Beauty Basics: Your Best Lipstick Shade Step-by-Step

If you're like most women, you're constantly on the prowl for the perfect lip color. You'll find a new favorite shade and wear it nonstop for 2 days, after which it'll join the graveyard of semi-used lipsticks at the bottom of your purse.

How to avoid this vicious buy and retire cycle? Find the right lipstick shade for daily use. Every skin tone has their perfect color – the one that subtly brightens your skin tone and makes your eyes sparkle. We're not saying you can't have fun with the season's must-have shade; think of this more about your old faithful – the lipstick shade you can rely on day in and day out. Read on for tips from makeup expert Carmindy, star of TLC's What Not To Wear, on finding the perfect shade of lipstick for dark, medium and light skin tones.

Peter Buckingham

Finding Your Shade
For everyday use, you want a lipstick that looks like your lips, only a little more colorful. "It should mimic your natural lip color, but take it just a step above," says Carmindy.

Peter Buckingham

Darker Skin Tones
As you can see here, the right shade of lipstick brings out the yellow undertones in darker skin, helping your complexion look brighter. It also picks up the whites of the eyes, making your eye color appear more intense.

Peter Buckingham

Darker Skin Tones - Your Lipstick Shade
Carmindy recommends choosing a daily lipstick with a little bit of color. "You want more pigment than a nude shade, which will just disappear on your skin," she says. Use a terracotta color, shown here, for a natural look that bumps up your lip color, while appearing natural, smooth and creamy.

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Darker Skin Tones - Lipstick Application
Choose a sheer, glossy formula and use a lip brush for an extra light application. You can layer on more color as you need it for extra brightness.

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Darker Skin Tones - Final Look
Terracotta lipstick brightens up darker skin tones; layer it on light for day, and darker for night, to make your skin glow.

Peter Buckingham

Medium Skin Tones
As you can see, the right lipstick tone on medium skin brightens the complexion and makes the eyes look more vibrant.

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Medium Skin Tones - Your Lipstick Shade
"On medium skin tones, I like to go with berry shades," says Carmindy. "A berry shade will play into your natural lip color, but take it up a level."

Peter Buckingham

Medium Skin Tones - Final Look
Berry lipstick brightens up medium skin tones; layer it on light for day, and darker for night, to make your skin glow.

Peter Buckingham

Lighter Skin Tones
Women with lighter skin tones tend to have paler lips, which can get lost without the right tone of lipstick. A subtle hint of pink will bring them out, while warming up your complexion and brightening your eye color.

Peter Buckingham