Best Swimsuit for Dark Skin

It happens. You find a Swimsuit and it miraculously ticks all of your “perfect swimsuit” boxes. It’s form-fitting, flexible, stylish, and just feels right. So why doesn’t it pop? The answer usually lies in your suit’s color. Before you know it, you’re adding “does it clash or complement my dark skin tone?” to your list. This new question of what’s the best swimsuit for dark skin opens up a whole new line of consideration.

To answer briefly, the best swimsuit for dark-toned skin can depend on your undertone. Overall, bold colors such as red, orange, or a crisp white contrast beautifully with your skin, while olive green and nudes share much the same striking effect. Warm undertones match with rich colors, while cool undertones love yellows and whites. The best of neutral undertones is brought out by colors that are not too bright nor too dark, such as peaches and medium greens.

However, we’ve done an even deeper dive into what swimsuit colors look best on dark skin for you to enjoy below!

Finding the Best Swimsuit for Dark Skin

Identify your Skin Tone

The 3 Main Types Of Skin Tones Are:

• Fair 
• Medium
• Dark (Deep)

If you’re reading this article on “what’s the best swimsuit for dark skin?” the likelihood is that you’ve already got this part down. However, if you’re still unsure, we’ve got just the skin tone-determining guide for you.

Firstly, cleanse your face as you usually would. Next, sit (or stand) in front of a mirror. You’re going to be examining your jawline, as this area is usually less affected by skin color changes than the rest of the face. Check your freshly-washed skin in this area under natural sunlight. Try to determine if it is light, medium, or deep.

If still in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask a friend or family member for their opinion. Or, compare yourself to a celebrity with the skin tone you suspect you share with them. Both Viola Davis and Serena Williams are women with dark skin tone and differing undertones.

Identify your undertone

If you’ve discovered you have dark tone skin, now it’s time to figure out which undertone category your skin falls into. 

The 3 Main Types Of Skin Undertones Are:

• Warm
• Cool
• Neutral

Warm Undertones

• Warm undertones often have a hint of rose or mahogany in their complexions.
• Dark skin with warm undertones typically gets darker in the sun and rarely burns. 
• Celebrities with dark skin and warm undertones include Oprah Winfrey and Viola Davis.

Neutral Undertones

• Neutral undertones have a blend of warm and cool undertones.
• These skin types get darker in the sun and sometimes burn. 
• Celebrities with dark skin and neutral undertones are Beyoncé and JLo.

Cool Undertones

• Cool undertones are known for their slightly pinkish and blue hues.
• These complexions sometimes get darker in the sun and tend to burn more easily. 
• Celebs with dark skin and cool undertones include Rihanna and Zendaya.

If you’re still uncertain, there’s a short test that can help you to identify your skin’s undertone.

• Examine the color of your veins on the underside of your wrists.
• If your veins are blue or purple, you probably have a cool undertone.
• If you have greenish veins, you have a warm undertone.
• If you are unsure which color is most evident in your veins, you likely have a neutral undertone.

What is the Best Swimsuit for Dark Skin?

First things first, if in doubt, always choose a white Swimsuit. While it may seem like a daring option, it’s a style choice that always pays off. In fact, a crisp, striking white is one of the only colors that works wonderfully with dark skin of all undertones. If you’re not sure what white to reach for, ivory or even a light cream are always safe bets.

Other than that, opt for other neutrals such as grey and khaki. Or, add a major glow to your skin with rich pigments in a warm palette — think of yellow, orange, and red. Bold, high-impact colors like cobalt blue also look stunning against your skin and can disguise any signs of ashy skin.

Olive Green

Olive green is just one of those colors that looks utterly fabulous on all skin tones and undertones. However, it’s contrasting powers work nowhere better than on dark skin. Olive green creates a sort of shimmery yet doughy effect when worn on dark skin that’s the trademark of healthy, youthful, sun-kissed skin.

Nude

Interestingly, there’s a trend taking over not only the swimwear scene but the fashion industry at large: monotone looks. In other words, brown colors on brown skin is currently the IN look. Nudes that match your skin’s tone have a grounding, minimalistic, and almost symmetrical appeal that brings out the natural beauty in your complexion.

Bright Yellow

While complementing your skin makes for a chic-cool look that’s right on trend, striking contrast never goes out of fashion. For that task, we have yellow: the brightest, most cheerful color in the swimwear palette.

This lighthearted color sets the beach-ready scene and is an instant mood booster both to you and anyone who lays eyes upon your poolside fit. From canary and lemon yellow to golden yellow, these sunshine shades give your skin a bright, glowy, and shimmery appeal.

Best Swimsuit for Dark Skin by Undertone

Best Swimsuit for Dark Skin with Warm Undertones

Play up your warmer side with rich earthy tones and deep reds. Stay away from fleshy peach and beige tones, as these will likely wash you out. Instead, warm-tone gals will brighten your day with oranges, yellows, corals, and peaches. Toasty warm colors like coffee, caramel, beige, red, and green are also excellent choices. 

Best Swimsuit for Dark Skin with Cool Undertones

With your cool undertones and relatively lighter skin, you can easily play into the “monotone” style. Try a swimsuit that’s slightly darker than your skin tone for a smooth, sleek-chic look that’s the height of fashion. 

You can also play with contrasts and choose bright colors to make your natural tan even more visible. Think along the lines of yellow, red, and pink. 

Best Swimsuit for Dark Skin with Neutral Undertones

With neutral undertones, the best Swimsuit color is neither too bright nor too bold – it’s just right. So, lucky for you, as long as you stick to the “toned-down” shade of any color, you’re free to choose any color you’d like! Consider picking from a palette of dusty pink, medium green, jade, light peach, and lagoon blue to bring out the very best in your skin’s undertones.

Best Swimsuit for Brown Skin Tone

Brown skin and pastels are a match made in heaven. Baby blues, minty greens, soft pinks, and pale yellows, as well as light grey, will be your best choices when it comes to choosing swimwear. As for orange, white and brown – they all look downright stunning on brown skin. 

The Bottom Line 

While we’re not in the business of telling anyone what colors to wear – we believe you should always choose the color that makes you feel best – we do still acknowledge that certain shades simply flatter dark toned skin more than others. So, feel free to pick from one of the many Swimsuit colors above or choose whatever shade your heart desires!

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