Lipstick is confidence in a tube, not simply makeup. The correct lipstick can instantly improve your appearance, regardless of your preferred style—bold, delicate, elegant, or edgy. However, how can you choose a tint that truly complements your skin tone when there are hundreds available?
You don’t have to be a makeup artist to figure it out, so don’t worry. With practical advice that makes lipstick shopping enjoyable (not daunting), this book explains how to choose the ideal lipstick hue depending on your skin tone and undertone.
🎨 Step 1: Know Your Skin Tone
Skin tone refers to the natural color of your complexion. Most people fall into one of these general categories:
Fair – Very light skin that may burn easily
Light – Pale or ivory tones
Medium – Often olive or golden hues
Tan – Deeper olive or light brown shades
Deep – Rich brown or ebony skin tones
📌 Note: Your skin tone may vary slightly throughout the year due to sun exposure, but your undertone (explained next) usually stays the same.
🌈 Step 2: Find Your Undertone
Your undertone is the subtle hue beneath your skin’s surface — and it plays a major role in how colors look on you.
Here’s how to tell what yours is:
🔵 Cool Undertone:
Skin has hints of pink, red, or blue
Veins on wrist appear blue or purple
Silver jewelry looks more flattering
🟡 Warm Undertone:
Skin has yellow, golden, or peachy hues
Veins look greenish
Gold jewelry looks better on you
⚪ Neutral Undertone:
A balance of both warm and cool
Veins may appear both blue and green
Both silver and gold jewelry look good on you
💋 Best Lipstick Shades for Each Skin Tone
Once you know your skin tone and undertone, finding a lipstick that complements you becomes a lot easier.
✨ Fair to Light Skin Tones
Cool Undertones: Go for soft pinks, berry tones, mauve, or cool nudes. Avoid shades that are too pale or too orange.
Warm Undertones: Try peachy pinks, coral, warm nudes, or light terracotta shades.
Neutral: You can wear both rosy pinks and warm peaches. Play around with both!
Great Picks: Dusty rose, peach nude, soft coral, classic cherry red.
🌞 Medium to Tan Skin Tones
Cool Undertones: Rich berry, cranberry, or deep pinks work beautifully. Avoid very light nudes.
Warm Undertones: Warm reds, brick, terracotta, and bold coral shades will pop.
Neutral: Most shades will suit you — from pinks to oranges to reds.
Great Picks: Rosewood, cinnamon, terracotta, bold coral, blue-based red.
🌚 Deep Skin Tones
Cool Undertones: Deep plum, wine, cool-toned reds, or magenta shades look gorgeous.
Warm Undertones: Brownish nudes, brick red, burnt orange, and coppery shades enhance your natural glow.
Neutral: Try mauves, classic reds, rich browns, and even bold purples.
Great Picks: Chocolate brown, berry, plum, oxblood, vibrant fuchsia.
💡 Bonus Tips for Choosing Lipstick
✅ Try it on — If you’re in-store, swipe it on your hand or wrist (or your fingertip — closer in tone to your lips).
✅ Test in natural light — Artificial lighting can change how the color appears.
✅ Go one shade deeper than your natural lip color for the most flattering nude.
✅ Red looks good on everyone — just match the undertone (blue-red for cool, orange-red for warm).
🎯 Final Thoughts: It’s About Confidence, Not Rules
While skin tone and undertones offer a great starting point, the truth is: the perfect lipstick is the one that makes you feel amazing. Don’t be afraid to experiment — makeup is meant to be fun and expressive.
So the next time you’re shopping for lipstick, skip the guesswork. Use this guide to narrow your options and pick the shade that makes your smile pop.