How to choose the right lipstick shade
Choose your lipstick by skin undertone first, then adjust the depth and finish to suit the occasion and your outfit. Cool undertones glow in blue-based pinks, berries and true reds; warm undertones come alive in corals, peaches and brick tones — and a soft nude or a bold statement is a separate choice you layer on top of that foundation.
Start with your undertone
Your undertone is the quiet colour beneath your skin, and it decides whether a shade flatters you or fights you. The quickest test: look at the veins on your inner wrist in natural light. Bluish or purple veins mean cool undertones, greenish veins mean warm, and a mix of both means neutral.
| Undertone | Flattering lip tones | Tends to clash with |
|---|---|---|
| Cool | Blue-based pinks, berries, plum, true red | Orange and brick shades |
| Warm | Coral, peach, terracotta, warm/brick red | Icy blue-pinks |
| Neutral | Rosy nudes, soft berries, balanced reds | Very few — most shades work |
If you’re unsure, neutral is the safe assumption — most rosy and balanced shades will suit you. As a mobile makeup artist coming to you, this is the first thing I read on your skin before I open the kit.
Match the depth to the occasion
Undertone tells you the colour family; the occasion tells you how far to push it. A daytime lunch or a school pick-up wants something close to your natural lip — a “your lips but better” rosy nude. An evening event, a milestone birthday or a black-tie do can carry a deeper berry or a confident red.
- Daytime / casual: soft nude, tinted balm, sheer rose
- Work or a daytime event: a defined “my-lips-but-better” pink or mauve
- Evening or special occasion: berry, plum or a true bold red
- Photographed events: a long-wear formula with crisp edges, so it reads clean in close-ups
For a big night I’ll often build the lip to last through dinner, speeches and photos — the formula and prep matter as much as the shade.
Let your outfit and eyes guide the finish
A lip should harmonise with what you’re wearing, not match it exactly. Cool-toned outfits — black, navy, jewel tones, silver jewellery — sit beautifully with berry and blue-red lips. Warm outfits — camel, rust, olive, gold jewellery — love coral, terracotta and brick. The other rule: let either the lip or the eye lead. A bold lip pairs best with a soft, defined eye, while a dramatic smoky eye is happiest with a nude or muted lip.
This balance is exactly what I plan for when I do event and special-occasion makeup, whether you’re getting ready at home in Cottesloe or heading out across the Swan Valley for a celebration.
Nude vs bold: how to decide
Nude isn’t one colour — the right nude carries your undertone, just dialled down, so cool skin wants a rosy or mauve nude while warm skin wants a peach or caramel one. A nude that’s too pale or too beige can wash you out or look ashy. Bold, on the other hand, is about commitment: choose one statement feature, keep the rest of the face clean, and make sure the shade still sits in your undertone family so it lifts your complexion rather than draining it. When a client can’t decide, I usually swatch two on the jaw, step back, and let the skin tell us which one switches the whole face on.
