Using Color to Enhance or Detract from Facial Features

How do you enhance or detract from your clients facial features with color?

A. "It all starts with the consultation," says Marco Pelusi, veteran colorist and owner of the Marco Pelusi Studio in West Hollywood, California. "Listen to what your client wants while looking at her face and taking into account all of the factors you'll use to choose the colors and the technique to flatter the face."

Skin tone and facial features are the two most important things to ascertain, he says. For example, if a client wants blonde you need to decide if she is warm or cool. If she has icy blue eyes, you'll want to pick cooler shades. If her eyes are a golden brown, warmer tones are the way to go.  When it comes to facial features, you may need to keep your observations to yourself. For instance, if your client has a larger nose you'll want to soften the color around the face.

"Nine times out of ten you only need to focus color around the face," advises Pelusi. "I prefer to use a bricklaying technique starting at the crown and working through the bang area, as opposed to just a solid row of foils." If you want to attract attention to facial features, slice your foils or lighten the colors in the foil for a stronger effect. To detract attention from certain features, weaving lowlights in deeper tones is a worthy technique.

To make it easy, just remember, slices and strong highlights to enhance and weaves and soft lowlights to detract.