Lipstick Color Finder: Your Nude, Everyday Color and Red

How to use the lipstick color finder

Choose the skin depth closest to your face and your undertone. If you don’t know it, pick “Not sure yet” and you’ll get neutral picks, or take the undertone finder first. Then choose the finish you like, how much color you want and the occasion. A soft, everyday answer puts your nude first. A bold answer or an evening out puts your red first. A wedding puts your everyday color first, because it shows up in photos without overpowering the rest of the look.

The result updates as you go. You can copy the three shades, print them, or save a link and send it to a friend shopping with you.

Finding a nude with the lipstick color finder

A nude lip is the hardest shade to get right, because it has to sit close to your own lip color without washing you out. The trick is undertone. On light skin, a nude with a little pink in it usually looks fresh, while a brown-leaning nude can make lips look darker than intended. On medium and olive skin, nudes with caramel, beige or slightly orange warmth tend to work. On deep skin, chocolate, rich brown and red-brown nudes look natural, while pale beige nudes can look chalky.

If your nude makes you look tired, the undertone is usually off rather than the depth. Try one a little pinker or a little warmer before you try one lighter or darker.

Your everyday color

Your everyday shade sits between a nude and a statement lip. For cool undertones it’s usually a rose, mauve or plum, depending on depth. For warm undertones it’s coral on light skin, terracotta on medium skin and a terracotta brown on deep skin. Neutral undertones can move toward pink on light skin, mauve on medium skin and berry on deep skin.

This is the shade most people reach for at weddings, brunches and in photos, because it adds color to the face without needing constant touch-ups to look intentional.

Picking a red that suits you

Almost everyone can wear red. The question is which red. Cool undertones suit blue-based reds, the kind that look a little cherry or wine. Warm undertones suit orange-based reds, from coral red on light skin to orange-red on medium skin. Depth matters as much as undertone: brighter reds read well on light skin, richer blood reds on medium skin, and deeper reds with a brown or orange tint on deep skin.

If you’re unsure, a true red that leans neither blue nor orange is the safest first try. Check it against your teeth and the whites of your eyes in daylight. Blue-based reds tend to make teeth look whiter, which is one reason they’re popular for photos.

Matte, satin, gloss or sheer

Finish changes how long a lipstick lasts and how it photographs. Matte formulas last longest and show no shine in flash, but they can feel dry, so a light balm first helps. Satin and cream formulas feel comfortable and look soft, though they wear away a little sooner. Gloss looks fresh and makes lips look fuller, but it moves and fades fastest. Sheer and tinted formulas are the most forgiving if a shade is slightly off, and the easiest to wear every day.

A lip liner close to your lip color, or close to the lipstick, helps any finish stay in place. Line, fill in lightly with the liner, then apply the lipstick on top.

How to test a lipstick shade

Swatching on the back of your hand shows the color in the tube, not the color on you. Your lips have their own pigment, which changes how a lipstick looks, especially sheer and nude shades. If you can, try the shade on your lips, or on a fingertip, which is closer in tone to lips than the hand is. Then look in daylight near a window and from arm’s length, the distance most people see you from.

Give it a few minutes. Some formulas darken a little as they settle, and long-wear formulas can shift as they dry. Check how the shade looks with your usual blush and eye makeup, not on a bare face, because a lip that looks bright on its own often looks just right once the rest of the face has color.

Balancing lips with the rest of your makeup

A bold lip and a bold eye compete for attention, so many looks choose one and keep the other soft. A red lip pairs well with clean, defined lashes and a soft wash of shadow. A nude lip leaves room for a smoky or shimmery eye. Your everyday color sits comfortably with almost any eye look, which is part of why it works so well for long days and events. Keeping your blush in the same family as your lipstick ties the face together, even when the shades are different strengths.

Lipstick for weddings and photos

For a wedding, choose a shade you’ve already worn for several hours, eaten and had a drink in, and photographed with the flash on. Very pale nudes can disappear in pictures, while very dark shades can look heavier on camera than in the mirror. Your everyday color is often the safest choice for the ceremony, and some brides switch to a bolder red for the reception.

Plan for touch-ups. Pack the lipstick and a liner in a small bag, and blot after meals rather than wiping. If your blush and lips sit in the same family, the look stays balanced even after a touch-up or two. The blush color finder uses the same depth and undertone bands, so the two results go together.