How to choose a lip colour for your skin tone

The right lip colour brightens your whole face instantly, while the wrong one can make you look washed out or tired. This guide explains how to choose a lip colour for your skin tone in two simple steps, suggests shades for each skin tone and helps you pick a formula that fits your day.

Step 1: Find your undertone

How light or deep your skin is (fair, medium, deep) is different from its undertone (warm, cool or neutral). Try these quick checks in natural daylight:

• Look at the veins on your wrist: greenish suggests warm, blue or purple suggests cool, and hard to tell suggests neutral.
• Gold jewellery looks better on you: probably warm. Silver looks better: probably cool.
• Pure white clothes brighten your face: cool. Ivory suits you better: warm.

Step 2: Pick shades by depth and undertone

Treat this as a starting point. How a shade looks also depends on your natural lip colour, how thickly you apply it and the light. The most reliable check is buyer photos from people with skin like yours.

Lip colours for school and work

For school or the office, choose a shade close to your natural lip colour but a little brighter: rosy nude, peach or a soft brick. A sheer tint works best because it is subtle and easy to reapply. Check any dress code at your school or workplace. Browse lip tints, lipsticks and glosses ranked by real buyer ratings.

Tint, matte or gloss?

• Lip tint: sheer and natural, giving a just-bitten flush. Great for beginners and for a gradient lip.
• Matte liquid lipstick: strong colour that lasts and transfers less when eating. It can dry the lips, so prep with balm.
• Gloss: glossy and plumping, making lips look fuller. Needs frequent touch-ups.
• Tinted balm: the lightest option, ideal for dry lips and lazy days.

Making colour last and caring for your lips

1. Gently exfoliate your lips once or twice a week.
2. Apply balm a few minutes before a matte formula.
3. Apply a thin layer, blot lightly with a tissue, then add a second layer for staying power.
4. Remove lip colour thoroughly every night, especially long-wear and matte formulas.
5. If your lips swell, itch or sting after a new product, stop using it and see a doctor if it does not settle.

Buying lip colour online without surprises

Product photos are often brightened, so do not choose from the swatch image alone. Scroll down to the reviews and find buyer photos of lips taken in daylight on skin similar to yours. Read the shade name and description (warm, cool, orange-red, pink-red) rather than relying on a colour square. If you are torn between two shades, pick the one closer to your natural lip colour, as it will be easier to wear every day. When it arrives, test it on clean lips next to a window and take a photo without filters to see the true colour. Note the names of shades that work for you, so reordering is quick next time. Also check the expiry date and the seal on arrival, and keep lipsticks out of hot cars and direct sun, where they soften and can spoil.

Finish the look with light everyday make-up, or use the style finder for a short list in thirty seconds. Once you find two or three shades that work, you will rarely need to guess again.