MaryAnn’s Makeover: From “Pasty” to A Powerful Clear Winter

Maryann's color transformation.

MaryAnn had sharp cheekbones, deep brunette hair, and cool porcelain skin that looked like it belonged in a Renaissance portrait. Striking, yes—but also tricky. Every time she went to the makeup counter, the experience followed a familiar script: a well-meaning beauty advisor would swatch a few foundations along her jawline and land on something labeled “ivory” or “classic porcelain.” It seemed right in the store. But by the time she got home, she looked… off. Washed out. Pasty.

“They’d always match the lightness of my skin but never the depth,” she explained. “I’d end up looking like I’d powdered myself in chalk.”

That’s when MaryAnn came to The Palette Edit. She wasn’t after a trend—she just wanted to finally feel right in her skin.

After submitting segmented photos of her face, eyes, lips, and hair, we were able to pinpoint her true color season: Clear Winter. Think high contrast, vivid tones, and cool, clean pigments. MaryAnn’s foundation shade needed not just to be light, but to carry a crisp, cool undertone—something most brands either over-warm or neutralize into beige oblivion.

We recommended foundations that offered cool, bright undertones—along with jewel-toned makeup in deep berries, icy pinks, and rich plums. She tried a few of our drugstore options first—and was shocked.

“It was like my face suddenly had structure. Like the real me was coming into focus,” she said.

People began complimenting her skin rather than her “makeup.” Her eyes sparkled brighter. And yes—she tossed every “ivory beige” bottle in the bin.

MaryAnn didn’t change. She simply started wearing what already matched the fire in her features.