Which Lip Color is Best for Your Complexion?

The adventure in selecting a lipstick color is one some of us embark upon on a daily basis. Sometimes you want a color that is reflective of your mood or your outfit, but if it doesn’t look right with your complexion, you may have a real miss on your hands.

So how do you  select the lip color that is the best match for your complexion? Here we provide a simplistic approach to determining this.

 

Pin it for later!

Figure out whether you have a warm or a cool skin tone. Seventeen Magazine provides a helpful and quick quiz to help you determine this, and in doing so suggests considering a few factors when determining your skin tone, some of which include the following:

1. Do you sunburn easily? You’re generally a cool tone if you answer yes to this question.
2. Are your veins blue-purple or blue-green on the inside of your forearm? Blue-purple indicates you require cool tones, and blue-green indicates you require warm tones.
3. And finally, does your skin look better with silver (you’re cool if so) or gold (you’re warm if so)? 

Now that you have figured out what your skin tone is, here are some color choices to complement that beautiful complexion of yours.

This post may contain affiliate links which means I may make a small commission if you purchase something via a link on the site - at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the complete disclosure policy to know more.

Colors for cool skin tones:  

Cool skin tones will fair best with natural colors that are in the pale pink and berry color range. These colors will nicely complement your skin tone rather than stand out against it. An example of a really attractive but subtle berry color is Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in the Pinkberry shade. Another one is MAC FRUITY JUICY COLLECTION LIPSTICK.

Colors for warm skin tones:

Olive complexion  

Pastels, purples, and even maroon shades work very nicely against olive skin. These sites provide really useful info for olive skin tones and recommendations for specific lipsticks that will look beautiful on your olive skin.

Dark skin  

Primary colors look great on dark skin, so you can be a little more adventurous with your lip color selection. Reds look beautiful, as does peach against dark skin. You can also go with brown shades, which obviously can be extremely complementary on someone with a darker complexion.

Try to pick colors that really complement your skin and don’t clash with it

All skin tones    

You can never go wrong with the natural look. The natural, dewy look is always appealing. While clear lip gloss can be a bit too shiny for some, consider using a product as simple as Aquaphor for your lips instead of a color. 

 

Not only is it healing if your lips happen to be a bit chapped, but it gives off a subtle and sexy glossiness that it will be hard not to notice.

 

Final Thoughts

In general, we always want a lip shade that will complement our complexion as opposed to clashing with it. That doesn’t mean that bright colors should be excluded—they just need to be the right shades of bright colors to match your complexion.

Following our simple tips for understanding which lip color is best for your complexion should aid you on those sleepy mornings where it’s all just a bit too much to think about!


Don’t let picking a lip color overwhelm you—stick with these basic tips and simplify the experience!

Cara Aley is a freelance writer who covers a wide variety of topics from digital marketing strategies to how to select from various gutter sizes.