When it comes to putting on makeup, finding the most flattering shades for your skin tone is everything. (To be honest, it’s just as important as finding the right hairstyle for your face shape.) And although it’s definitely true that makeup can be experimental, more often than not, most people prefer to play it safe. From foundation to eyeshadow, and even blush, knowing the right hues that compliment your skin tone will surely help bring out your best features.
In fact, choosing a lip color can be pretty crucial. Some shades are bold and full glam while others give off the simply natural, “my lips but better” vibe. It can really make or break your overall look.
So with that in mind, how exactly do you find the best lip color for your skin tone? We asked professional makeup artists Margina Dennis and Celebrity Makeup Artist Azesha Ramcharan to find out. Keep reading to know more.
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Step one: Figure out your skin’s level of melanin
The first step to finding a lipstick that looks amazing on you is to categorize your skin by its level of melanin, according to Ramcharan. “Fair, light, medium, tan and deep are terms used to describe skin color from light to dark,” she says. “Olive is not part of the value progression. Olive is an undertone and those with olive undertones can have skin that's fair, light, medium, tan or deep.”
Next: Find your undertone
After you’ve determined the melanin value level, Ramcharan says it’s important to then look at the skin’s undertone. “Undertones include cool tones (pink, red, purple), warm tones (golden or yellow), neutral (a mix of warm and cool) and olive (a mix of neutral and warm with some green),” she says.
How does one find their undertones you might be asking? There are a few ways, Ramcharan notes.
“People with cool toned skin tend to look good in silver jewelry,” she says. “Those with warm undertones look great in gold jewelry. Both gold and silver work for neutral and olive undertones.”
Fair to medium skin with cool undertones may have veins that appear blue beneath the skin, Ramcharan adds. “Warm-toned folks will have veins that appear green or a bluish green. Warm undertones in fair to medium skin will appear yellow while tan or deep will exhibit golden tones as the melanin increases. Deep skin with cool undertones may have a purple/red tone to the skin.”
Now: Seek colors that work for your skin tone
Now that you know the difference between value (light to dark) and undertone (cool, warm, olive or neutral) you’re armed with enough information to choose your best colors, Ramcharan says.
“Shades can be further broken down into cool tones, warm tones, and neutrals,” Ramcharan says. “A simple way to find colors that flatter your skin is by looking for lipsticks that match your undertone. Cool pinks, mauves, berries, plums, burgundies and blue based reds look best on those with cool undertones. Warm pinks, corals and orange tinged reds work for warm undertones. When in doubt, look for brands that feature universally flattering shades like Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty. Fenty Icon The Fill Semi Matte Refillable Lipstick is available in 16 shades and has a variety of color families that look great on all skin tones.”
Some Specific Shades For Each Skin Tone
Below, Dennis also breaks it down more by listing specific shades of lipstick colors that go well with each type of skin tone.
Cool Skin Tone
•Lilac
•Rose
•Mauve
•Sienna
•Wine
•Berry
•Hot Pink
•Cherry Red
•Wine
•Chocolate
•Magenta
•Black Cherry
•Merlot
•Taupe
Warm Skin Tone
•Salmon
•Peach
•Terracotta
•Burgundy
•Orange
•Orange Red
•Caramel
•Bordeaux
•Espresso
•Maple
Neutral Skin Tone
•Warm Pink
•Coral
•Watermelon
•True Red
•Peach
•Pinky Brown
•Peachy Brown
•Plum
•Sepia
"A neutral color that will be flattering is a [shade] that is close to your natural lip color," Dennis reminds us. "[Ultimately], it is a little deeper or brighter and will give you that 'your lips but better.' The best formulas for these are balms and moisturizing lip colors."
