Some pastel manufacturers do produce boxed sets of pastels for portraiture and figures. But it's not difficult to build up your own set of colors, which has the advantage that you can choose different brands with varying degrees of hardness. Extra-soft pastels, such as Unison are ideal for final touches, for ultimate highlights on a figure.
Since skin tones are built up by layering pastels, it can be useful to start with a sympathetic color as a foundation or base layer. You'll find the subsequent skin tones are deeper and more natural in appearance.
Where skin is tight across bone, such as knees, elbows, and forehead, use a base color of cold yellow. Where skin is in shadow, such as under the jaw, use a base of earth green. Where skin is in recessed shadow, such as around the eyes, use a warm blue, such as ultramarine blue. Where the skin is over flesh, use a warm carmine or cadmium red.
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