orange. It’s a statement in itself: fresh, zingy and occasionally sharp. It needs to be restrained a little but, when worn well, it’s fresh, modern and eye-catching. Of the three shades here it’s also the most up-to-date. Keep it that way by teaming it with neutral beiges or tawny browns.
CITRUS APPEAL If bronze is subtle, orange is obvious. Its vibrancy makes it the perfect shade for summer toenails. But, knocked back a bit, it becomes soft and peachy – a blusher shade that suits most skin tones. Mixed in with highlighters and illuminators, it adds a youthful flush to the complexion. On the lips, it’s pretty but not sickly and a perfect alternative to hot pink. But be warned: a true coral is a little difficult to wear without its looking dated, especially if it’s frosted.
SHOPPING FOR ORANGES The hot summer focus for bright orange is in lipsticks, glosses and nail polishes. But you’ll also find sweet apricot shades in everything from shadows to neutral blushers. Orange’s blessing is that you require only a little of it to make an impact and just a sweep or two on the lips can turn your mood from drab to fab.
WEARING IT Most women shy away from orange. The beauty of it, however, is that it adds instant life to your make-up. Avoid it as a shadow colour unless you’re young or particularly adventurous. Instead, step out in statement-making lipstick (it is summer’s version of crimson) or paint toenails in a smile-inducing neon orange. Another great way of wearing it is to add an orangey gloss over your favourite nude lipstick: instant update.