Most of us keep a bunch of lipsticks in our beauty bags, some we wear all the time and some we never touch. There is a reason for this. You may have fallen in love with the lipstick in the store or the lipstick on Beyoncé's face, but what about when you put it on yourself? It just doesn't work.
This could be because the lipstick color doesn't match your skin tone. We spoke to celebrity makeup artist Kindra Mann (whose clients include Vanessa Hudgens and Rosario Dawson) about finding the right look for your skin tone Lipstick Tips.
1. Set your tone
First, the basics. Everyone has yellow or pink undertones in their skin. Yellow is a warm color and pink is a cool color. Knowing your undertone is helpful when you're trying to figure out which lipstick will suit you best.
A quick way to identify your skin's undertone is to look at the veins on your wrist. If they are blue and you also tend to wear blue, white, and gray clothing, then you have pink undertones. If your veins look greener, you have a warm yellow undertone. If they look both blue and green, you're the lucky owner of a neutral skin tone (meaning equal shades of pink and yellow), and you can wear any color.
Not sure yet? Place one piece of gold jewelry and one piece of silver jewelry on your face. Ignore your personal preferences and evaluate which color suits your skin better - cool (pink) skin tones are better suited to silver jewellery, while warm (yellow) skin tones are better suited to gold jewellery.
2. Know which shades suit your undertone
Mann says that when choosing lipstick, you should focus on shades that are similar to your undertone. "For yellow undertones, stick to warmer colors; for pink undertones, look for shades with blue or purple undertones."
Mann says everyone should avoid lipstick colors that look gray, off-white or too pale. “These often make the skin look sickly or unhealthy and are generally unsightly.”
3. If in doubt, choose according to your skin tone
To simplify the process, you can also stick to shades that generally look good on olive, fair, and dark skin tones.
olive skin tone
Olive skin tones are generally neutral, so it's hard to go wrong. "Most nudes, pinks, oranges and reds will look good on you," says Mann. "Look at what you're wearing to determine your lip color. For warm-toned outfits, you'll stick to a warmer, brighter lipstick."
Try: Stila All-Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso, $24, Amazon
fair complexion
"The great thing about really fair skin is that bold reds and darker colors can be a fun way to elevate your makeup and look great," explains Mann. "Avoid anything that's too light or has too much yellow undertones so you don't look washed out."
Try: City Color Perfect Shades of Red Matte Lipstick Set, $10, Amazon
darker skin tone
" Dark plums, berries and red wines look great," Mann said. "Unless you're going for a retro feel or a bold glossy lip, avoid colors that are too light or pale on your lips—darker shades look more naturally flattering."
Try: Laura Geller Love Me Dew Hydrating Lip Crayon in Plum Freeze, $17, Amazon
Of course, no matter your shade and undertone, it's up to you to decide what's best for you: "If you love bright orange lipstick and it makes you happy, then of course you should wear it!" Mann exclaims. Listen, listen.
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