How to Choose a Lip Color for Your Skin Tone

Find Your Undertone First

Before colour, know your undertone. Blue or purple wrist veins and a love of silver point to cool; green veins and a love of gold point to warm; a mix means neutral. Surface tone, fair to deep, tells you the depth, but undertone tells you which red or nude will actually suit you.

Shades That Flatter Fair to Light Skin

Fair and light complexions shine in soft pinks, peachy nudes, light mauves, and sheer corals. For a bolder moment, a true red with a blue base or a raspberry looks classic. Very pale, chalky nudes can wash fair skin out, so keep a little warmth or pigment.

Shades for Medium and Tan Skin

Medium and tan skin carries warmer, richer tones beautifully: terracotta, warm brick red, caramel, coral, and deep berry all feel at home. True red and cranberry are easy wins. Avoid light, ashy nudes that can look grey against a warm complexion.

Shades for Deep Skin

Deep skin is a canvas for dramatic colour. Rich berry, chocolate brown, deep plum, warm mahogany, and vibrant fuchsia all pop. A bold wine or electric red makes a confident statement, while frosty pale shades tend to look chalky.

Finish and Occasion Matter Too

Matte feels editorial, satin is everyday polished, and gloss adds a playful plump. For work, a tinted balm or soft pink is enough; for date night, a deep berry or red signals confidence. Swatch on your fingertip in daylight, and start from lips that are exfoliated and moisturised so any colour looks its best.