How to Choose the Perfect Lip Combo
How to enhance your natural features with the best lipstick and liners for you.
Choosing the right lip color isn't just about picking a shade you like—it's about finding a combination that complements your skin tone and hair color. As the seasons shift, fall lip colors often embrace rich, warm hues, and cooler, deeper tones that enhance your natural features. As a former makeup artist, I wanted to walk you through the details to help you find the perfect lip pairings to flatter your complexion and hair, so you can enhance your natural features.
Understanding Skin Undertones: Cool, Warm, and Neutral
Before diving into the specific color combinations, it’s essential to understand the role of undertones in determining what shades suit you best. Undertones are the subtle hues beneath your skin that can be cool, warm, or neutral.
Cool undertones: Skin with pink, red, or bluish undertones.
Warm undertones: Skin with yellow, peach, or golden undertones.
Neutral undertones: A balance of both cool and warm hues.
Knowing your undertone helps you choose colors that either harmonize or contrast in a flattering way. The key is to find your balance!
Lip Color Combos for Cool Skin Tones
If your skin has cool undertones and your hair tends to be lighter (blonde, light brown, or silver), fall lip colors with blue or purple bases can create striking contrast, making your features pop without overpowering.
Why it works: The cool undertones of these lipsticks will compliment your skin's natural tone, creating a cohesive look that emphasizes the natural flush in your complexion. Deep berry shades or cool-toned reds can also make lighter eyes stand out, giving a subtle brightness to the overall look.
For those with darker cool-toned hair (jet black or cool brown), pairing a plum lip liner with a rich burgundy lipstick can intensify your look without pulling too dark. These shades enhance the contrast between your skin and hair, giving depth and dimension to your features.
Lip Color Combos for Warm Skin Tones
Warm skin tones pair beautifully with rich, earthy shades that reflect the warmth in your skin and hair. If you have warm undertones and hair that leans toward red, auburn, or golden brown, lip colors that echo autumn's natural palette—such as rich oranges, warm nudes, and golden reds are your go-to.
Why it works: Warm-toned lipsticks enhance the golden hues in your skin, creating a balanced and radiant appearance. A terracotta liner combined with a warm, brick-red lipstick will complement your natural warmth while creating definition that pulls the whole look together. The depth of these colors ensures your lips stand out without clashing with your skin's natural tone.
For those with darker warm-toned hair (chocolate brown, chestnut, or deep auburn), lean into richer hues like rust or deep coral. These colors mirror the warmth of your hair while highlighting the richness of your complexion, creating a bold fall look.
Lip Color Combos for Neutral Skin Tones
Neutral skin tones can play with both cool and warm shades, offering more versatility when it comes to lip color choices. If you have neutral undertones and hair that’s blonde, brown, or darker, you can easily transition between classic nudes and bold fall shades.
Why it works: Neutral skin tones have the flexibility to wear a wide range of shades. A soft brown liner paired with a classic nude lipstick can enhance the natural warmth or coolness of your features without pulling your undertones too far in either direction. For a more dramatic fall look, a deep wine shade with a soft brown liner creates a sophisticated contrast, offering both depth and subtlety.
This combination can highlight the natural balance in your features, working seamlessly with both light and dark hair colors. For darker-haired individuals, don’t be afraid to embrace bold reds or muted purples for a more striking fall statement.
Tips for Matching Lip Liners and Lipsticks
When pairing lip liners and lipsticks, think of the liner as a subtle frame for the lips. A liner slightly darker than the lipstick can provide definition and prevent color from feathering, while a liner that matches the lipstick can create a seamless, fuller look.
For a soft, blended look, apply liner along the edges of the lips and blend inward before applying lipstick.
To define and shape, outline the lips first, then fill in with lipstick, ensuring the colors complement each other without creating harsh contrasts.
Get creative + tag me in any lip combo creations you snap💋
xoxo
Taylor
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