How to Find the Perfect Lipstick Shade for Your Skin Tone

With the whole range of lipstick swatches available around, picking the right one can be tricky, especially if you’re shopping online. But it doesn’t have to be challenging. With proper assessment, you can find the perfect shade that best suits you and complements your skin. Ready to find the right lipstick shade for your skin tone?

1. Determine Your Skin Tone

The first step in choosing the right lipstick color is determining what skin tone you have. There are five main types: fair, light, medium, tan, and deep. Coral, peach, nude, and dusty red are lipstick shades that look gorgeous on fair or light skin. Meanwhile, berry, rose, cherry red, and mauve are the perfect choices for a medium skin tone. Girls with tan skin tone can totally rock bright red, coral, and deep pink colors, while those with a deep skin tone will radiate with brown and purple hues like plum, caramel, wine, and blue-based reds.

2. Find Your Skin Undertone

Knowing what type of skin undertone you have is equally important in finding the right lipstick shade. There are three basic types of undertones: cool, warm, and neutral.

Cool Undertones

How to Determine If You Have a Cool Undertone: You’re cool-toned if you have a pink, red, or bluish hue to your skin. Also, you can tell your undertone is cool if silver accessories and jewelry complement your skin, if your skin tends to burn under the sun before it tans, or if the veins in your wrist look blue.

The Best Lipstick Shades for You: Go for colors with blue or purple undertones. Maybelline’s lipstick palette comes in these hues.

This color is ideal for those with a pink or bluish hue to their skin, brightening up the face with its complementary undertone.

This deep red will help define the lips while flattering a cool undertone.

Warm Undertones

How to Determine If You Have a Warm Undertone: You’re warm-toned if you have a yellow, golden, or olive hue to your skin. You can also tell your undertone is warm if gold jewelry complements your skin, if you tend to tan easily, or if the veins in your wrist appear green.

The Best Lipstick Shades for You: Fiery reds, oranges, and copper tones are your best bet. Scroll down for Maybelline’s lippies that are flattering on warm undertones.

This bright shade is the perfect complement to a warm undertone.

This fiery color will help amp up your look if you have a golden hue to your skin.

Neutral Undertones

How to Determine If You Have a Neutral Undertone: You’re neutral-toned if you have a mix of yellow and pink in the base of your skin. Also, you can classify your undertone as neutral if both silver and gold jewelry looks good on you.

The Best Lipstick Shades for You: Everything in between – from dark hues to lighter shades such as Maybelline’s Sensational Cushion Matte Lip Tint. Keep scrolling for more lipsticks that are flattering on a neutral undertone.

This bold color is perfect for a neutral undertone, building up the overall look with its strong hue.

This sheer satin hue can complement a subtle “no makeup” makeup look or can be layered with another lip color for more coverage.

3. Consider the Shape of Your Lips

In choosing the right lipstick, note that it’s also important to factor in the shape of your lips. Here’s a quick guide:

- For top-heavy lips: Use bright lipstick on your lower lip and a slightly darker shade of the same color on your upper lip.

- For bottom-heavy lips: Apply any color that suits your undertone, with a little bit of light nude color right in the center of your upper lip.

- For asymmetrical lips: Use a lip pencil in a shade similar to your lipstick color to outline your lips.

- For thin lips: Go with lighter shades and avoid dark and flashy colors.

- For plump lips: Choose darker shades, avoiding hues that are too light and glossy.

4. Think About Your Hair Color

Your hair color actually plays a big role in how your lipstick will turn out. Check out this color guide:

- Dark hair; fair and light skin: scarlet, cherry, plum, bright pink

- Blond hair; fair and light skin: purply pink, dusty pink, light pink, scarlet

- Dark hair; tan and deep skin: ochre, terracotta, golden beige, bronze

- Blond hair; tan and deep skin: warm pink, salmon pink, caramel, ochre

- Brown hair; medium skin: beige, coral, salmon pink, deep dusty pink

- Red hair; fair skin: salmon pink, coral, terracotta, burnt sienna

Elevate Your Look with the Right Shade

Adding color to your lips can give your appearance a pop, making you stand out while giving you that boost of confidence.

If you’re stuck finding the perfect lipstick shade for your skin tone, remember that your undertone should correspond with the color you choose. Cool undertones look best in cool lipsticks, warm undertones complement warm shades, and neutral undertones can go both ways. You can also try the Maybelline virtual try-on tool for an interactive experience.

With the right lipstick shade complementing your skin tone, you can bet you’re on the right track to elevating your look. Spread a tint of gorgeousness by sharing this content with friends and family on social media!