Fashion Magazine

How to Choose Flattering Lipstick Colours

By Imogenl @ImogenLamport

Why is it so hard to find a flattering lipstick colour?

There are a couple of reasons why which I discuss in this video.

How to Choose a Flattering Lipstick Colour

  1. Test it on your lips - testing it on your hand will never tell you if it's right - your lip chemistry may change how a colour looks and so if you don't try it on your lips you'll never know! Remember that many lipstick colours look different in the tube than they do on your mouth, they may be brighter or more muted, they may be warmer or cooler so you must test!
  2. Match the Inside of Your Mouth - the inside of your mouth is a great starting point to find a natural looking lipstick colour. Harmonising with your natural colouring will ensure that as you eat off your lipstick, you won't leave a ring of colour behind.
  3. Lip Liner - if you wear lip liner, ensure that you try on the lipstick over your liner, as the liner may change the colour of your lipstick too.
  4. Signature Colour - Find a colour that is one of your skin or lip enhancers (unless you're Katy Perry, and then you can wear an eye enhancer as a lipstick!)
  5. Consider the size of your lips. The smaller your lips, the more natural looking the colour, larger lips can take darker or bolder colours.
  6. Tone it down from your colour swatch - if you have a bright colour swatch you may find that wearing lipstick colours that are bright doesn't work with your more relaxed or casual personality. So tone it down a notch. On the whole, unless you are really dramatic in your personality dressing style, most women feel more comfortable in makeup colours that are softer than the colours they wear (unless of course, you have a smoky muted swatch, then you want to match that level of intensity).

Lip Enhancer Signature Colours

Here are some examples using colours in a couple of swatches that might be your signature lip and skin enhancers.

Here in this cool, bright and deep Dramatic swatch (related to Winter) you might look for lipsticks in similar colours as I've displayed here.

How to Choose Flattering Lipstick Colours

Or in this warm, light and bright Zesty (related to Spring) colour swatch you might look for lippies in similar warmer tones.

How to Choose Flattering Lipstick Colours

Of course which ones really suit you will come down to your:

  • Underlying lip colour
  • Lip chemistry
  • Lip size
  • Use or not of lip liner and it's colour
  • Personal preferences

So take your colour swatch shopping when looking for your ideal lipstick and don't forget to try them on your lips to make a proper decision about the colour.

If you'd like to discover your ideal colour palette which will assist you in not only putting together a wardrobe of clothing that mixes and matches harmoniously and easily, but also is a guide to finding the makeup colours that suit, you can get a colour analysis as part of my 7 Steps to Style program as Personal Colouring is just one of the 7 steps in the program.

More Tips on Choosing and Applying Makeup

How to Choose Makeup Colours that Flatter
How to Choose Makeup and Fabrics Based on Skin Sheen
Five Minute Fabulous Face -Makeup Demonstration
How to Choose the Right Foundation Colour
How to Choose a Makeup Foundation Colour
How to Choose Flattering Lipstick Colours

Why is it so hard to find a flattering lipstick colour?

There are a couple of reasons why which I discuss in this video.

How to Choose a Flattering Lipstick Colour

  1. Test it on your lips - testing it on your hand will never tell you if it's right - your lip chemistry may change how a colour looks and so if you don't try it on your lips you'll never know! Remember that many lipstick colours look different in the tube than they do on your mouth, they may be brighter or more muted, they may be warmer or cooler so you must test!
  2. Match the Inside of Your Mouth - the inside of your mouth is a great starting point to find a natural looking lipstick colour. Harmonising with your natural colouring will ensure that as you eat off your lipstick, you won't leave a ring of colour behind.
  3. Lip Liner - if you wear lip liner, ensure that you try on the lipstick over your liner, as the liner may change the colour of your lipstick too.
  4. Signature Colour - Find a colour that is one of your skin or lip enhancers (unless you're Katy Perry, and then you can wear an eye enhancer as a lipstick!)
  5. Consider the size of your lips. The smaller your lips, the more natural looking the colour, larger lips can take darker or bolder colours.
  6. Tone it down from your colour swatch - if you have a bright colour swatch you may find that wearing lipstick colours that are bright doesn't work with your more relaxed or casual personality. So tone it down a notch. On the whole, unless you are really dramatic in your personality dressing style, most women feel more comfortable in makeup colours that are softer than the colours they wear (unless of course, you have a smoky muted swatch, then you want to match that level of intensity).

Lip Enhancer Signature Colours

Here are some examples using colours in a couple of swatches that might be your signature lip and skin enhancers.

Here in this cool, bright and deep Dramatic swatch (related to Winter) you might look for lipsticks in similar colours as I've displayed here.

How to Choose Flattering Lipstick Colours

Or in this warm, light and bright Zesty (related to Spring) colour swatch you might look for lippies in similar warmer tones.

How to Choose Flattering Lipstick Colours

Of course which ones really suit you will come down to your:

  • Underlying lip colour
  • Lip chemistry
  • Lip size
  • Use or not of lip liner and it's colour
  • Personal preferences

So take your colour swatch shopping when looking for your ideal lipstick and don't forget to try them on your lips to make a proper decision about the colour.

If you'd like to discover your ideal colour palette which will assist you in not only putting together a wardrobe of clothing that mixes and matches harmoniously and easily, but also is a guide to finding the makeup colours that suit, you can get a colour analysis as part of my 7 Steps to Style program as Personal Colouring is just one of the 7 steps in the program.

More Tips on Choosing and Applying Makeup

How to Choose Makeup Colours that Flatter
How to Choose Makeup and Fabrics Based on Skin Sheen
Five Minute Fabulous Face -Makeup Demonstration
How to Choose the Right Foundation Colour
How to Choose a Makeup Foundation Colour
How to Choose Flattering Lipstick Colours

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