Baby, it's cool outside! Winter is coming and it’s Nordic!
Aleana Hand has a range of stunning skin tones AND now also a FULL range of undertones!
Full hands, magnetic half hands, fingers, and thumbs. The only brand on the worldwide market that creates hyperrealistic practice hands that have all the features of a real person.
Not only natural colours, freckles, veins, and creases, but also the often ignored but so significant skin undertone in the LifeLike option!
You may say: ‘’Hang on! But Aleana Hand doesn’t have a fair skin tone nor a cool undertone practice hand!’’ This used to be true, but it isn’t anymore! Up until now, there wasn’t such a product on the market, but Aleana Hand filled that gap again! They always do!
Please welcome NORDIC WINTER!
The newest addition to Aleana's practice hands family!
Nordic Winter shade is the lightest in the range, and It’s stunning!
Delicate, graceful porcelain skin tone with a pink hue makes it the first cool undertone in Aleana Hand collection, and WOW! It is gorgeous!
The combination of fair skin tone and cool undertone in Nordic Winter practice hand is like a baby's skin, it looks healthy, it looks fresh like Jack Frost! It is a fantastic shade for the whole year round, but it will look magical with winter colours and nail art.
I am very excited about it! I have waited for a cool undertone practice hand to be able to practice my colour theory to the fullest. To test colour combinations in nail designs and to be able to provide more customised service to my clients with cool undertones.
Nordic Winter is also the perfect tool to transform your social media this coming season.
Turn your wall into a bright, crisp, frosty winter theme like on a postcard from Norway or Finland. Create a wonderful mood and attract a lot of attention this winter.
Let me ask you…
- Have you ever seen a photo of beautiful nails or nail art, but there was something that just wasn’t right about it?
- Perhaps you had a client who picked a colour only to halfway through the service ask you to change it as they didn’t like how it looked on their hands?
- Or maybe you tried on that new lipstick and instantly looked pale or ill?
Chances are, the colours didn’t compliment your or your client’s skin tone and more importantly, skin undertone.
What every nail tech should know.
- Why is skin undertone so significant for selecting the right colours for you and your clients?
- Do you know how to recognise it?
- Which colours compliment cool skin undertone?
- Which can make you look not your best, give your skin grey and ill appearance or yellow, red or blue tinge? You wouldn’t want that for your clients, right?
I will answer these questions below and give you tips on how to master your colour-matching skills. With practice, your nail art will not only look great on tips, but also suit each individual client to always make them look and feel their best.
Basics First! What’s the difference between skin tone and skin undertone?
Skin tone and undertone are features we are born with. It is a permanent part of our genetic makeup. The skin undertone is often misunderstood or ignored. However, it is crucial in matching skin complimenting colours, not only nail polish but also makeup, clothing, and jewellery.
SKIN TONE
It is the skin surface colour, determined by the amount of melanin (skin pigment) present in the uppermost layer of your skin. It is affected by Sun (UV) exposure however, it returns to default once the Summer is over.
There are 4 main types of skin tones:
Aleana Hand in Nordic Winter tone.
Very light but darker and more beige or yellow than Fair skin tone. Think Ivory, eggshell.
Aleana Hand in Winter tone.
Yellow, golden, or olive.
Aleana Hand in Indian Summer tone.
Aleana Hand in Summer tone or the outstanding TrueTan!
SKIN UNDERTONE
It is the subtle hue underneath the surface colour, which unlike skin tone remains the same regardless of your tan.
Pink or blue hue in fair skin, purple and red in medium and dark skin.Aleana Hand in Nordic Winter tone has cool undertone.
Golden, peachy or yellow hues. Aleana Hand in Autumn, Indian Summer, Summer and TrueTan tones, all have warm undertones.
Neutral undertone is neither cool nor warm. It is a mix of both. Darker skin tones frequently have an olive hue.
Aleana Hand in Winter tone has neutral undertone.
How to determine skin undertone?
Many people mistake fair, pale skin tone with cool undertone and medium and deep skin with warm undertone. That’s incorrect. All skin tones can have any of the 3 undertones.That’s why you need to learn how to determine which one it is.
