5 foolproof steps to choosing the perfect lipstick for you

VISIT A VIRTUAL BEAUTY COUNTER

And by ‘visit’, we mean download our new, free Get the Look app on iOS or Android. It lets you try on makeup products through your phone.

To try out Rimmel’s gorgeous lipstick ranges – from Lasting Finish to Moisture Renew – open the app, tap ‘Create a Look’ and start swiping your way through the many lip colour options. Every time you tap, a different colour will appear on your face, live, so you can see how they wear without having to step foot in a shop. You can do it anywhere.

LOOK AT THE UNDERTONES

One of the easiest ways to work out if a lipstick will suit you is by looking at the undertones in your skin. If you’re warm, your skin will lean yellow or golden, while cool skin has more of a pink, red or blue tinge.

Now, match the tones of your skin to your lipstick shades, opting for peachy-nudes, oranges and brick reds if you’re warm, or pinky-nudes, poppy reds and berries if you’re cool.

COMPARE SHADES WITH ARM SWATCHES

Victoria Roehm

troehm@timesnews.com

If you dug through your cosmetic bag, how many shades of lipstick do you think you'd find? You might have one of every color, including some that have barely ever been touched. This may be because a color catches your eye in the store but doesn't look so great on you when you actually try it on. Beth Brown, spa director at ReJuv in Erie, gives some advice on how to pick your perfect shade(s).

1. Before wasting money on an endless collection of colors, try to determine your skin tone and which colors will suit it best. Brown says you can determine your skin tone with a simple jewelry trick. She says if you look best in silver jewelry you have cool characteristics. People with cool characteristics have blue and pinkish undertones to their skin. If you look better in gold jewelry you have warm characteristics (yellow/orange or olive undertones). Some people have neutral characteristics. They have pink, olive or yellow undertones and can wear a variety of colors.

2. Choose an everyday color that looks great with just about any outfit you can put together. Brown advises to pick a light to medium shade that matches your skin tone. She warns that too light a shade can wash out your complexion and that too dark a shade can make your look seem out of sync. She recommends light pinks, peaches or golden browns for fair skin; medium pinks and apricots for medium tones; berrys and dark reds for olive tones; and variations of burgundy and fuchsia for darker skin. 

3. Whether you choose a matte or gloss lipstick is up to you. Matte has a dull, shine-free finish while a gloss will give you a wet, shiny and sometimes sparkly look. Matte lipsticks can be drying but can make your look more dramatic and also tend to last longer. You can also purchase a matte gloss that has a wet finish but with less shine. Brown adds, "Some people prefer gloss because it is more hydrating and not as dramatic. I am not a lip gloss fan but the matte glosses on the market are fabulous."

4. In addition to choosing an everyday color, you should find the right red for you. "Everyone can wear red. You just need to pick the right shade," Brown says, explaining that those with cool tones should choose a blue-red and those with warm tones should choose an orange-red. Those with dark skin tones can go burgundy-red. 

5. When shopping for a new color, go somewhere that you can try your lipstick on so you know how it will look with your skin before you get it home. It might not be exactly what you were expecting.

6. When it comes to matching your lipstick with the rest of your makeup, Brown says matching the intensity of the lip color to the rest of your look is the most important. For example, nude lips with dramatic eyes is not a good match. Same goes for red lips with a natural look. 

7. It isn't necessary to match your lipstick to your outfit. Just try to stay in the same color family or go with your everyday lip color. Brown says that if you stick with colors that match your skin tone you can't go wrong.

8. You'll want to take good care of your lips so whatever color you chose looks best on them. The skin on your lips sheds quickly so it is important to keep lips exfoliated and hydrated. There are many lip treatments on the market. 

Victoria Roehm can be reached at 870-1701 or by email victoria.roehm@timesnews.com. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNroehm.