How to choose the right Lipstick Shade for your Skin?
Sakshi Verma | 22 Oct,2024
In this Article
Lipstick
Image credit to : Pexels
• In terms of makeup, lipstick is a multipurpose cosmetic product that can be used to define a look, add colour, beautify the face, keep lips hydrated and soft, and even include SPF for sun protection—a crucial component of lip care and also expressing a person's personality and boosting their self-confidence.
• It is usually an absolute product in many kits of makeup because of these reasons.
• Selecting the right lipstick shade depends on various factors, including your skin tone, undertone, occasion, outfit and the look you are aiming.
Lip Color Chemistry
• Lip colors are of several types like creams, glosses, stick, gel and pencils. These are generally made up of oils, waxes and dyes.
• The most common ingridient present in lipsticks is castor oil along with others like olive oil, sesame oil, mineral oil, cocoa butter, lecithin, hydrogenated vegetable oils and also sometimes petroleum jelly.
• The waxes which are used in the preparation of lip cares contain paraffin, carnauba, calandula and beeswax.
Understand skin tone and skin undertone
• The two things to be guided while choosing your lipstick shade are your skin tone and undertone.
• Knowing the undertones means knowing how a certain shade of lipstick would look on you. It makes choosing an ideal lipstick shade that much easier.
Skin Tone
• The natural color your skin is described as your skin tone. Skin tone is determined through the amount of pigment that gives skin its color present.
Types of Skin Tone
• Very Fair, Fair, Medium, Olive, Dark and Black are some skin tone.
1. Light to Fair Skin Tone
• Light pinks or nude shades with a hint of peach can give a subtle and fresh look on light or fair skin tone. For example: Soft pinks, light corals, peachy nudes and light berry shades.
2. Medium to Olive Skin Tone
• Deep pinks, rich reds, and warm nudes work well on medium skin tone. And brick reds and coppery tones look stunning on olive skin tone. For example: Rose, mauve, berry shades, warm nudes, terracotta, rosy pinks and orange-reds.
3. Dark skin tone
• Warm browns and dark nudes can also add a beautiful contrast on dark skin tone. For example: Bold colors like deep berry, plums, burgundy, chocolate browns and rich reds.
Skin Undertone
• Skin undertone refers to the underlying color & reflection of your skin which remains constant despite your change of skin tone.
• Having an understation of your undertone can help you in the selection of the right makeup, clothing, jewelry and even hair colors to complement your natural complexion.
Types of Skin Undertone
• Warm, Cool & Neutral are 3 main skin undertones.
1. Warm Undertone
• Warm undertones reflections are Yellow, golden or peachy tones under the skin.
• An easy way to understand: If the veins beneath your skin appear green or olive, you have a warm undertone.
• Warm-toned lip colors shade that will work for warm undertones skin such as Warm reds (brick red, orange-red), Peachy and coral tones, Warm nudes (caramel, soft brown), Copper and bronze shades. And avoid the cool toned pinks and purples as they will dull your skin.
2. Cool Undertone
• Cool undertones reflections are Pink, red or blue undertones and skin appearing rosy or pinkish.
• You have a cold undertone if the veins under your skin seem blue or purple. This is an easy way to understand.
• Cool-toned lip colors shade that will work for cool undertones skin such as: Cool tone reds (like cherry red or blue based red), Berry colors (plum, cranberry, wine), Pink colors (rosy pink, soft mauve), Nudes with blue undertones.
3. Neutral Undertone
• Neutral undertones reflections are Balanced mix of warm and cool tones and a mix of yellow and pink skin.
• An easy way to understand: If the veins beneath your skin appear blue & green, you have a neutral undertone.
• Now, finding the ideal lipstick for your skin tone should not be a problem as many shades will complement your skin.There are lots of experimenting shades including from soft roses, dusty pinks, sheer berry, rosy pinks, true reds, mauves, peachy nudes and even nude lipstick shades.
• Choose pink and nude for fair complexion, and berry-dark colours for dark skin.
Selecting right shade of Lipstick for Occasion and Outfit
• Even though you may choose the ideal lip colour for you, it's important to take the occasion and your attire into account.
