Now that we’ve got a perfectly polished pout, lets talk colour! In this instalment of Lipstick Confessional I’m going to give you some of my best tips for choosing the best lip colour for your complexion, features and mood.
Part Two: Colour Choice
One of the biggest beauty lessons I’ve learnt in my 20’s is what looks great on my friends may not look great on me - that goes for celebrities too!
I was always taking up the next big trend when it comes to lips. Nudes, plums, overdrawn, gloss, matte, orange-reds, you name it I’ve tried it! Unfortunately when we follow trends, we tend to end up with a lot of products sitting at the bottom of our makeup bag that we just don’t use. But why?
We all have a unique mixture of undertone, colour intensity and personality that will determine what will work on us individually. Now I can give you advice about what suits the first two, but the personality part is up to you!
Makeup Rule Number 1 - If it makes you feel good, wear it!
Choosing colour
When it comes to skin undertones, we tend to generalise people as either being warm or cool. But someone with a warm complexion may have yellow, olive or golden undertones. Yet they can also be quite fair. This level of lightness or darkness of your skin is your colour intensity and it’s important to consider when choosing lip colour.
Other features such as eye colour and hair colour also contribute to your overall colour intensity. For example, if you have fair yellow-toned skin, blonde hair and blue eyes you may look amazing in a pinky nude lipstick, but if you were to dye your hair dark brown the same shade could be completely lost on you. The darker overall intensity you have, the more pigmented colour you can wear.
I think the best way to enhance complexion is by using the opposite undertone in the right level of intensity. i.e. people with warm skin should wear cool colours and vice versa. But I’ll break this down for each skin tone for you.
Pink Undertones
(Peaches and cream or classic pin-up - always beautiful)
Natural - Nudes and warm peaches are your best bet. A warm peach will have just enough yellow in it to really contrast to your skin and reduce the look of any redness.
Glam - Opt for reds with a hint of orange or brick reds for a classic pin-up girl look.
Avoid - Chocolate, burgundy or blue-based reds will clash with your skin tone.
Yellow Undertones
(So versatile! Just be careful with the intensity)
Natural - Pinks and flesh tones are gorgeous on you. If you like a monochromatic look, you can also try bronze shades.
Glam - Hot pinks and blue-based reds are perfect when you want to really dress up.
Avoid - Anything too pale. Also some purples can bring out the yellow in your skin and look sickly.
Olive Undertones
(Pretty much anything will look absolutely lovely on you)
Natural - Nudes, bright corals and plums will make you look more tanned.
Glam - Magentas, cranberry, and true reds will really pop on you.
Avoid - Steer clear of brown monochromatic shades and dark purples as they can make you look sallow.
Golden Undertones
(Colour, colour and more colour - the choices are endless)
Natural - Neutral oranges or pink shades work for daytime.
Glam - Coppers, plums, purples, brick reds will make a great statement.
Avoid - Ashy, neutral pinks that wash you out.
Darker Skin Tones
(Emphasise skin with pops of of rich colour)
Natural - Blue-based reds and cool shades like fig or dark cherry will bring warmth and depth to your complexion.
Glam - Try orange, fuchsia or bright coral shades for a fun pop of colour.
Avoid - Milky or chalky colours that are too contrasting - unless you're going for a mod 60s look.
I hope this helps, please let me know if this post convinced you to try something new. And always remember Makeup Rule Number 1 - If it makes you feel good, wear it!
xx FemFox