Should I Be Doing My Makeup Based on My Contrast Level?

Social media is famous for disseminating beauty trends at breakneck speed, and perhaps the last place one would expect to find a staple makeup look calibrated to a user’s specific needs. But tell that to the millions of people on the platform who have discovered contrast makeup, a method of identifying high-, medium-, and low-contrast features to guide the creation of cohesive makeup looks that best flatter the face as a whole.

The concept isn’t exactly new — it springs from the color theory you may or may not have studied in college, and there are extensive videos on YouTube about the idea, dating back years. But thanks to a black-and-white TikTok filter and hundreds of newer videos on the subject, IDing your contrast level has become a far more streamlined endeavor, though we question whether the concept itself is predicated on Eurocentric features and whether these filters are best calibrated for all skin tones.

Here’s how it works, according to Aliénor, a Parisian makeup artist and creator of the What’s Your Contrast TikTok filter: Select from categories of skin tone (light, medium, and deep), then proceed to match your features (including eye, brow, and hair color) to one of three so-called “contrast levels.” Choose from low (a soft palette of similar shades, like those found in sepia images), medium (think grayscale images, with more gradients and shadow), and high (such as stark, black-and-white images). From there, users are guided to apply makeup to add or reduce the intensity of the contrast in order to create a harmonious look in which all facial features (lips, cheeks, and eyes) are balanced and cohesively draw the eye.

According to Aliénor, for example, a no-makeup makeup look is right at home on those with low-contrast features. Adding intensity to brows (so as to match that of the hair), cheeks with blush, and choosing a your-lips-but-better lipstick are her recommended ways to unify medium-contrast features, while those with high-contrast features can incorporate smoky eye looks or red lipstick. “You can do this in a softer way ... by adding medium-intensity lips and cheek [color]” to a look, the content creator adds.

Fans of the technique are having a-ha moments as to why certain makeup looks (and lipstick shades) seem to flatter them most. The biggest win, though, may be landing on a go-to look that stands the test of time. We say, don’t live and die by contrast makeup, because you should use color to express yourself however you’d like. But if you can find a new go-to glam that makes your life easier, we’re all for it.