Pick the right lip shade and foundation for your skin tone

Mumbai: Every individual has specific tones and undertones that need to be kept in mind when picking a foundation and lip shade that best suits their complexion.

When choosing your makeup, it is imperative to understand your overtone which is your visible skin colour, followed by your undertone, which could either be cold, warm or neutral. Once these two tones are determined under the guidance of an expert, you can choose the right foundation, lipstick and other makeup products that will complement your look.

For the makeup to blend seamlessly, it needs to work with your specific undertone. The best way to determine your undertone is to check the colour of your veins in your wrist or ankle. Pink complexion or a yellow/golden tint indicates a warm undertone while a blue/purple/greenish tint indicates a cool undertone.

Lack of a definite tint most probably indicates a neutral undertone. Every foundation shade is available with specific undertones. Its best to test the foundation on your jawline to make sure it matches your face and neck both to provide a seamless transition.

The foundation will be a true match when it fully blends into your skin, making it look airbrushed and more even, without getting oxidised. Sometimes, the lights in most departmental stores can change the look of how foundation colours look on your skin. It’s imperative to step out in natural light to make sure it is the right shade for you.

When it comes to picking a lip shade, skin tone plays a crucial role. The very first step in choosing the right lipstick colour is determining what skin tone you have. There are 5 main types of skin complexion: fair, light, medium, tan, and deep.

For lighter skin tones, a light pink lip shade or a clear lip gloss works best for a regular day look and brighter hues of pink or red for a bold night out look. Dark red lipsticks have cooler undertones and best complement fair skin, making the rest of the face look bright.

Whereas, orange lip shades complement fair skin with warm undertones. For medium skin tones, natural pinks and mauve-browns look best for a day look and vibrant pinkish red lip shades for a night time look. Mauves look great if you have warm undertones; while brown look better if you have cool undertones.

Girls with a tan skin tone can carry off coral, deep pink, bright red, and most other colours except for brown and purple shades. For deep skin tones, darker lip colours like brown and purple shades of plum, caramel, wine and blue-based red looks flattering.

Beyond all the technicalities of choosing the right foundation and lipstick shade, what matters most for women is the confidence and grace with which she presents herself. So, ladies, understand your skin tone and type perfectly well and everything will fall in place as long as the twinkle in your eyes and sparkle on your lips always stay.

*Disclaimer: This article has been contributed by Stafford Braganza, National Makeup Artist, NYX Professional Makeup. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and figures appearing in this article do not reflect the views of Deccan Chronicle, and Deccan Chronicle does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.