Hey Everyone,
There are many times when I’m walking down the street and I notice a beautiful girl. Eye-make-up down wonderfully, blush applied perfectly, foundation is flawless until I see her lips and they are either basically erased or filled up with an unflattering color. I think lipsticks should only be worn if they flatter you – the right lipstick shade will be able to give you almost a face lift, enhancing your skin tone and making your eyes look brighter. I have to be honest with you, I’m not a fan of nude lips at all. I just don’t see the point of erasing your beautiful lips. So here are my top 5 tips to finding the most flattering shade for you.
1. Match Undertones
Believe it or not, lipstick colors tend to have undertones too. They might have a cool or warm undertone just like your skin or foundation has. The trick is in deciding what undertone the lipstick is and then knowing what undertone you are and then matching the two. A cool undertone on warm skin can look like an ashy mess and a warm undertone on cool skin might look a little weird too.
2. Types of finishes
Lipsticks have different finishes and not all tubes of glory were created equal. Here are a few different types of finishes and a few tips and tricks to using them for different situations.
Matte Lipsticks – Matte lipticks usually have a powdery finish and are great to make that poster finish. They’re dense, last the longest and are partially known for being a little drying. If you have dry and flakly lips no matter how many lip scrubs you’ve taken, matte lipstcks are not for you. They will emphasize the flakes on your lips which isn’t a hot look.
Sheer Lipsticks – Sheer lipsticks are semi-transparent colors that are great for everyday. They tend to have a semi-gloss finish that makes it more moisturising. If you are looking to add just a tinge of color, try going sheer. However, if you know that the color will make your look, you might want to opt for something else.
Amplified Lipsticks/Lip Tars – These are the most pigmented forms of lippies. If you’re looking to create that Classic Holiday Look or Katy Perry’s hot pink lips for an event or a costume party, then these lipsticks will really put a boost. They’re more long lasting and can even semi-stain your lips so remember when removing
3. What Characteristics do I judge it on?
When I’m reviewing lipsticks, there are three characteristics that I really look for in a good lipstick. I want to know about it’s texture, lasting power and color payoff. The texture should be smooth, silky and not dry. It should also last a while. Some lipsticks (NYX round lipsticks are notorious for this) last perhaps an hour or so. I want a lipstick that won’t make me look like a vain pot when I’m out and will need constant re-application. At least stick around for a few hours. I also really look at color payoff. A good lipstick like a good shadow will produce great color payoff. I can always pat the lipstick for a sheer finish so I look for a decent color payoff so my lipstick becomes more versatile that way.
4. Put the lipstick to your face
At the store, it might not be super hygienic to apply the lipstick on the spot. What I tend to do and what makes a great tip is to just put the lipstick to your face, not on it. That way you can see whether the lip color matches your undertone or would look good on you without the nasty germs that tend to live on testers.
5. Lipshades best for different Skin tones
It’s a fact that different lip shades are best for different skin tones or rather different shades of lips. From the Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual, here’s a quick guide for selecting lip colors according to the natural color of your lips. If you have pale lips – go for beiges, sand pinks, light corals, pale pinks or bright reds. If you have medium lips, go for brown, pale rose, pink, oranges, warm reds. If you have dark lips, go for browns, deep reds, plums, deep chocolate, or deep berry colors. For two toned lips, go for chocolate, blackberry, deep plums, deep raisins and deep reds. A rule of thumb is if you have pale lips, use pastel shades like pale pinks or beiges because deep tones tend to be overwhelming for daily wear so apply them with a light hand. If you have super dark lips, blue-toned or deep lip colors go best and pale, nude shades will appear ashy on you. For uneven colored lips, try concealing your lips first to even out the skin tones and then apply the natural lip color.
And there you have it! The best lipsticks for daily wear are those that enhance your natural features, not try and mask them.
What’s your favourite lip color?
Love,
Roseanne