When you’re searching for the perfect bikini to add to your collection, finding a cut, fabric and colour scheme that compliments your natural figure and skin tone while making you look and feel confident can feel like a challenge. Whether you’re stocking up on swimwear for an upcoming tropical island escape or refreshing your summer wardrobe, knowing which silhouettes and colour palettes best suit you is key finding your dream bikini.
The first step to narrow down your search is understanding the tone and characteristics of your complexion and choosing prints and shades to compliment it. We’ve put together our top tips on discovering your skin tone and which shades will enhance your natural features, so you can start shopping.
Finding your skin tone
Skin tones generally have two categories, warm and cool, which are based on the undertone and not the colour itself. Warm skin tones can be light, medium or dark in colour with golden undertones and are usually combined with deep brown, hazel or green eyes and hair with orange, yellow and gold hints. Cool skin tones range from being light porcelain to medium with pink and blue undertones, blue, grey and green eyes, and often hair with ashy shades.
If you’re still not sure which category your skin tone falls in to, there are a couple of simple methods you can use to find out:
Take a look at the inside of your arms and wrists. If your skin has pink and blue undertones and your veins appear blue, it’s likely you are cool toned, whereas if your skin is more yellow and veins appear green, your skin tone is warm.
Do you suit gold or silver jewellery better? If the answer is gold, your skin tone is warm and vice versa!
Warm skin tones often have brown, hazel green eyes and hair with hints of gold, yellow and orange. Cool skin tones usually have light coloured eyes and ashy hair. Images: Tigerlily
Which colours suit each skin tone?
Once you’ve figured out your skin tone, it’s time to explore which colours will best complement your complexion.
Deep, rich hues of emerald, navy and purple or lighter shades of lavender, pink and ice blue look stunning against cool skin tones.
If your complexion is leaning towards the warmer end of the spectrum, opt for earthy shades such as brown, green, mustard yellow and orange.
The Ophelia Lenny One Piece features an all over peacock and leopard print in gorgeous warm tones. The creamy ice blue shade of the Florence Carlotta bikini beautifully complements cool complexions. Images: Tigerlily
Using the color wheel
Now you have a good understanding of your skin tone and which colours are best suited, you can get creative with mixing and matching colour combinations, shades and prints to build a swimwear look that’s uniquely you. The colour wheel is a simple yet savvy tool to help do this.
First, pick a colour that compliments your complexion. Analogue colours are those either side of your chosen colour and work harmoniously. Complimentary colours are those directly opposite each other, creating a contrast and highlighting the opposing shade. Use this to create a lowkey colour palette or standout look this summer.
Choosing the ideal swimwear colour to complement your complexion, highlight your features and fit perfectly with your existing wardrobe doesn’t have to be tricky. First, figure out the undertones of your complexion, explore which colours work best for each undertone, then shop your favourite styles in your unique colour palette. Discover our range of swimwear and add some colour to your bikini collection, just in time for summer.