• When your lipstick tone matches your clothes, it enhances your face.. For example, if you are wearing a red dress, a red lipstick or brown lipstick can elevate your entire look.
• Similarly, if you are wearing pastels color outfits, a neutral or orange lip colour will definitely look better on you than a red one.
• Likewise, different lipstick tints are appropriate for certain situations. A delicate nude lip colour can be better suited for a daytime appearance, whereas a bold lip colour might be ideal for a night out.
• These 3 Lipsticks make your look stunning and glamourous:
1. MyGlamm LIT Liquid Matte Lipstick
Pick the right Lipsticks finish
Matte Lipsticks
• Matte lipstick has a matte finish meaning it appears to be non glossy, it can be drying and it is highly pigmented as well.Besides, it has good staying power, rarely smudges and gives a velvety, matte finish.
Glossy or Satin finishes Lipsticks
• Glossy lipsticks are high shine finish that can make lips look fuller and plumper.
• Glossy lipsticks are available in a range of shades and can be hydrating.
• They can create a bold look and ideal for everyday wear. and satin lipsticks are semi-matte finish with a slight sheen that creates a smooth, silky look.
• However, satin lipsticks can smudge and fade, especially if you eat or drink. To prevent this, you can blot your lips with a tissue after applying satin lipstick, and use a lip liner or primer.
Creamy finishes
• Cream lipsticks have smooth, soft and silky textures while having little no gloss. The composition of this type of lipstick is oil- and wax-based. And its perfect for everyday wear.
However, you can apply any of these lipsticks in which you are comfortable and you like them.
Don’t be afraid to mixing lipsticks shade
• Do not worry about leaving your safe place and trying on something new with the shades. You can be shocked in a very pleasant way when you see how this or that non-standard shade can become a beautiful match to your skin tone.
• And there are also practical guidelines in Choosing the best lipstick shade for your skin tone. It can be achieved by these simple tips and you can also get the lipsticks which are suitable for your face without much struggle.
Conclusion
Finally, it can be said that choosing lipstick shade for a particular skin tone is simply identifying the skin undertones and looking for compatible shades. Every one of us, be it women with cool, warm, or neutral undertones, has a perfect flattering color available somewhere. Lastly, at times one has to consider the event, try different finishes and most importantly, wear whatever one thinks looks good on herself!
FAQs
1. What to consider when selecting the best lipstick color?
While picking the perfect lipstick shade, consider your skin tone, undertone, the occasion, and your style. Knowing whether your undertone is warm, cool, or neutral will make you identify colors that tend to complement your complexion the most.
2. How to determine my undertone?
Use these easy-to-use tips to find your undertone:
(i) Check your wrist veins: If your veins are blue or purple, it means you have a cool undertone. If your veins appear green, it's a warm undertone. If you can't decide, you probably have a neutral undertone.
(ii) Jewelry test: Silver jewelry suits cool undertones, and gold jewelry suits warm undertones.
3. What colors would suit a cool undertone?
Cool undertones look excellent in colors that have undertones of blue or purple, like: Pinkish red, Berry shades, Plum shades, Reds with a blue undertone.
4. Which shades will look good on me if I have warm undertones?
Warm undertones look great with lipsticks in orange, golden, or peach shades. Here are some examples: Coral, Warm peach, Terracotta, Orange-based reds.
5. What about neutral undertones?
Neutral undertones can wear any and everything! You can easily pull off both warm and cool shades. Don't be afraid to experiment.
6. How do I find the perfect nude lipstick?
The perfect nude lipstick is usually one or two shades deeper than your natural lip color. Cool undertones will pair well with pink-based nudes, while warm undertones will match beige or peachy nudes.
7. Which colors work well for deeper skin tones?
For darker skin tones, bold shades like deep reds, rich purples, and chocolate browns are stunning. Warm caramel tones and darker nudes also complement beautifully.
8. How should a person test lipstick to find the right shade for the lip?
Test on your hand or wrist first for colour in conjunction with your skin tone: some retailers have online mirrors and other virtual try-ons to help.