Here’s how to match your lip color to match your mood, level up your look, and complement your skin tone.
– KEYS SOULCARE
Picking the perfect lip color is more than finding a pretty shade: it’s about expressing yourself through color and giving illumination to your inner light. Whether you’re after a natural, everyday lip look or making a bold statement, there’s a real comfort in color.
Our Comforting Lip Balm doesn’t just drench the lips in a soothing, sheer wash of color; it’s also an award-winning formulation that Wirecutter calls “just right, with adjustable pigmentation in versatile shades.” It’s available in a handful of silky, buildable colorways — but before you rush to grab your new go-to tinted balm, let’s get into what lipstick shades will make your skin tone sing.
START WITH THE BASICS
First things first, you’ll want to have an understanding of your skin’s baseline — like what skin tint shade is right for you, or what blush is the best match based on your skin’s undertones. Having a sense of your skin tone helps give you a vocabulary you can apply to our other makeup-skincare hybrids. Not sure which shade fits you? Take our skin shade finder quiz.
Plus, knowing your ideal blush shade can help give you an idea of the kinds of lip colors that play off your skin’s natural tones, whether your skin leans rosy, olive, or deep brown. Like a painting or work of art, your lipstick is just one shade on a rich palette of colors that work together in harmony.
But remember: the best lip color for your skin tone is one that illuminates your natural radiance. Sometimes, that’s a classic clear — like our Comforting Lip Balm in Lucid, which nourishes your lips with hydration while playing up your natural features. Other times, based on your mood (and your look!) you’re gonna want bright pops of color.
FINDING THE BEST LIP COLOR FOR YOUR SKIN TONE
Let’s learn about the best lip colors for your skin tone, whether you’re swiping on Comforting Tinted Lip Balm or any of your favorite longwear lipsticks.
COOL TONE LIP COLOR
For cooler toned skin, you can look to your skin’s undertone for inspiration on what colors to pull from for your next lip look. You may have blue or pinkish undertones that play nicely with classic reds, vibrant berry tones, or deep plum and dramatic port wine looks. For everyday makeup, dial up your natural complexion with mauves and soft pinks.
For a cool-toned lip look, try Comforting Tinted Lip Balm in shades like Inspiration (a sheer neutral berry) or Devotion (an elegant mauve).
WARM TONE LIP COLOR
For complexions that pick up on golden and peachy tones, pair your skin’s naturally warm undertone with a lip color that adds depth and radiance. You may gravitate towards soft nude shades, bold orange-y reds, or rich, earthy colors.
For a warm-toned lip look, try Comforting Tinted Lip Balm in Gratitude (a sheer, warm terracotta).
BEST LIP COLOR FOR FAIR SKIN TONE
Playing up on the fairness of the skin can create a dreamy, pearlescent look with its light pink and blue undertones. (Think of the iconic Let Me Glow shade Moonstone Aura, which creates an celestial, iridescent vibe to any look.)
Some of the best lip colors for fair skin tones are soft pinks, sheer corals, and light berry shades. Go bold with Sheer Bliss (a zippy strawberry) or Inspiration (a neutral berry). For everyday, reach for an always-chic mauve blend like Devotion.
BEST LIP COLOR FOR MEDIUM SKIN TONE
Medium skin tones can often enjoy the best of both worlds. They can dial up the drama with classic reds and punchy berry shades that often suit fairer skin tones, or warm things up with cinnamon browns and bright oranges.
For medium skin tones, try Comforting Tinted Lip Balm in Gratitude (to play up the terracotta look) or Inspiration (to lean into some berry vibes).
BEST LIP COLOR FOR OLIVE SKIN TONE
Olive skin tones also possess a balance of both warm and cool tones, so these types can express themselves with versatile colors that pick up on both undertones. Olive skin tones typically have green-ish or golden undertones. Olive skin tones pair well with earthy terracottas and burnt oranges, vibrant reds (especially brick red or blue-based reds), and rich mulberries. Think Gratitude for a warm, earthy look, or go for a pop of red with Sheer Bliss (a fan-favorite zippy strawberry).
BEST LIP COLOR FOR DARK SKIN TONE
Dark skin tones pair beautifully with vibrant, deep lip colors like bright fuchsias, warm browns, and statement reds (look for orange-based reds, which really pop against darker skin tones). Saturated colors look divine on dark skin tones, meaning you can go bold with bright berries, oranges, and deep plums.
All of Comforting Tinted Lip Balm’s shades beautifully compliment dark skin tones, but especially colors like Sheer Bliss and Inspiration, which both bring on the berry.
Can’t pick just one lip color? That’s okay — you do contain multitudes, after all. Try a trio with the Soulful Kiss Tinted Lip Balm Set instead, which features a limited-edition shimmer, Alicia’s favorite shade Manifestation and the best-selling shade Inspiration to mix and match your way.
Whether you’re going for a fresh-faced or full-wattage look, what lipstick color feels most like “you”? Sound off in the comments below.
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