It requires a few simple steps. Before you get great at it, it may be a guessing game, but one worth playing! As with everything you practice, the more you do it, the better you get at it.
- Check the wrist veins in natural light.
- If they appear green, your undertone is warm.
- Are they blue? You have a cool undertone.
- If the veins are bluish-green, most likely you have a neutral undertone.
What colour jewellery do you like to wear?
- Silver suits cool skin undertone best.
- Gold and rose gold is looks great on people with warm skin undertones.
- Do you feel great in all of them? You might have a neutral undertone.
Tip: Have a selection of silver and gold rings to test on your clients.
- Does your hand appear yellowish against the paper? You have a warm undertone.
- If it looks pink, your undertone is cool.
- A green or greyish appearance indicates a neutral tone.
Which colour palettes are most flattering for Nordic Winter?
Which you should avoid and why?
Incorrectly selected colours can make any skin tone look pale, unattractive and even ill. On the other hand, correctly selected colours will make the skin look healthy, glowing, and fresh. Here you have guidelines for fair skin with cool undertone.
Cool colours
The most flattering colours for fair skin with cool undertone are the colours in the cool spectrum of a colour wheel. If you haven’t got one yet, I recommend you get it. It is easy to use and super helpful tool for nail designers.
- Colours of winter and ocean: Ice blue, silver, grey, bright white, bottle-green, deep blues look great on Nordic Winter.
Bright colours
It is sometimes assumed that fair skin owners should avoid bright colours as they can make them look pale. It’s a myth! Bright and vibrant colours below will create contrast, bring colour to the skin and compliment it beautifully.
- Emerald green, turquoise blue and bright blues
- Deep purples, magenta, and cool shades of pink.
- Reds should have a pink tones, such as raspberry, do not go for tomato red.
Neons
Similar to bright colours, neons will illuminate and compliment the skin, but not all of them.
- Dark neon purple and hot pink are fantastic choices.
- Avoid Yellow, orange, and green as the pink undertone can be highlighted too much, making you look unnatural and sickly sweet.
Nudes and light colours.
Cool nudes will look stunning on Nordic Winter. However, avoid washed out colours too similar to the skin, as it may simply disappear.
- Chose soft pinks and rich neutrals like sand over pale beige
- Neutral light browns will look good.
- Bright white looks better than off-white, beige, or ivory but too much may dull the skin appearance
- Cool greys, khaki and lavender are also great choices
Dark colours
They look great on Nordic Winter skin, just don’t overdo it.
- Charcoal grey is a better option than black which is too bold on its own, unless you aim for a gothic look then go for it!
- Navy blue, dark plum, amethyst, dark greys and dark, neutral browns will all flatter Nordic Winter skin tone.
Stay away from:
- Coral and pastels-they will make the skin appear dull.
- Deep yellows, orange, gold and warm earthy colours such as terracotta
- Fire engine red, tomato red
- Neon yellow, neon orange, and neon green
- Black can look too harsh on fair skin, taking away the healthy glow.
These colours will clash with the undertone and create an unhealthy and unattractive appearance. However, small amounts in certain combination may bring some spice to the designs. At the end of the day the saying goes ''There are no rules in the world of art'' Let your creative juices flow and have fun along the way.
Jewellery
Avoid Gold and rose gold jewellery. Silver and platinum compliments Nordic winter beautifully!
Did you know that Aleana Hand has a range of gorgeous rings? You can see them here.
Nail art
As you can see, the amount of colours that look great on Nordic Winter is vast, and it is not exhausted in any shape or form.
My head is spinning with ideas for nail art. From delicate and romantic bridal designs to spooky Gothic theme.
From winter ice blues with silver and white snowflakes to rich colours of emerald and magenta inspired by Indian outfits. Nordic winter will look Gorgeous with delicate, spring watercolour floral painting as well as Bright colours in salon designs.
What nail art are you imagining when you're looking at this work of beauty?
Let us know and don’t forget to share your work with us using Instagram #aleanahand
Would you like to know which colours are the best match for warm and neutral undertones? Perhaps for a particular skin tone from Aleana Hand collection? Let us know through social media and don't forget to follow!
Stay safe, stay warm and cosy because Baby, it’s cool outside!
WRITTEN BY JUSTYNA WROBEL