As the owner of some incredibly pale skin (I've been told I resemble a cone of vanilla soft serve on occasion), I know that it can be quite difficult to find products that work with lighter skintones. As much as I'd love to wear a bronzy gold highlight, they just don't suit me. After a couple years of makeup hoarding, I think I've found a good group of products that will always work.
FOR THE FACE: For my pale skin, I've found that bronzers and blushes that don't stray too far from my natural skintone are best. I love a good pale bronzer - my favorite is the Make Up For Ever Pro Bronze Fusion in 15I (the palest of their glowy shades), but the Body Shop Honey Bronzer and Soap & Glory Solar Powder are great as well. It adds enough warmth to make the skin look a little sunkissed, but it's still light enough that it doesn't make my face look dirty. For blush, you'll know I'm a fan of a good neutral blush. My cheeks can get flushed very easily, and because my skin is so pale, any red tones really stand out. For that reason, I stick to more neutral colors for blush. I love the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed and the Too Faced Love Flush Long-Lasting 16-Hour Blush in Baby Love. They're both perfect tawny pink shades that are quite sculpting as well as adding a really natural flush. For highlight, I like to use a nice white gold - it looks more like a natural sheen on the skin. The rms beauty Living Luminizer is a stunning option, adding a soft white pearl sheen to the skin. Another cream that's a go-to for me is the Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight - I love that it has more of a pink tone to it, as it's super flattering on my skin. For powder highlights, the best shades I've found are the Anastasia Illuminator in Starlight and the Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder Compact in Highlight 01. They'll both make you look like there are angels radiating from your face or something.
FOR THE EYES: I've found that a lot of shades work on my eyes, but I've noticed I really love neutral matte shades. My go-to lately has been the Tarte Tartelette in Bloom Clay Eyeshadow Palette (review). It's got the perfect mix of colors to create a natural look or something more dramatic.
FOR THE LIPS: There are so many options for lips that it sometimes gets overwhelming. On me, I find pale pinks and deep purples the most flattering. My everyday shades as of late have been the Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer in Nude Pop and the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lovesick (review). They're both really lovely colors that add a nice hint of definition to the lips. I think deep purples and burgundies look stunning on pale skin because of the high contrast. I love the Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Blackberry Sorbet (14) - it's just the perfect vampy plum shade. It's perfect paired with minimal eye makeup and really glowy skin.
What are your favorite products that flatter your skintone?