Black skin tones: how colorimetry impacts the look

Did you know that there is a wide variety of black skin tones? This happens due to the melanin present in the skin. It is responsible for coloring and can be found in the dermis and epidermis. Check out the explanations from style consultant Daniela Ribeiro about colorimetry and personal coloring.

What is colorimetry for black skin

Colorimetry is defined as a science that physically describes the human perception of color. Personal colorimetry is a test that evaluates the temperature and saturation of the skin through tissues. Its objective is to discover the tone and undertone of a person, thus enabling the creation of a color chart.

According to Daniela, the analysis of colors for black skin is inhabited by myths. Although it is the belief of the majority, people who look alike physically do not necessarily have the same card. “Look at the fashion catalogues. Usually, when the model is black, the makeup and costumes have orange tones and totally warm colors. That’s a myth. Most of the black skins I’ve analyzed are from cold cards”, says the style consultant.

When asked about colorimetry for black skin, Daniela says: “actually, the method we use to identify the color chart is the same for any skin type. The difference for black skin is in the details”. In the color analysis, during the process, some observations are different. For example, “some white skins become dark in contact with fabrics that do not harmonize. On the other hand, in black skins, bright spots may appear that devalue the client’s natural beauty”, concludes Daniela.

Top black skin tones

According to Daniela, in the analysis of colors, the tones are not categorized. “Melanin is responsible for bringing the brown tone to the skin, carotene brings yellowness and hemoglobin brings pink and red tones. Skin color is the combination of these three elements. The more melanin the skin has, the darker it is. Skins with more hemoglobin tend to be cool and skins with more carotene tend to be warm or olive.” Next, check out the main black skin tones and their particularities:

• Light grayish black skin: As seen earlier, the skin has tone and undertone. In the case of this black skin tone, the undertone is cold, gray.
• Light yellowish black skin: in this case, the undertone is yellowish.
• Reddish dark black skin: dark black skin has a higher concentration of melanin, as stated by Daniela. In this type of skin, the pigment is brownish and the undertone is red.
• Dark bluish black skin: this skin type also has a cool undertone, blue.

According to Daniela, all black skins range in some sort of shade of brown, from a golden brown to a darker bluish brown. Remembering, the skins that contain more melanin, that is, those darker, have a reddish, greenish or bluish background.

More information about black skin tones

Whether it’s time to do a makeup for dark skin or create a special look, colorimetry is an ace in the hole. So, below, check out a selection of videos with great tips, in-depth explanations and differences between skin tones.

Understand the difference between white and black skin

Monalisa Nunes explains the difference between black skin coloring and white skin coloring, as well as other factors related to skin tone. She watch the video to understand the specifics and care of each one.

See how personal coloring works for black skin

Colors greatly influence the look. In this video, the Preta channel also talks with the style consultant Naylah Campos. She shows how a personal color test is done and gives great tips to get the look right.

Visual identity and personal coloring

In this video, Thais Pires talks with the style consultant Carol Berto. In addition to explaining how the stages of a consultancy work, Carol talks about the expanded seasonal method. It’s worth watching!

Knowing your skin tone is important for self-knowledge and self-esteem, as well as your positioning in the world. As seen so far, each tone requires a type of attention, so check out the article on black skin care and take advantage of the tips of an expert dermatologist on the subject.