There are so many ways to pucker up your pout. With one easy swipe, you can add moisture, color, and shine to your lips. Lip gloss comes in a variety of textures, colors, finishes, and formulas. From cream, gloss, matte, and sheer finishes, to pearl, metallic, and lip stains, finding the right gloss for your lips can seem like a complicated matter.
Wearing the wrong color can make your face look washed out. You really want to find something that compliments your skin tone and the occasion. In this guide, we’ll help you nail the basics when choosing the best gloss to match your skin and complexion. Find out everything you need to consider when choosing the best lip gloss for irresistible lips.
How to Choose the Best Lip Gloss
When choosing the best lip gloss for your complexion you want to consider the finish, color, texture, and occasion.
Lip gloss finishes
- Glossy: Glossy lipsticks give your lips extra shine which makes them look bigger, softer, and more moisturized. Although these types of gloss sticks are usually very moisturizing, they don’t last very long on your lips. They can come in the form of liquid lipstick in a squeezable tube, roll-on gloss, or in a tube with a built-in brush applicator.
- Matte: Matte finishes don’t reflect much light, so they look drier and flatter than their glossy counterparts. They do however have better longevity and usually contain a mattifying mineral or silicone to give a non-reflective finish. Matte finish products can make lips feel a little dry, although they’ll keep your lips colorful a whole lot longer.
- Sheer: Some lipsticks and glosses are made specifically with fewer pigment ingredients for more of a tinted look than intense color. This allows for a natural look in a glossy finish that helps moisturize your lips too. Sheer lip gloss is ideal for casual daily wear where you don’t particularly want to make a statement, but still want to add a little glam.
- Lip Stains: Lip stains usually have a light creamy liquid or gel formula with a high amount of water. This allows the sheer stain to spread over the lips in a thin layer and be absorbed slightly for a light tint rather than a bold outer coating. Lip stains are long-lasting and perfect if you don’t like the feeling of a thick creamy formula over your lips.
- Pearl And Metallics: Pearl and metallic lipsticks and gloss come in a variety of textures. They contain a reflective pigment and can vary in the level of moisture. The reflective pigment is a super shiny mineral that leaves a glittery shimmering appearance.
Lip gloss texture
Consider the degree of moisture required when choosing your lip gloss. If you have dry lips, find a good moisturizing product that doesn’t dry out your lips further or emphasize dry patches. Dry lips will benefit from glossy hydrating finishes rather than matte formulas.
For everyday application, a moisturizing formula with a glossy, satin, or sheer finish is a good option for optimal hydration. If your lips are naturally hydrated then you can comfortably play around with matte formulas and creamy glossies.
How to Find the Best Lip Gloss Color for Your Skin Tone
There are no hard and fast rules about what colors to wear, however, it is advised to keep your skin tone in mind when choosing a lip color that will really accentuate your features and not clash with your complexion.
How to determine your skin undertone
Understanding your skin’s tone and undertone is important in choosing any makeup, from lipstick to foundation. Your skin tone refers to whether you have light or dark skin which depends on how much melanin is in your skin. Your skin undertone however is based on the primary colors yellow, red, and rarely blue as well. Individuals with prevalent yellow tones have warm skin. Those with red or pink tones have cool skin. If you have a balance of yellow and pink tones, you have neutral skin. Olive skin can fall under a warm or neutral undertone while blue, although very rare, usually falls under neutral skin undertone classification.
If you don’t wear foundation, your facial coloring or tone will matter more when choosing your lip gloss color. If you wear foundation, it might be better to look at your neck or chest coloring to determine your true undertones.
The best way to determine your undertone is to take a photograph of yourself against a white background in natural lighting and try to isolate which of the three primary colors you see the most of. Another trick is to look at your veins. If they appear bluer, you are neutral. Slightly purple veins indicate cool-toned, and greener type veins indicate either a warm or olive tone.
Lip colors for cool undertones and fair skin
If you have a pinkish, cool skin undertone, you want to choose lip gloss colors that will make your skin look healthy and clear. The most flattering colors for your skin tone will be neutral. Slightly deeper rose and berry tones, as well as nudes, will work well. For something dramatic burgundy, pinks, and magentas are all great choices. Yellows, greens, and orange colors will be the least flattering for your complexion.
Best lip colors for warm undertones
If your skin is warm with a lot of yellow undertones, it is best to avoid purple tones. If your skin is only moderately warm, then warmer purples like magenta and plum will work. Your best bet is neutral and warm shades. Soft, warm rose, brick reds, peaches, corals, and colors in the brown and burgundy family can look great. For drama go with true reds and slightly warmer tomato reds.
Best lip colors for neutral undertones
Neutral undertones can get away successfully wearing almost any lip color. Warm and cool-toned colors sit well against your balanced skin. The main thing to consider will be the darkness of your lip gloss and how it pairs with the rest of your look.
