THE BLOG
February 2 2021
Pair Your Lipstick With Your Skin Tone this Valentine’s Day
Ah, Valentine’s Day.
A day full of kisses, chocolate, flowers, and candlelit dinners. Or a singles night full of romcoms, photoshoots, laughing with friends, and maybe a glass of wine or two (if you’re 21, of course).
Whatever your Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day plans are, dress code is everything. That means clothes, makeup, accessories… you want it all. Because your camera roll will probably be filled with hundreds of pictures by the end of the night.
If anything is gonna be post-worthy, you have to make sure your makeup looks glamorous. And that means picking out the perfect shade of lipstick.
This guide is here to help you pick out a shade — whether you’ll be snuggled up at home, out on the town, or at dinner for two — based on your skin tone. Different nudes, reds, and pinks look better on you depending on the color and undertones of your skin. Just like different eyeshadows look better with different eye shades!
Not only can lipstick make you look and feel amazing, but it can also add definition to your lips and face and bring out different hues in your skin tone. So, that’s why you need to choose your shade wisely.
But don’t worry, we’re here to help.
Barely-there NUDE
When it comes to nude lipstick, you’re almost trying to match the shade to your natural lip color. Yeah, it sounds a little counterproductive, but nude lippies are meant to complement the rest of your makeup look, not steal the show. They’re meant to be, well, barely there.
Those of you with super fair skin should go for colors with warm undertones, like pink or orange. Tan and beige tones can make fair skin look super pale.
The Matte Lipstick in "Strawberry Milkshake" has the perfect touch of rosy pink to bring out the natural flush in your cheeks. This shade will bring some color and dimension to your overall look.
For medium skin tones, go a shade or two darker than your natural lip color. Going any lighter will wash you out and remove any kind of dimension from your lips and face. Hints of blush or peachy pink will bring out your lips in a gorgeous way, too.
Go for the Moisturizing Lipstick in "Mocha" for a soft and subtle lip tint. This warm shade is a great go-to nude that goes with anything.
If you have a darker complexion, use warm, rich, browns. Shades with red undertones will define your lips while warm, nude taupes will go well with any makeup look.
Wear the Matte Liquid Lip in "Cookie" for a cozy vibe this Valentine’s Day. A beautifully warm taupe, this shade will make you look and feel amazing whether you’re with the gals, friends, or your S/O.
Run it in RED
Saucy and seductive, red lipstick is perfect for Valentine’s Day. But not all reds are made the same. So, although it seems easy enough to grab a red and go, it’s a bit more complicated than that.
When it comes to red lipstick, fair skin is broken up into two categories — cool undertones and warm undertones. Those with cool undertones want to go with blue-based, cranberry reds. And those with warm undertones should go with orange-based, brick reds.
If you have fair skin with cool undertones, try the Matte Lipstick in “Prince St.” This shade is a blue-based red lipstick that will complement the undertones in your skin. On the flip side, “The Red” has an orange, fiery glow that’ll look awesome on fair-skinned people with warm undertones.
If you have medium-toned skin, the world is basically your oyster. Both cool and warm-toned reds look great on medium skin, so it really depends on the look you’re going for.
For a bright red lip, use an orange-red like the Metallic Liquid Lip in "Empire State." For a sophisticated look, go for a ruby red like the Moisturizing Lipstick in "Everyday is Christmas."
Those with darker complexions should go for deep, rich red or burgundy. Intense colors tend to really complement dark skin tones.
Try the Matte Liquid Lip in “Queens.” This color will make you look and feel like your sexiest self.
Pretty in PINK
For a slight pop of color, pink is the way to go. Depending on what shade you go for, pink can be sassy and bold or soft and sweet. Now, there are about a million different shades of pink to choose from, so let’s break it down a little.
Like with red lipstick, fair skin has to be split into cool and warm undertones. But, rosy-beige shades are a little more neutral and look great with all ivory skin.
A universal pink shade for those of you with fair skin is the Matte Liquid Lip in “Soho.” There’s just enough nude in this shade to neutralize the pink, making it look great on all fair skin tones.
For statement-making pink, go with the Moisturizing Lipstick in “Bubble Gum.”
On medium skin tones, warm orangey or raspberry pinks look best. Similar to red lipstick, just about every shade of pink looks good on those with medium skin.
The Matte Liquid Lip in "Fun" is a vivid pink that’ll glow on all medium skin tones.
Darker skin tones look incredible in bright pinks and fuchsia. But for an everyday look, opt for shades with warm undertones, like orange and peach.
For a bright, show-stopping pink, use the Metallic Liquid Lip in the shade “Utopia”. And for a more toned-down pink shade, pick up the Moisturizing Lipstick in “Dumbo.” These shades will not only complement your skin tone, but they’ll also turn heads wherever you go.
No matter what lipstick shade you go for this Val/Galentine’s Day, you’re going to kill it. Once you know what hues and undertones look best on your skin tone, you’ll literally always hit the mark.
You’ll always know which shade is the one — it makes you feel like that b****.
P.S. —
Use this guide to gift your besties this Val/Galentine's Day with their perfect lipstick shade, too! Buy any 3 lip products and get the 4th one free from now until 2/15/2021. Just enter the code “Girlfriends” at checkout.
P.P.S. —
We’re so excited to see what shades you choose for this Val/Galentine’s Day. Be sure to take a pic, upload it to socials, and tag @m2unyc. Use the hashtag #M2UNYC, too!
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