The lipstick shade that suits you depends on two things about your skin: its undertone and its depth. Undertone decides which side of a colour family flatters you: blue-based pinks, berries and wine-toned reds for cool skin; peach, coral, brick and orange-leaning reds for warm skin; and most of both for neutral. Depth decides intensity: the deeper your skin, the richer the colour needs to be. The finish then changes how strong any shade looks. Below, step by step, are the lipsticks and glosses we have chosen.
How Do You Find Your Undertone?
Your undertone is the colour beneath your skin's surface, and unlike a tan it stays the same all year. Three checks, in daylight, point the way:
- Veins: on the inside of your wrist, blue or purple suggests cool, green suggests warm, and a mix suggests neutral.
- Jewellery: silver tends to flatter cool undertones and gold warm ones; if both suit you, you are probably neutral.
- Sun: skin that burns easily often leans cool; skin that tans readily often leans warm.
If you have matched a foundation, you have done this work; we explain the method in How to Choose a Foundation Shade and Undertone.
Which Lipstick Colours Suit Each Undertone?
- Cool undertones: blue-based pinks, rose, raspberry, berry, plum and reds that lean towards wine. Very orange shades can look harsh.
- Warm undertones: peach, coral, apricot, terracotta, brick and reds that lean towards orange. Icy, blue-based pinks can look chalky.
- Neutral undertones: most families work, and a classic red, a rose or a soft mauve is the easiest place to start.
Blush follows the same logic, which is why a lipstick and blush from the same side of the colour wheel look settled together; see How to Choose a Blush for Your Skin Tone.
Fair, Medium or Deep: How Depth Changes a Shade
Depth decides how much colour you need. On fair skin, light and sheer shades read as your own lip colour made brighter. Medium skin carries rose, coral and most reds with ease. On deep skin, pale pastels and light beiges can turn ashy; richer colour, from berry and plum to brick, wine and brown-toned nudes, shows clearly. At any depth, a sheer formula softens a colour and a matte one intensifies it.
Finding Your Nude
A nude is the hardest shade to choose, because it has to match you rather than contrast. Aim close to your natural lip colour, or a step deeper, leaning pink-beige for cool undertones and peach or caramel for warm ones; a nude much paler than your skin washes the mouth out. Nudes below include Max Factor 015 Nude Silk, Bourjois 07 Nude-Ist, Shiseido 508 Semi Nude, Artdeco 240 Gentle Nude, Sensai 13 Shirayuri Nude and, in gloss, Collistar 150 Nude.
Pinks, Reds and Berries
Rose shades such as L'Oréal Paris 226 Rose Glacée and Max Factor 090 English Rose are easy for most undertones; brighter, bluer pinks suit cool skin best. For warm undertones, peach and coral do the same job: Artdeco 218 Peach Vibes, Max Factor 055 Bewitching Coral and Sisley 30 Sheer Coral.
Every undertone has a red: one leaning towards wine or cherry suits cool skin, one leaning orange suits warm skin. The name is a first clue: L'Oréal Paris 500 Wine Not? and Chanel 106 Amarena point cooler, while Sensai 04 Hinageshi Orange and L'Oréal Paris 163 Orange Magique point warmer. Berries and plums, such as Bourjois 25 Berry Chic, Max Factor 110 Rich Raspberry and Sisley 42 Sheer Cranberry, flatter cool and neutral undertones and come into their own on medium and deep skin.
Matte Lipstick
Matte has no shine, so colour reads at full strength and looks precise. It is the least forgiving finish on dry lips, so smooth on a little lip balm first and blot it before colour. Shiseido ModernMatte Powder Lipstick has a weightless, powder-matte finish and full coverage in one stroke, in shades such as 517 Rose Hip and 514 Hyper Red. Max Factor Lipfinity Velvet Matte Lipstick gives a soft velvet matte made for long wear, including 035 Elegant Brown. Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick is a liquid lipstick with a lightweight, non-drying matte finish, in shades such as 36 In Mauve and 15 Red Volution. L'Oréal Paris Infallible Matte Resistance Liquid Lipstick is a non-transfer matte applied with a wand, with sodium hyaluronate in its formula.
- ModernMatte Powder Lipstick
- Lipfinity Velvet Matte Lipstick
- Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick
- Infallible Matte Resistance Liquid Lipstick
Satin and Cream Lipstick
Satin and cream finishes sit between matte and gloss: a soft sheen, comfortable wear and colour that is easy to build, which makes them the easiest way to try a stronger shade. L'Oréal Paris Color Riche Lipstick has a creamy texture and a satin finish with a subtle sheen, with argan oil in its formula, in shades such as 302 Bois De Rose and 258 Berry Blush. Max Factor X Lipstick has a cream finish with colour that builds from light to full, including 010 Toasted Almond. Artdeco Couture Lipstick pairs a creamy texture with a lustrous finish, including 265 Berry Love. Sensai Silk Koishimaru Hydrating Lipstick is made with silk-derived ingredients and apricot kernel oil for a soft, luminous finish, in shades from 09 Nadeshiko Pink to 12 Ajisai Mauve and 01 Sakura Red.
Sheer and Balm Lipstick
A sheer lipstick lets your natural lip colour show through, which makes it the gentlest way into a bolder family. Apply it straight from the bullet and build in layers. Sisley Le Phyto-Rouge comes in sheer shades, from 20 Sheer Petal to 40 Sheer Cherry, with buildable pigment and hyaluronic acid in its formula. Guerlain KissKiss Shine Bloom Lip Balm gives sheer, luminous colour in a melting texture, with shea butter, in shades such as 709 Petal Red. Lancôme Lip Idôle Butterglow Lipstick is a non-tacky balm with a luminous finish, made with squalane and ceramides.
Lip Gloss
Gloss adds shine and helps lips look fuller and softer. Worn alone, most glosses give a wash of colour; over lipstick, they add depth. Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Gloss is a lightweight, non-tacky gel with a glass-like shine and coverage that builds from sheer to richer, in shades such as 728 Rose Pulpe. Collistar Lip Gloss Volume has a creamy, non-sticky texture with vitamin E and a soft pad applicator, from 120 Peach Cameo to 160 Dusty Rose. Sensilis Lip Glow [Oil Repair] Lip Gloss gives a subtle tint and a high-gloss, non-tacky finish, with hyaluronic acid and raspberry seed oil, in shades such as 05 Berry Me. Shiseido Pink Glittery Lip Gloss has a gel texture and a glassy, pearlescent finish, in shades such as 03 Kurumi Beige and 05 Sango Peach.
Does Lip Liner Help?
A lip liner keeps colour neat at the edges. For a nude or sheer shade, choose one close to your natural lip colour; for a strong red or berry, match it to the lipstick. Trace from the centre outwards, then fill the lips lightly before colour.
In Short
Find your undertone, then choose one shade from the family that suits it in a satin or cream finish, the most forgiving while you learn what you like. Try it on your lips, not your hand, and decide in daylight.
