Fair skin: your skin is very pale or translucent and you burn very easily. You may have freckles and some redness. [2] X Research source Light skin: your skin is pale. When you are in the sun, you burn and then may possibly tan. [3] X Research source Medium: you tan easily and generally don’t burn or have sensitive skin. [4] X Research source Tan: your skin is tan or olive. You rarely burn and look tanned even in the winter. [5] X Research source Deep: your skin is dark and you never get sunburned. Your hair is possibly black or dark brown. [6] X Research source
Blue or purple veins indicate you have a cool skin tone. Green veins mean you have a warm skin tone. If you have difficulty deciding if your veins are blue or green, you likely have a neutral skin tone and can choose colors from both the cool and warm spectrum. People with olive skin usually have neutral undertones.
Skin that tans easily has more melanin indicates a warm skin tone. Most women of African, Caribbean, and Indian descent fall into this category. If you burn before you tan (and maybe can’t tan at all), then your skin has less melanin and you have a blue skin tone. If you have deep ebony skin, you may actually fall into this category.
Gold jewelry looks best with warm skin tones. Silver jewelry looks best on cool skin tones. Both look good on a more neutral skin tone. This can be a good “tie breaker” if you don’t clearly meet the criteria listed already.
To test how close the shade is to your natural color, apply the lipstick only to your lower lip. Compare that shade to the your upper lip. If the shades are drastically different, you need to keep looking. [11] X Research source
Lipstick with a matte finish can also cause lips to look thinner, while glosses and shimmery shades can make them look fuller. [13] X Research source
Remember that your undertone and complexion will help guide you, but they aren’t the be-all-end-all of choosing a lipstick color. It is important to try on different shades and, ultimately, choose what you feel looks best.
If you have fair or light skin, try light pink, coral, peach, nudes, or beige. [14] X Research source If you have cool undertones, try a soft mocha and nude. Warm undertones, try pale pinks or a nude with a little peach. [15] X Research source If you have medium skin, try rose, mauve, or berry shades. [16] X Research source Cool undertones: try shades of pink or cranberry. Warm undertones: experiment with copper or bronze. [17] X Research source If you have tan skin, try to avoid browns and purples and go for colors with an orange undertone. Most other colors will look great. Try coral, or deep pink. [18] X Research source If you have a deep complexion, try browns or purples like walnut, caramel, plum, or wine. [19] X Research source Cool undertones should look for ruby and wine-colored reds. Warm undertones: try copper or bronze. [20] X Research source
Fair or light skin should look for dusty, pinkish red or coral. Cool undertones: raspberry. Warm tones: try reds with a blue undertone or coral. [22] X Research source Tan or medium skin should look for bright red cherry red, or true red with no undertone (if you have a neutral undertone). Warm undertones: orangey-red or tangerine. Cool undertones: wine. [23] X Research source Deep skin with warm undertones should try blue-based red. Cool: Metallic ruby red or deep wine. [24] X Research source
If you don’t want to apply the tester lipstick to your mouth, test it on the pads of your fingertips. Your fingertips are closer to your lip color than your wrist or the side of your hand. [26] X Research source
Nude lips look great with just about anything. It’s a great casual look and can help play up dramatic eyes. Red can add drama to a fairly plain outfit. Try not to overwhelm by wearing red with very bright clothing or clothes with crazy patterns. Pink is versatile because there are so many shades. Pinks that are just a few shades brighter than your natural lip color work for a subtle, everyday look. Berries can make a dark ensemble seem sombre and can weigh down an airy, summery look. Try matching berries with mixed neutrals.
Stick to just mascara on the eyes, or just a bit of dark brown eyeliner in between your lashes.
