Lipstick color is the cherry on top of any full-face look. It can be a complement to our outfit, eye color, or eyeshadow. But, how do you pick the perfect shade to match your look without contradicting your skin tone in an unflattering way? Here are few tips and tricks on how to choose the right lipstick color based on your skin color.
One of the easiest tricks to determine the undertone color of your skin is to examine the color of your veins. Turn your palm towards your face and look at the veins on your wrist. If your veins are green, you have a warm undertone. If they are blue, then you have a cool undertone. If you have a mixture of blue and green veins, then you have a neutral undertone. Another way to determine your skin color is to try on gold and silver jewelry. If gold suits you best, then you have a warm undertone. If you look best in silver, then you have a cool undertone. If both gold and silver flatter you, then you have a neutral undertone.
Once you’ve determined your undertone, your next step should be to find lipsticks with certain color bases. For example, if you have warm skin, search for lipstick that is orange based as it will complement your warm features rather than make your lips look like bright oranges. If you have cool skin, search for lipsticks that are blue based, so they will neutralize any bright shades that outshine your skin color. Finally, if you have dark skin, search for shades that are deep based similar to dark wine colors.
This may seem odd especially since you don’t want to try an open bottle of lipstick on your own lips, but the reason you shouldn’t swatch on the back of your hand is because the skin color is completely different from your lips. If you don’t plan on wearing a lip primer, the color is going to appear different on your lips versus skin since they are completely different in color. If you are going to wear a lip primer, swatch the primer on the back of your hand then apply your chosen lip color on top. This will give you a better result as to what it will look like on your lips. I’ve swatched a pale brown lipstick on the back of my hand once that looked great, but on my lips, the color blended my lips in with my skin tone. It was beyond disturbing.
Much like foundation, bronzer, highlight, and blush, the name of the product can sometimes reveal a hint as to what color it is and what skin type it is suited for. For example, in the Melted Matte liquified lipstick collection, Too Faced has a lipstick named Wicked which suggests a shout out to the Wicked witch of the west from OZ who’s famously known for her envious color of green. We know green veins indicate warm undertone, but blue based colors are best suited for cool undertones. Since Wicked has a blue base to it, it will be best suited for neutral skin colors.
The number one rule in makeup is to wear what you love. Finding the right color lipstick can be challenging, but if you love the color and the way it looks on your lips, own it. There are thousands of lipstick colors out there to choose, so choose the one the complements your skin color and accentuates your natural looks.
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