Ever splurged on a gorgeous lipstick only to find that it does nothing for your face? Don’t worry – we’ve all been there. Being stuck with a less-than-flattering lip color is as annoying as it can get. You have lip stains, lip glosses, tints, matt and glossy finishes, long-stay varieties and liquid lippies vying for your attention and they all come in over a thousand shades.
[Also Read: Best Red Lipsticks]
So, how to find the perfect lip color for your skin tone that is just right for you?
1. Identifying your Skin Tone
The first step in choosing the perfect lipstick is to determine your skin tone because your skin tone is the reason why some colors look good on you and others don’t. People come in as many shades as there are lipsticks, but every complexion, be it fair, dusky or dark has an “undertone” which can be broadly classified as “warm” or “cool”. A flattering color is one that aligns with your skin tone and does not clash with it.
2. The Skin Tone Test: How to do it?
Here’s a simple test to help you figure out your skin tone – flip over your palm and examine the color of the blood vessels on your wrist – do they appear greenish or bluish? If they appear more blue than green, you have a cool skin tone and if they appear greenish, you have a warm skin tone. Some lucky people have a neutral skin tone, which means they can look good in almost any color!
Still confused? Take this other test – place a piece of white paper against your face under natural light. If the paper looks yellowish in comparison, you are a “cool” and if it looks bluish, you are a “warm”.
3. Finding the right colors for your skin tone
Now that you got that sorted, it is time to move on to choosing the perfect lip color for your skin tone.
Pick colors with the same undertones as your skin. For example, if you have a warm skin tone like most Indians, you will find that peaches, rich browns and coral pinks flatter you the most. Cooler skin tones on the other hand, look best in frosty pinks and mauves.
You will of course need to consider your complexion before fine-tuning your options.
Which of these Celebs has a Skin Tone like Yours?
Celebrities always seem to get it right. Watch how these divas light up their lips with the most flattering shades. Match your skin tone with that of these celebs and choose the perfect lip color for yourself. We have some interesting suggestions for you too.
Best Lip Colors for Warm Skintones
1. Lip colors for Fair skin tones: Nudes, rusty pinks, coral red, soft peaches, oranges
2. Lip colors for Medium skin tones: Cherry/cranberry reds, medium browns, rusty peach, cinnamon, caramel, honey
3. Lip colors for Dark skin tones: Maroons, deep reds, burgundy, chocolate brown, walnut
Best Lip Colors for Cool Skintones
1. Lip colors for Fair skin tones: Frosty pinks, lavender, mauves, light mocha
2. Lip colors for Medium skin tones: Magenta, fuchsia, frosted browns, brick red
3. Lip colors for Dark Skin Tones: Plum, berry red, rich purple, wine, ruby red
Some more helpful tips to choose the right lipstick for your skin tone
- Always choose a color that is a shade or two darker than your natural lip color. Choosing a shade lighter than your lip color will usually give you a pasty, unnatural look.
- Most of us try out lip colors on the back of our hands, all the while forgetting that the skin color there is drastically different from that of our lips! Insist on trying on the lipstick on your face and do so after removing all other makeup. A lippy that lights up your face all by itself is the perfect one for you.
- Stores usually have ambient lighting that makes all colors look flattering. Try on a shade and check it out under natural lighting – you will never go wrong.
- If you have very fair skin, avoid shades that are too dark or too bright as they can end up looking overwhelming on your face.
- If you have a darker, olive skin, stay away from frosty shades as well as bright orangey hues as they will make you look washed out.
- Women with a medium complexion can carry off most colors in a palette, except for nudes.
- True reds are one of the few shades that are likely to complement all skin tones. You just need to have the pizzazz to carry them off!
- Do what you may but steer clear of lipsticks that have greyish or ashy tones – they don’t look good on anyone.
- Shimmery and glittery lipsticks may look glam but they usually make a dusky complexion appear sallow. Choose something with gloss instead.
- If you have a bunch of “wrong” colored lipsticks, don’t toss them away yet. Blend them with a more suitable color or use a darker lip liner underneath to alter the shade. Or else, just use them up as a blush or eye shadow.
Hasn’t this article been an eye-opener? Now you know how to find the perfect lip color for your skin tone. Do not forget to read our post on Makeup Shades for your Skin Tone.
