Today I´m going to talk about what are the best backdrop colors for makeup videos so that you can stand out on YouTube as a content creator.

Although most beauty channels don´t even consider this it is a key factor that can make or break the way you look in front of the camera.

So, let´s see what you can do about it!

Color Psychology Simplified

In case you´ve never heard of it there´s some psychology behind the use of certain colors.

You can easily distinguish how big brands use specific colors and have been using the exact same ones since they first got started.

And there´s a reason for that.

For example, brands that use the color red usually want to be able to easily attract your attention, as it signifies danger it´s (almost) impossible to miss, red is also associated with power, strength, desire, and love.

Now, with every color you choose there are good and bad consequences, so it´s important to choose well.

Not only for your background but also for you brand as well.

Each color has its own characteristics and associations tied to them in the human mind, so, you want to be thoughtful about this and not go with the first color that pops into your head.

It´s been proven that colors can actually affect how you feel and the way you respond to that stimuli varies depending on how the color is used.

Here´s a great pic at how some of the most used colors are used to cause a specific reaction:

Clearly this depends how you use colors to elicit an emotion on your viewers.

If you use a red background you´ll attract attention, for sure, and if you keep your videos fun and entertaining to watch then you´ll get the best associations that come with the color red.

This same thing happens with every color, so, no matter what you choose just keep in mind that YOU are the one that´s going to set the mood for your video.

Be playful and make great content by showing more of your own personality, that is what it actually sets the tone for your videos.

3 Best Backdrop Colors For Makeup Videos!

On YouTube you can see channels of every possible type, people that talk about their hobbies and interests while making great content for their viewers.

At the same time, you can differentiate some of them by the type of background they use or even the color they´ve chosen for their backdrops.

For example, you can see how NikkieTutorials (over 11 million subs) has made her backdrops a part of her branding over the years and how she has always kept using the same ones from time to time.

Like this (very) red backdrop you can see in some of her videos:

Now, one thing you MUST take into consideration is that your backdrop is part of your brand, your style, and your entire channel.

Meaning that whatever you choose to make your signature color you stick to it, at least for a while.

Changing patterns will only hurt your branding as consistency is one of the most effective factors when it comes to personal brand recognition on YouTube.

That being said, let´s see what are some of the best colors you can use to make your makeup tutorials stand out:

• White. Probably the most popular color used by many makeup YouTubers and content creators out there. White is the color of purity and gives you a clear contrast between you and your background as well as keeping everything clean. It is literally associated with cleanness and clarity and that´s one of the many reasons why so many YouTubers use it. One good example would be James Charles:

Nikkie, who I´ve already mentioned, also uses white background in most of her videos as it gives her a great clean look to work with.

There are even YouTubers who use a white background they created for themselves, not necessarily using a white backdrop as Brianna Fox does:

One tip, a 100% white background would be too bright so be aware of how you set the aperture on your camera when you are shooting, you don´t want to get the whitest background possible.

You can find tons of different examples on YouTube so start searching for some inspiration!

• Gray. Another super practical and used backdrop color is gray. It not only creates a really flattering contrast with your face but it also comes in many different shades and tones you can use for your specific skin undertone. Here´s a great video that illustrates my point on how practical and useful this color can be:

• Pink. Finally, pink is another good option you can use to switch between colors and make your videos pop up a bit more. Now, although pink works great it doesn´t necessarily work well with every skin tone, make sure you try it out before you but it, go to the nearest store, take some selfies with that backdrop color and see it for yourself. The point is to have an extra color that can help you differentiate yourself from the rest and make your videos look a bit more interesting.

Try to be mindful about this, there are hundreds of different tones of colors, and the “feel” of each changes a bit depending on which one you choose to use.

I always recommend you check colors at Savage Universal (not an affiliate link) to see what specific type of color you want.

They make a great recommendation you can check out to get some ideas from, no matter if you decide to buy from them or go with an Amazon seller.

TIP! Every color has its own name and number, make sure to make a list of (at least) five different colors you can choose from and see if you find examples of YouTubers that use them.

The Blurry Colored Background

Now that you know what are some of the most used colors by some top YouTubers you can either choose or…

…start creating your own!

What do I mean by that?

Simple!

It is actually a two step process:

1. First, choose your color. If you´ve chosen to use a white background for your videos you can paint some of your furniture, buy one or two pictures to hang from your wall (that are mainly white) or get ANY type of object that can help you design your white background. Like the Brianna Fox example.
2. Second, get that blurry! You want to get that blurry background that will make your overall look white without distracting too much the attention from YOU and your tutorials. You can get that sweet blurry background by adjusting the aperture of your camera to the max, put some distance between you and your background, or invest in a fast lens, like the 50mm or the 35mm with a low aperture.

What To Wear To Combine With Your Backdrop?

Last but not least, after you´ve chosen your backdrop and you know what color to use then it´s time to think of your wardrobe.

Yep, what clothes you decide to put on matter, maybe not as much as your backdrop but still.

I mean, why not optimize everything you can in order to get the best possible video.

Here´s how:

• You want to wear a color that contrasts with your background as it´ll make you stand out.
• If you are going to use a similar color to your background try to choose a darker tone of it.
• Choose simple fabrics, nothing too distracting for the human eye, you want people to focus on you and what you have to say.
• Keep it brand-free! Using clothes with brand names can be way too distracting for your audience.
• Be careful with black. According to Nicole Otchy, founder of NCO Style, wearing a black color can make dark circles appear more pronounced, giving you a more tired look.

Related Questions

Is it a good idea to use seamless paper background for a makeup video? Yes it is! in fact, it´s a great way to make your background look way more professional in the simplest way possible. You can easily use seamless paper to film anywhere and your audience won´t notice the difference. Plus, with the right lighting set up you can transform your background color easily, as seen on the video above.

What is the best backdrop for a YouTube makeup video? There is no ONE best backdrop, as I´ve said, there are a couple of key factors you have to take into consideration to choose the right color for you. That being said, gray and blue are some of my personal favorite picks as they tend to flatter almost any type of skin tone and face, depending on the tonality you choose to use on each.