Experts Share the Most Flattering Lipstick Shades for Your Skin Tone
The right lipstick can brighten your complexion and make you feel like a whole new person. The wrong lipstick can ruin your look. It has happened to lipstick lovers everywhere, including me: I recently bought an orangey coral I thought would make me look like a chic sunbather on the Côte d'Azur. Instead, it made me look, well, orange.
When visiting your favorite beauty boutique IRL (or browsing online), finding the right lip color can be a challenge because there's nothing, no hand swipe, or sample on your wrist that works like physically applying the shade directly to your lips—a germaphobe's absolute worst nightmare!
So before making another ill-fated beauty buy, we turned to the crème de la crème of makeup experts (including Beyoncé's makeup artist, Sir John) to help you build a flattering lipstick wardrobe for your skin tone, help us color within the lines, and achieve the most magnificent mouth, time and time again.
Our Perfect-Pout Panel
Charlotte Tilbury, founder of Charlotte Tilbury and celebrity makeup artist.
L’Oréal Paris celebrity makeup artist Sir John.
Chanel makeup artist Cyndle K.
Celebrity makeup artist and on-air beauty expert Ashlee Glazer.
The Basics
"I believe that every woman needs her own red lip wardrobe when it comes to the perfect red lipstick shade! It's just about finding the tones and shades that suit and work for you." — Charlotte Tilbury
"I started my career behind the retail counter; MAC Times Square was one of my stores as a retail artist, where women from all over the world would come in to shop for makeup. The beautiful Brazilian women would come in and ask for 'mouth color,' aka a shade of pink that looked like their natural lips. It usually had more blue, cool tones than warmth, but it was always super flattering on their olive skin. This is a tip I take with me to this day when any woman asks for a neutral lip." — Ashlee Glazer
For Light Skin with Cool Undertones
"With a cool, light skin tone, stick with shades that have a blue or purple undertone, like blue reds, cranberries, and fuchsia. Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur in N3 Rose Clair is a really wearable pink tone with a satin shine, and I also love the easy pencil application." — Cyndle K.
For Light Skin with Warm Undertones
For Medium Skin with Cool Undertones
For Medium Skin with Warm Undertones
"Blue-based nudes will really fade out the lip, but balance it with a warm liner to keep the color popping. Peachy beige tones with a creamy texture will be flawless and super flattering if your skin tone is similar to J.Lo's or Kim Kardashian West's." — Ashlee Glazer
For Dark Skin with Cool Undertones
For Dark Skin with Warm Undertones
"For warm, deeper skin tones I love a perfect neutral coral. One of my favorites right now is Chanel Rouge Allure Ink in Cornaline. What I love about this lipstick is that it goes on as a liquid but sets as a powder. It’s extremely easy to apply and has an amazing color payoff. And for a feather-light matte finish with a blurred edge, I suggest trying Chanel Rouge Allure Liquid powder in Avant-Gardiste." — Cyndle K.
"Vibrancy and texture are key. If Lupita Nyong'o is your doppelgänger, a glossy formula with a burgundy undertone. You can also rock bold shades like magenta, rich reds, orange, and anything else! I love Milk Makeup New Whip, a rich berry brown that's really creamy with full coverage." — Ashlee Glazer
Still curating your makeup capsule wardrobe? We have you covered:
12 Makeup Buys Every Single Fashion Girl Owns
I'm a Fashion Editor, and This Is What I've Bought From Sephora in 2019
How to Master Kendall Jenner's No-Makeup Makeup, According to Her Makeup Artist
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