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We all know how important the right lipstick is to finishing off your look. But getting the wrong shade can be even worse than not wearing any at all. If you’re seeking that elusive colour that will make you stand out from the crowd, try our top tips.
Matching using your skin tone and undertone!
Of course, most people know that they need to consider their skin tone when purchasing makeup. But did you know that this goes much deeper than just choosing between fair, light, medium and dark? If you want to find the right lipstick to suit your colouring, you’ll need to look at your undertone as well as your main skin tone. There are a number of ways in which you can do this, but the easiest involves flipping your arm over and looking at the veins around your wrist. If they appear blue in colour, your skin has cool undertones, while a greenish appearance indicates warm-toned skin. However, if you struggle to pick out either colour, you’re working with neutral undertones.
You can can follow these rules too!
Once you’ve worked out your skin tone and undertone, you can begin figuring out which lipstick shades will suit you best. As a general rule, nude, light pink, coral and dusky red colours work well with light and fair complexions, while medium tones look best in cherry reds, purples and berry shades. Meanwhile, those with tan complexions can pull off most colours such as bright scarlet reds – although they should avoid browns and purples. And finally, those with dark skin tones look fantastic in shades of caramel and plum, as well as reds with blue undertones.
Start shopping!
By knowing your undertone, however, you can get even more specific recommendations to suit your individual complexion. Although neutral undertones will suit all colors across their skin tone spectrum, those with warm or cool tones need to be a little more selective. Here’s a guide to the shades that will best suit different combinations:
Fair skin and light skin
Cool undertones: nude and light brown
Warm undertones: peach and pale pink
Medium skin:
Cool undertones: cherry red or pink
Warm undertones: bronze or copper
Tan and dark skin:
Cool undertones: deep reds
Warm undertones: bronze or copper
Once you’ve determined the right colours for you, you can shop for lipstick in confidence, knowing you’ll never struggle with the wrong shade again.
