Aura Makeup: How To Match Your Shades To Your Energy, From Experts

I recently got my aura photographed by Christina Lonsdale, New York–based visual artist and founder of Radiant Human. The process was simple: I placed my hands on two metal sensors and gazed into the camera for about 10 seconds as the equipment captured the electromagnetic energy and translated those frequencies to certain colors (for me, a haze of red, orange, and purple). The tiny Polaroid sits proudly on my bookshelf, an emblem of where I was energetically at that particular moment—creative, intuitive, and in the thick of new beginnings.

"Auras are energy signatures around us," says Mystic Michaela, an aura reader and medium. "When we embrace the energy that we give off, we can increase our own vibrations." Different colors are associated with different qualities and emotions (you can read all about them here), and someone's aura is usually a combination of colors, with one being more dominant than the others. "Your aura is like this little peek inside of what's happening in your mind, in your body, and what you're stepping into and wanting to create in your life," adds aura reader and stylist Susanna Merrick. "Essentially, it's the truest essence of you." 

So where does makeup come into play? Well, makeup itself can be a form of self-expression, so it makes sense why people want to strategically match certain shades to their personal aura. "Using the different colors, either our own or the ones we'd wish to 'borrow,' we project an immediate impression of ourselves," Michaela explains. Say, if you're feeling confident and creative, a swirl of red and orange may strike your fancy; or if a calm, compassionate expression is more your vibe, you may gravitate toward a blue-green hue.

First things first: Figure out your aura colors. You can either get your aura photographed during an aura reading; or if that's unavailable to you, you can also take our quick aura quiz to get a sense of your soul shade. You can also use color itself as a guide, says Merrick. "If you're attracted to certain colors or repulsed by certain colors, they can tell you what you may be desiring, wanting, or afraid of having," she explains.

For example, if you have a sudden aversion to the color orange, she suggests you might be dealing with some social anxiety or fear of taking some sort of risk in your life. As a result, you might gravitate toward blue (the complementary color), which carries the message of trust, purpose, and wisdom. That said, think about what colors you naturally find yourself yearning for and proceed from there. Here's a full list of aura colors and their meanings, if you need a refresher.

Next, map out the makeup—and feel free to play up your creativity. "Aura eyeshadow is all about experimenting with the placement of shadow. For example: above the brows, extended to the temples, on the side of the bridge of the nose, and super high up on the cheekbones," explains Davy.

She recommends layering powder eyeshadows over liquid formulas (like Half Magic's CHROMADDICTION) for a really vivid, dreamy effect. "The liquid colors will bring the color intensity, and the powders will bring that super-soft blending moment that you see in aura photographs," she notes. "It's that moment where colors softly blend into different (and sometimes unexpected) colors that gives the signature aura look."