How To Choose A Lipstick Like A Pro
& Stay Clean In The Meantime
For real one of these is a for real "Pro Tip" that was handed down to Ms. FauxPrah from a MAC make up artist. The others are just how Ms. Faux rolls when she is trying on lipstick and lipgloss shades on account of her theatrical background which I guess is yet another pro tip.
So we all know the game. After trying on too many lipsticks our natural lip color changes on account of the bloodflow that comes to the lips after wiping every color off. Around our lips get puffy and it is hard to get a good idea of the color and overall you just look a mess. Here are some tips to help.
1. Get a wipe of some sort. If you are in a store that permits swatching then they will have a wipe or make up remover. Today I was at MAC and simply asked for one of their
MAC Wipes $20 at MAC, but they give them out as a courtesy if you are swatching. I grabbed several.
Grab Some Make Up Remover
or Remover Wipes
Find where these are as you will want to keep replenishing. You will also use them to disinfect your lipsticks that you want to try. To disinfect simply wipe the tips before using. For glosses use the provided test sticks.
2. Next: Narrow your choices. The easiest and best way to swatch lipsticks (and this works at home as well when you are selecting a lipcolor) is to swatch your fingertips and hold it up to your face. I like to use every finger except my thumb and when I swatch I line the lipsticks up like I read on on my fingers in the same order (left to right). Hold up to your face and begin to narrow your options.
Swatch on Your Fingertips
3. Another option is to roll out the lipstick and hold up in front of your lips. Again this is just to narrow options. For lipglosses simply hold the colored end in front of your lips. This helps narrow the choices and keeps your lips from getting as puffy.
4. When you are ready to test I recommend going least pigmented to most pigmented. That typically means glosses to lipsticks, however some lipglosses are more pigmented than nude lipsticks. This assures that you heavier pigments don't get left behind on your lips as much.
Try on In Order of
Least Pigmented to Most Pigmented
5. DO NOT TRY ON ANY LIP STAINS UNTIL YOU ARE DONE TRYING ON ALL OTHER LIPSTICKS. You will not be able to remove all the pigment and your color swatching on your lips will be affected. Stain also has a tendency to bleed outside the lipline.
Wait Until The End To
Try on Lip Stains
6. The best way to try on lipstick is in natural light. If the store has a window ask for a hand mirror and go try on your lipstick or lipgloss.
 |
| Try on Lipstick In Natural Light |
7. Then walk back into the store and look at it under artificial light. Pigments, weather it be in the lipstick on your lips or the paint on your walls, are affected by lighting. For color purposes natural vs. artificial light will suffice. If you find one that works for both, you probably have found a good color.
Try on Lip Color In Both
Natural & Artificial Light
 |
Natural light has more of a clean/clear look (left) whereas artificial lighting can vary from cool to warm.
The photo on the right has a warmer artificial light. White balance on light varies therefore |
Artificial light can even vary from warm to cool with incandescent being warmer and flourescent being cooler. (See Below)
 |
| Above is the same color in different light |
And just like artificial light changes so does natural. It goes from warm to neutral to cool.
 |
| Natural Light: Morning (warm), Noon (neutral) and Night (cool) |
So a good rule of thumb,
if it works under two lighting sources,
it will likely work in general.
8. Should you get the puffy lip... ask for some concealer and dab on and around your lips to take it back to your natural skin tone.
Dab on Concealer If Too Much
Pigment is Left Behind
9. Certain colors look good on certain people and not others. Hair color, eye color, skin tone, skin color, whether your are fair or tan or a specific ethnicity. The easiest way to determine what colors look good on you however is skin tone. Here is a chart that may help.
Are there any others. Actually yes. Ms. FauxPrah is Neutral in that she has yellow skin tone with blue veins. One of her blessings I suppose as I can generally find any color that will work for me. That isn't to say I don't still have to try them on. I just tend to just get a broader selection. Where Ms. FauxPrah gets into trouble is that she can't wear too pale or too dark. To pale make her look like a dead rat and too dark... well the same.
Here is another way to determine your skin tone. Can you wear only gold jewelry? Can you only wear silver jewelry. Can you wear both? Cooler pink tones go better with silver jewelry. Warmer yellow skin tones work better with gold. Neutral skin tones can go both ways.
As a general rule of thumb, use the below chart.
Light Skin Tone
- What Looks Best: Deep plum-reds, berry and wine reds with blue undertones, browns and beige lipsticks with pink undertones, pinks with blue undertones. If you have warm undertones, you’ll look great in cappuccino, caramels, browns with golden or slightly bronze shimmer.
- What to Avoid: If you have cool, pink undertones, avoid orange-reds, pale browns with yellow undertones and any shades that might overpower your complexion such as very hot pinks.
Medium/Light Olive Skin Tone
- What Looks Best: Deep reds, blue-reds, deep pinks, brownish reds, caramel, medium brown with yellow or pink undertones and coffee browns.
- What to Avoid: Medium tones seem to get away with warm and cool shades.
Olive Skin Tone
- What Looks Best: Deeper shades of browns and reds, dark berries.
- What to Avoid: Mauves, pale pinks, orange-reds, pink-reds.
Medium-Brown Skin Tone
- What Looks Best: Brown reds, berry pinks, rose, medium plums with yellow undertones.
- What to Avoid: Pinks that are too cool or light, pastel shades, orange.
Dark Skin Tone
- What Looks Best: You can get away with darker, deep shades, reds with blue undertones, reddish browns like mahogany, deep plums, wine reds, raisin, coffee brown and deep rose.
- What to Avoid: Orange, pinks or pastel shades.
So there you go. Should you want to go it alone here are some tips. There are so many other ways to select a good lipstick, but possibly the best is to ask the professional or a good friend you trust.
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