Almost every lipstick shade guide on the internet is a wall of colour names that mean nothing until you are standing in a shop holding three near-identical browns. Here is a method that does not require perfect colour vision or a colourist.
The one thing to work out first: your undertone
Undertone is not the same as your skin colour. It is the temperature underneath, and it stays the same whether you are fair or deep. Warm undertones have golden, olive or yellow tones. Cool undertones have pink, red or blue tones. Neutral sits in between and is common enough that most shade families will work.
The two-second test
- Look at your bare face in natural daylight, not bathroom lighting.
- Look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. Green-leaning veins suggest warm; blue-leaning veins suggest cool. It is not perfect, but it is a real signal.
- Notice how your skin reacts to sun. If you tan golden rather than pink, you lean warm.
- Look at your jewellery. Gold flatters warm undertones, silver flatters cool. This one is genuinely useful and most people already know their answer.
If two of those three point the same way, you have your answer. If they disagree, you are neutral - and neutral is the easiest position to shop from, because most shade families will work.
Which shades flatter which undertone
- Warm undertones: brick, terracotta, cinnamon, warm nude, orange-red, bronze, coral. Avoid blue-based pinks and anything with a purple cast.
- Cool undertones: berry, rose, plum, blue-red, cool mauve, fuchsia. Avoid orange-based browns and yellow nudes.
- Neutral undertones: most things. You can go warm or cool, though one will always look slightly more 'you'.
A useful rule: if a shade makes your teeth look grey or yellow rather than white, it is the wrong undertone. Teeth reflect light back at a blue-white, and warm lipstick pulls the reflection yellow. This test works in any lighting and needs no self-knowledge at all.
Matching the shade to the formula
The finish changes which shade works. A matte formula in the right colour can still look flat on you, because matte removes the light reflection that makes lips look fuller. A satin or cream finish in the same shade will look better on almost everyone. If you love a matte look, try a satin version of the same shade first.
- Satin and cream: the most forgiving. Good texture, forgiving of uneven skin tone.
- Matte: the most dramatic, the least forgiving. It emphasises texture and every bit of dryness.
- Gloss: reflective, adds volume, and works with almost any shade - though a very light gloss on a very deep lip can wash out.
- Metallic or shimmer: a statement on its own, and easier to wear than it looks on a swatch.
Three shades to start with if you are unsure
A warm nude, a cool rose, and a mid-tone red that sits between them. Those three cover the majority of faces, and they are the easiest to re-wear. In our lip collection the reddish brown velvet matte is the warm-leaning neutral, the rose family sits in the cool spectrum, and the red tint lip oil is a sheer everyday colour that flatters both.
A note on the 'just bitten' look
Tinted lip oils and balms are the lowest-risk way to change your lip colour, because they sit close to your own skin tone. A red tint on a neutral lip reads as flushed rather than as lipstick, and no one can get it wrong. It is also a good way to test a shade before committing to a bullet lipstick.
Frequently asked questions
What if my veins and my jewellery disagree?
You are probably neutral, which is the easiest position. Pick shades by the teeth test rather than by undertone theory.
How do I know if a shade suits me?
Swatch it on the jawline, not the back of the hand, in daylight, and look at it in a mirror at normal distance. The teeth test is the tiebreaker.
Do matte lipsticks make lips look smaller?
They can, because matte removes reflectivity. If you want volume and a matte finish, use a lip liner to create a defined edge and keep the formula slightly satin in the centre.
What about my lip liner?
Use a liner in the same undertone family as your skin, not the same as your lipstick. A warm skin with a cool liner is the most common mismatch we see.
Is a red tint lip oil better than lipstick for a first purchase?
If you are nervous about colour, yes. A tint reads as a flush, it is forgiving, and it is much easier to wear during the day.
If you are still deciding between a lip oil, a gloss and a matte bullet, our lip collection guide breaks down the six formats by finish and by how much commitment each one asks for.