Red lip skin tone guide

Red lipstick can be both glamourising and intimidating for you. Selecting a shade is no easy feat — the key to make your lips more glamour girl and less clownish is how you wear that bold red lipstick. Pay attention to application and carefully underplay the rest of your look. Here are a few guidelines that will move you in the right direction toward finding your perfect lip colour.

Porcelain



This is an ultra-light skin tone with cool undertones. It looks best with a cool red with hints of plum. If you want a daring look, play around with a warm red. Avoid high gloss. Choose a pinker matte colour if you have darker hair. For lighter hair, stick to a reddish-orange matte.

Fair



For fair skin, choose a dark blue-based red. Since blush pops on fair skin, bolder red lipsticks will complement the cheeks. Avoid orange-tinted lipstick and consider the dark pink to true red end of the spectrum.

Bisque



This is more of a pink under-toned skin colour. It looks best with a cool red.  This skin tone can pull off almost any shade of lipstick, from bold reds to light pinks. For an intense night-time look, try a bright red. For the innocent girl-next-door look, aim for dark pink shades.

Beige



This slightly sun-kissed skin looks perfect with a dark, deep lip with gold undertones. With a beige complexion, you can also beautifully pull off a bright orange-based red lipstick, which is not as easy for other complexions.

Olive



With an olive complexion and green tones, pinkish red combination really makes the undertones of the skin and eyes stand out.

Tawny



Dark skin with natural gold undertones works perfectly with a matte orange-red as it keeps it all in the same warm family.

Caramel



With a deep, dark caramel skin tone, a blue-based, cool shade can work beautifully when cool tones are carried throughout the rest of the make-up as well. The contrast between the skin and the make-up gives a chic, modern look.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2014.

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