How to Choose The Right Lipstick For Your Skin

For the longest time I refused to wear lipstick, sticking with lip balm and lip gloss instead. I was scared to wear it. I would go to the local drug store, pick out a shade I liked and then when I got home it would look terrible. I could never find a shade what worked well for me, I didn’t know the rules. Now that I’m a little older I love to wear lipstick. Its the perfect way to finish off a look whether it’s bold, girl next door, or pretty in pink.

So there a lot of “sciences” to figuring out the “do’s” and “dont’s” of lipstick. But if you stick to the general rules for pale and dark skin you will be safe in your everyday lipstick choices!

Pale Skin

If you have pale skin (like me) you’ll want to stay near nude for the everyday look. Think peachy lips, nude glosses or soft pinks. I ADORE my new go to shade of lipstick from Siberian Health. It’s called Pink Dreams and it goes on like a dream! Perfect for applying as I walk out the door to anywhere. But if you’re looking to make a statement try *gasp* Red! The right shade actually looks great on us fair skin gals, just make sure it doesn’t have an orange tint to it.

Here is my one of my favorite actress Emma Stone rocking two very different looks, and yet both shades follow the rules for pale skin and look fabulous on her!

You’ll want to avoid… dark chocolate and burgundy shades. They stand our like a sore thumb on pale skin.

Dark Skin

If you have darker skin you’re in luck, you can wear just about any color lipstick you want! Try light pinks and corals for a fresh look or go with dark orange and red for pops of color. Queen Latifah always looks flawless but I loved this hot pink on her and the bronze looks fabulous too.

You’ll want to avoid… The only colors you should avoid are milky light colors because of the contrast.

Lastly, I have a few tips for creating your best look. If you have full lips, gloss those babies for more attention. The Darker the color, the smaller your lips will appear. The lighter and brighter and the larger they appear. Ta-Da, finding your perfect lip look is that easy! I wish I had discovered these rules years ago.