Beauty How-To: Pink Lippy For Your Complexion

Pink is a great, versatile everyday colour that basically goes with anything you wear. It’s great for a natural look or a bright pop of colour. However, just like the classic red lip, pinks wear differently on different complexions and unless your skin has neutral undertones (and most people don’t), chances are you may have to do a little trial-and-error to find that perfect pink. This week I did exactly that and have narrowed down the sea of pinks out there to a few that, hopefully, work with the following complexions.

If you are cool toned, ie have pink undertones, the ways to tell are: the veins on your wrist lean blue, you burn more easily than you tan, silver jewellery and pure white flatter your skin tone and, if you’ve been colour matched, you are an NW or N in MAC foundations.

Cool toned people often look best in icy pinks that lean more blue, aka ‘cool pinks’. Pinks with llilac tones also work nicely with cool complexions. Stay away from pinks with too much mauve or warm coral, mauve being a warm variation in the purple family, as this may contrast with your skin tone make you look washed out. However, for those cool toned girls and boys who love corals, fear not! Softer, lighter peachy-pastel-pinks work well with cool tones and the softer, pastel quality doesn’t clash and compete with your pink undertones. Try:

MAC Snob ($36): The epitome of cool pinks, gorgeous pale, baby pink

Revlon Primrose ($23): Very standard, classic pink with a hint of lilac

If you are warm toned, you have yellow or olive undertones and you can tell because: the veins on your wrist lean green, gold jewellery and off-whites or creams flatter your skin tone and you are an NC or C in MAC foundations.

For those that are warm toned, stick to pinks that lean more coral when choosing lighter pinks and plummy pinks when going for darker shades. A lot of the time, warm toned people can pull of bolder, darker lip colours better than cool toned complexions. However you may find it trickier to wear softer pastels and pale-nudey pinks as these colours can make you look sallow. Warm-mauve and coral infused pinks are great for warm complexions and their compliment the golden undertones in your skin. Try:

Tom Ford Pink Dusk ($49): Dusty rose with a touch of mauve

OCC Memento Liptar ($16): Classic pink with the barest salmon-peach finish

The hunt for the perfect pink has definitely not been quick or easy! Thankfully trying out different lip colours is about as hard as sitting back and enjoying a manicure and the whole trial and error process has been tremendous fun.

Let me know if you guys have found your perfect pink, I’m still looking and would love some new suggestions!