I have to agree with most of the posts above. Find a TT that comes the closest to matching your color and then stop thinking about it.

I've not been using mine long but to try and build my confidence with it I've been wearing it while doing more common daily tasks. People I know and even my wife don't see it. It's not even close to the same color.

A couple of years ago there was a story in a newspaper column that showed the color of the thumb tip is marginal. An African-American magician did a number of close up tricks for the reporter, and afterward revealed the thumb tip--which was Caucasian pink! Because the magician kept his hands moving, and because the reporter, like most civilians, simply don't think "Hey, I'll bet this guy has some sort of phony, hollow diget on his thumb", it worked.

I have to put a couple of my cents in here.

I think that it is great that people can use a bright orange TT and get away with it, but why bother?? It would seem to me that the only use for such gimmick is if you are performing for an audience that knows what a TT is.

If you are at a level that you can use a flourescent pink TT, then you probably don't really need to use one as there are any number of methods that you could utilise for the same effect.

Thumb tips are only to help round out skill you should already have. A good rule is learn to do it well without the tip.

After that you're prepared to use the thumb tip.

To be honest I would try to only use the thumb tips on stage, or parlour magic. Then maybe every second grader wouldn't scream out "He has a thing on his thumb."

Go to the ladies make up counter, and ask the lady very nicely to help you find some foundation powder in the same shade as the back of your hand.

Take some home, carefully paint the top half of your thumb tip (not the nail) with flesh colored paint from the magic shop.

Then dust it liberally with the powder the lady sold you.

Voila ............. It's Magic!

Manyfingers

This is a really refreshing look at this. Thanks for bringing it up. Color does matter of course. However, the color doesn't need to be a close as you think. You're only showing the very tip when you show your hands empty. The other solution I have to offer is to give up on the thumb tip and get a finger tip. You still have the color issue to deal with but for some reason fewer people know about them.

Mark

Don't think about it and the audience will never see it (if done correctly). Practice Practice Practice.

If your skin is really white, and you don't want to step outside or you're albino, you might be able to paint it or bleach it.

I know you asked for a permanent solution but as a suggestion, my wife uses powder make-up and nail polish…Uh… you might want to skip the nail polish part

Believe it or not, one time I went into Home Depot and had them do that scan to match the color wanted so I asked them to scan my hand so I could get paint that matched my hand. The older man looked at me amazed and said, "I've never done that before, not sure it would work." I assured him that a $5.00 test can of this paint was something I was willing to do and that no other parts of my body did I want him to scan (LOL). Well, so far it has worked out better than any over the counter flesh colored paint I could find.

If you are really concerned about it, find yourself a really good artist who understands skin pigments, than hire that person to paint the tip to match your tone. I did this and to my surprise, they did not paint the whole tip, rather it was streaks and lines of my skin tone pigments. The finished product still blows my mind when I look at it. So do yourself a favour, find a trusted artist and get a good job done right.

Some years ago I had the great pleasure of attending an IBM British Ring lecture by the late Salvano. He demonstrated a wonderful routine with a vanishing and reappearing silk. Everyone knew it must be a thumb tip and yet because of his impeccable handling he managed to baffle a large room full of savvy magicians with magic's most basic prop. He then showed us what he had used...a brightly coloured, cut down cigar tube! Enough said.

P.S. This lecture is available on DVD.

I would be interested in what the OP thought of the suggestions going back 14+ years. Alas, his last post was in 2008! But the topic continues.. love the Café! Along with several other suggestions, I agree that misdirection/angle is the most important thing... although, color is NOT insignificant (it is good to shop for the best match). Lynn