Even if you are not a major makeup enthusiast, there is no doubt that putting on lipstick is still part of your daily routine. It may not seem like it, but adding even slight color to your lips can make a significant difference in your overall look. You can look much more professional with a simple color. 

You may have your own favorite lipstick already - a shade you never fail to put on before you go out. However, what makeup stores don’t tell you when you are buying a lipstick of a particular type is, not all lipsticks suit you. The wrong lipstick shade might as well end up ruining your entire look. 

To prevent that beauty disaster, you need to know the right type of lipstick that suits you. There are a number of things that may come into play to find the best shade. 

What you need to know before choosing

You don’t need to go around trying every single lipstick shade you can find. It is much more straightforward than that. All you need to know is the color and undertone of your skin. 

There are three primary skin tones: warm, cool, and neutral. Once you have determined your exact tone, all you need to do is select a shade in the same tone as your skin. This is not to say that you’ll be limited to one lipstick - each type of skin has a variety of appropriate options you can choose from!

Step 1: How to determine your skin tone

Determining your skin tone is as simple as examining your skin in natural lighting - preferably with a hand mirror. Here are some tells you can look for to determine your skin tone. 

• Light skin: your pale skin tends to get sunburnt or freckled quickly.

• Medium: your skin tans but usually doesn’t burn.

• Dark: your skin is tan or dark throughout the year and rarely burns under the sun.

Step 2: How to determine the undertone of your skin

The next step is to determine the undertone of your skin. It doesn’t matter if your skin tone is very pale or very dark. In any case, the undertone of your skin falls into either of three categories: warm, cool or neutral. Each of these categories has several tones within itself. 

For cool undertones, blue, red, and pink tones fall under this category. With a cool undertone, lighter skin tones will tan rosier, rather than golden. Medium skin tones tend to tan more towards a cinnamon shade. Richer skin tones tan more towards a red shade. 

For neutral tones, both warm and cool tones are considered. In this case, your skin may not have a prominent warm or cool shade. So, there’s no telling how you’ll tan under the sun - red or golden, it could go either direction.

Warm undertones include golden, yellow, or peachy. In this case, lighter skin tones will tan more towards peach. Medium skin will tan golden. Lastly, more decadent skin will tend to tan towards caramel. 

Step 3: How to choose the right lipstick shade

First thing’s first. Banish the thought that there is a right way or formula to follow in choosing your perfect lipstick. Although this guide - and many others - exists to help you in the process, they do not have the final word. That said, you can still guess the most appropriate shade based on your undertone. 

The most basic method to come up with a couple of options for yourself is to swatch the shades on the inside of your arm. May close attention to how the undertones look against your skin. Here is a guide to narrowing down your options based on your undertones. 

• Light Cool: for a simpler look, try cool-toned pinks. In contrast, cool-toned reds can give a bolder look.

• Light Warm: warm neutrals are the way to go for a more casual look. On the other hand, warm-toned reds will give a flair that might be unachievable otherwise.

• Neutral: depending on whether the tone leans towards the warmer or cooler side, reds, nudes, and vibrant pinks are the way to go.

• Dark Cool: plums, berries, and cool-toned reds are practically made for dark, cool skin.

• Dark Warm: regular reds and wine shades may give you a casual, generic look, but oranges are surely going to make you stand out!

Step 4: How to choose a finish

Contrary to what you may think, your journey doesn’t end here! The final step is to choose a finish. Your look may feel halfway done or incomplete without a finish - this is exactly why your need to choose your preferred finish. 

Matte finishes are all the rage these days. Not only do they give off a more polished end to your final look, but it also stays put longer than a glossier finish, especially when wearing a mask. It also balances off the volume a glossier finish may give to your lips. 

However, the choice is yours. Perhaps the matte won’t suit your features, but a glossy look would be perfect. Or it may even be the other way around. In any case, try using both the glossy and matte finishes, and after careful consideration, make your final decision!

What to keep in mind

Now that you have a comprehensive guide in your hand, the next step is to go out there and experiment as much as you can! Likely, you will not find the perfect shade for yourself on the first try. But that is exactly where the beauty of makeup lies - the best part is the journey itself. 

You can experiment all you want, and indeed you will arrive at a shade that seems like it was made just for you! In the end, you don’t even need to follow the norms of what looks “good” - if you’re confident enough in your choice, then you’ll definitely be able to pull off any shade. 

#BEFIERCE