Flaunt your true colors with confidence
There’s nothing like lipstick to lift your spirits! But too often, you’ll come across gals hesitant to try on a chirpy hue because they think it won’t ‘suit’ them. If you’re one of them, sit up and pay attention! Anyone can wear lipstick, the bolder the better! All you have to do is figure out your skin tone/undertone and then wear colors with pride. Read on for Nykaa’s guide to transform you from a retiring lily to a confident rose in the next ten minutes.
Nykaa makeup expert and beauty artist to the stars Namrata Soni says that the one thing that can change your life is knowing your skin’s undertone. “You can magically transform the way you look once you know yours,” she says dramatically. “I’ve seen simple girls-next-door look like divas that can light up a room once they know what colors work for them.”
So what your undertone?
Soni explains: Stand in front of a well-lit mirror in the privacy of your bathroom wearing a pure white towel/bath robe and wrap your hair under a white towel. Drape another white towel over any furniture behind you so that you’re surrounded by white because that makes it easier to see the colors hiding beneath the surface of your skin. Now what do you see? Does your skin look blue-ish? You have cool undertones. If it looks yellowish, you have warm undertones, and if it’s greenish, you have neutral undertones.
A quicker way of deciphering your undertone is looking at the veins on the underside of your forearm or underarm in the sunlight. If your veins are blue or blue-purple, you have cool undertones. If your veins are yellow or olive, you have warm undertones. If you have both blue and green veins, you are neutral, and you can wear colors that look good on both cool and warm undertones.
Now choose the right lippie for your skin tone
Beginners
Wary of swiping on a pigmented lipstick? Start with lighter tinted lip gloss instead. Sure, it won’t light up your pout but at least it’ll give you a sense of having product on your lips. In fact, lip gloss is the lazy girl’s savior, it comes off without a trace, unlike lipstick that needs to be reapplied to refresh the stain. All you need to do is reapply gloss for instant shine when you need some extra sparkle.
Choose a gloss for your skin tone
Fair (cool undertones)
All you need is a dab of light color, like a pastel, candy floss pink or mauve. Try Faces Go Chic Lip Gloss Shade Candy Ice, Bubblegum
Wheatish (warm undertones)
A deeper, corally, peachy-brown lip gloss will look great. Try Lakme Absolute Plump And Shine Lip Gloss, Shades Rose Shine and Red Shine
Dusky skin tones
Either go darker or much lighter for maximum impact. Try Colorbar Diamond Shine Lip Gloss, Shades Pixie Pink and Pink Flash.
Intermediates
Once you’ve got used to the feeling of gloss on your lips, it’s time to try some lip colors with the color saturation and texture of lipsticks without the bright, poppy colors you normally associate with a lipstick. However since lipsticks can be drying, always start by using a moisturizing lip balm like Maybelline Baby Lips Color Balm. To find a lipstick closest to your natural lip color, check out a few shades on the inside of your finger because it closely matches your lip color.
Choose a lipstick for your skin tone.
Fair (cool undertones)
Add soft warmth to your look face with a peach-pink lipstick like Nykaa Paintstix Collection, Shades Rock n Roll Pink and Tender Rose.
Wheatish (warm undertones)
Nothing screams summer like a coral lipstick. We love its cheery blend of pink and orange. This hip-n-happening lipstick shade complements a variety of skin tones and brightens yours complexion ASAP. Try Maybelline Superstay 14hr Lipstick, Shades Keep me Coral, Infinitely Fuchsia.
Dusky skin tones
You will look like a million bucks in berry shades, a couple of shades darker than your natural lip color. Nykaa suggests L'Oreal Paris Infallible Le Rouge Lipstick, Shades Persistent Plum, Rambling Rose.
Advanced lippie users
Now that you’re a pro at wearing lipstick, it’s time to step up to a richer, bolder hue. Forget orange and purples and go with a classic red. And yes, everyone can wear a red provided they know which one works for their skin tone. The first step though is to prep your lips. Dark lipsticks look dreadful on chapped, rough lips and gently scrubbing to exfoliate dead skin is a must before applying your fave color. Remember to keep the rest of your look matte, with just a dash of liner and concealer to cover spots and under-eye circles.
Choose a lipstick for your skin tone
Fair (cool undertones)
“For cool undertones, blue based shades such as cranberry, burgundy or wine work well,” says Soni. Nykaa suggests L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Moist Matte Lipstick, Shades Raspberry Syrup, Blaze of Red.
Wheatish (warm undertones)
Soni suggests that women with warm undertones look good in orange based red shades such as brick reds. “These reds are more appropriate for women with peach, olive or tan tones.” Nykaa recommends Colorbar Take Me As I M Lipstick, Shades Sensuous Red, Pure Coral.
Dusky skin tones
Darker skin tones can pull off any red, so why not go a bit bolder with a berry red? Nykaa loves Colorbar Sheer Creme Lust Lipcolor, Shades Vivid Peach and Popsicle.
The other bit of advice Soni would like newbies to remember: “Try not to use lip liners under your lipstick or gloss because they change the actual tone of the color.” Another nugget, “STOP wearing lip liners that are darker than your actual lipstick hue. It’s so outdated.” she adds.
