Find Your Perfect Nude Lip
Follow the guide from Bobbi Brown Senior Pro Artist Warren Dowdall to find your perfect shade…
“To find your perfect lip colour, look at both undertone and intensity of your skin and your natural lip colour to select the ideal shade. If lipstick is new to you, the balm texture of Crushed Lip Color is the perfect pick, as it offers a soft wash of colour with a diffused intensity. A shine texture also works to add volume to the lips, so great for those with a smaller lip shape.
If you aren’t sure of your skin’s undertone, there are a few simple tricks to identify if you are cool, neutral or warm:
Your Skin And The Sun
First is knowing how your skin reacts to the sun. If you have a cool undertone, you may burn easily and perhaps apply sunscreen more often. If you tan easily and rarely burn, then you are likely to have warm undertones. If you burn, then tan you are probably neutral.
Jewellery: Silver or Gold?
The second is jewellery. Many people are more attracted to either silver or gold jewellery because of the way it looks against their skin. If you wear gold, you’re more likely to have warm undertones. Silver tends to look more flattering on cooler undertones and if you are a neutral undertone, you look great in either.
Are You Cool…
If you have a cool undertone, choose anything with a blue or purple base. You can enhance your natural lip colour with a rose pink or pinky mauve such as Crushed Lip Color in Buff. To add a pop of colour, try a cool cherry red or go bold with deep wine burgundy.
…Or Warm?
If you have a warm undertone, warm, peachy nudes such as Crushed Lip in Italian Rose emphasise your lips in the most natural way. Brick reds are great to add a pop of colour and if you are feeling bold, deep burnt terracotta oranges are a great choice.
Neutral Rules
If you are a neutral undertone, both warm and cool based lipsticks will look great on you. To find your perfect shade, you can also consider the depth of your skin. If your skin is fair, stay with paler nudes such as Crushed Lip Color in Blondie Pink, which adds a soft touch of warmth and won’t wash you out. Medium skin tones look great in rosey nudes such as Crushed Lip Color in Brownie, which add easy-to-wear, subtle depth to the lips. If you have a deeper complexion, richer nudes such as Crushed Lip Color in Cocoa or Dark Chocolate are perfect for a natural wash of colour.
image by Bobbi Brown
Do The Swatch
If you aren’t sure how to find a lipsticks undertone, try swatching them side by side and it should be clear which is more orange and which is more neutral.” – senior pro artist, Warren Dowdall
