Color Theory

Color Theory 

The basis of all color theory is the interplay of the 3 primary colors– Red, Yellow and Blue. 

The way they are merged into secondary and tertiary colors used for PMU pigments plus the skin color itself is what determines what the healed results will look like. To predict what a pigment shade will look like healed, you have to know the properties of the formula, and assess the skin: 

• skin type and melanin content, undertone, thickness, the degree of blood supply, skin’s overall state & age. 

Isn’t eyeliner just putting in black color? Why do I need color theory? 

Look at the color wheel, the color black is not a primary color. It’s a color that resulted from mixing primary colors red, blue, and yellow. A lot of women with previous permanent eyeliner have turned blue or gray. This is common because the black pigment is made up of blue, red, and yellow. Often, more blue is added into the mix to produce a darker and rich hue of black. Over time, the red and yellow components of the black will fade and what remains is the large percentage of blue pigment in the eyeliner. This is why sun exposure can make PMU appear darker, because the red and yellow pigment molecules are lighter and fade faster than the blue pigment molecules that went into your overall pigment color mixture. 

Modify? 

To prevent the eyeliner from shifting into a blue tone, artists like to modify their black pigment by adding drops of orange and red color in the mix. Adding a small amount of red pigment will not change the black color much. Our eyelid areas tend to be cooler in tone, that is why it’s always good to add a drop of orange or red pigment into the mix when doing black eyeliners, just to reduce the color from turning blue. You can correct the blue hue in the eyeliner by adding warmer brown color instead of covering it with black pigment again. When applying brown pigment for eyeliner, you may want to warm your brown more for the top lid than the bottom. 

What does it mean? 

So my pigment is cool, neutral or warm…and so is my client. What does that mean to me? 

• Choose Warmer colors on olive complexioned skin tones 
• Choose Cooler colors on reddish skin tones 
• To determine the undertone of the pigment, apply the pigment or formula you have selected onto the forehead in a light smear. You’ll be able to see how the undertone looks on the client’s skin.