
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 8th, 2014.
Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