MAKE ME OVER: LIP COLOUR LOWDOWN: LIP TONE

La la la la lip tone. Ha! Sorry, the word ‘tone’ made me want to break out into a tune, so I did. But when I say lip tone, I’m not talking about pitch or anything else related to grammar, I’m talking about the natural colour of your lips. And this natural tone, Primps, needs to be considered whenever you’re considering your next lipstick or gloss purchase.

The natural shade of your lips is kind of like The Big Boss when it comes to how a lip shade will look on you. That’s right, YOU. Not on your sister, not on your BFF, and most certainly not on your boyfriend after an epic make out session. Ha! This is why you may find yourself loving a lipstick in mag, buying it, and taking it home only to find it looks completely different on you than the hot chick in the beauty pages. Bummer.

How to find the perfect colour for your lip tone:
Give your face a good cleanse, so you’re not wearing any makeup. The perfect neutral shade for you, be it a nude, beige pink, or rosy brown, will be the closest colour to your natural lips. This is the colour you’ll probably find yourself wearing most days, or whenever you want to keep your lips low key. You’ll know you’ve found the right shade when the lip colour brightens your complexion, and suits your eye and hair colour, too.

But what if you’re strolling around a mall with a full face of makeup and want to make a lippie purchase, huh? Well, be sure to test it on the inside of the tip of your finger and not the back of your hand. The skin on your hand looks nothing like your lips because the undertones are completely different, so you’d just be wasting your time, Primps. Your finger tip is definitely the way to go.

Do you want some product suggestions? Check these puppies out:

If your lip tone is on the pale side: Go for anything in pastel shades like baby pink or light beige. Deep tones can look massively dark on pale lips, so if you want to crank one out, go easy on the application. I’m thinking you should try Nars Lipstick in Honolulu Honey, $58.00 or Rimmel Lasting Finish Intense Wear Lipstick in Bordeaux, $9.95.

If your lip tone is on the dark side: You will look awesome with any blue-toned, deep colours. Think bold reds and plums and berries. Yum. If you go for something pale, your lips will end up looking a little grey and ashy. Not ideal. Give Benefit Silky Finish Lipstick in Breathless, $30.00 a go, or even Max Factor Colour Perfection Lipstickin azalea, $21.95.

If your lip tone is uneven: No probs. You’ve just got decide whether you want to enhance or conceal the natural colours. It’s up to you. You can use a light shade that matches your lighter lip colour and enhance it, or opt for a darker shade for a dramatic bold lip. But if that sounds like a little too much, even out your lip tone instead with a sheer, darker-toned lip stick as a base on the lighter area, and then apply your favourite lipstick over the top. Too easy.

And that’s the end of this lip tone tune, Primps. I hope you enjoyed the track. But before I go, tell me…

Have you paid any attention to your lip tone before?
What tone are you?
Pale?
Dark?
Uneven?