Taking a matchy-matchy approach may faux pas in certain fashion circles, but in the beauty world it’s positively encouraged. A tonal makeup look is something to be applauded–especially if, like Dakota Johnson at the Toronto Film Festival, you’re showcasing autumn’s must-try chocolate tones.
While the tonal approach might seem like the lazy option, making it work actually requires thought, conviction and a hardworking edit of colors. If that sounds like a lot of effort, the good news is that when you nail it, the effect always appears polished to perfection. It’s also a great trick to have up your sleeve because most of us will find at least three or four colors really suit our complexions, meaning you can select any one of your flattering shades and apply the same rules. (Purple is often singled out by beauty pros for its surprising ability to flatter all skin tones.)
To work the tonal beauty look with confidence, committing to your palette is the first step. From there, choose one key color and offset that with two or three complementary tones within the same shade spectrum. In Dakota’s case, rich cocoa hues are the mainstay, as evidenced by her deep chestnut hair, smoky, cocoa lined eyes, and beautifully accentuated brows. Blusher is the easiest way to add a little lift and dimension to everything.
If you’re opting to add depth with your eyes and brows, it’s usually best to steer clear of anything too dark on your lips. When it comes to sporting deeper autumnal tones, dark lips plus dark eyes veers a little too close to vampy. Instead, choose a color that incorporates a little of each existing shade. Case in point, Dakota’s caramel lipstick, which perfectly combined a little peach and a little chocolate to pull the whole look together seamlessly. For added beauty brownie points, Dakota leaned into another autumn/winter trend with her freshly-brewed espresso nails.
One final rule it’s important to abide by when doing tonal beauty. Under no circumstances should you match your mani to your pedi. Instead, do like Dakota and keep your toes polished but bare. You can have too much of a good thing, you know.