How to match a red lipstick with your skin tone

Hi, Regina!

How will I know if a certain shade of red lipstick will go with my skin tone? I don’t know anything about skin tones.

Sabrina

Your skin could lean towards either the cooler end of the spectrum or the warmer end, and that will determine which shades of red will look best on you. One trick to figure out which one you are is to hold up gold- and silver-colored jewelry against your skin, then see which one looks better. If gold looks better on you, you’re warm. If silver, you’re cool. (Although some look good in both, in which case, pretty much any shade of red should work.)

If your skin tone is warm, warm reds (which are orange- or brown-based) will look best on you. If you’re cool-toned, then blue-based reds are your best bet. True reds will look fantastic on anyone.

To really see if you like how a shade of red looks on you, you have to try it on. Swatching it on your hand (like many women do) won’t always be an effective indicator of how the color will actually look on your lips, because your lips are more pigmented than most of your skin. Sheerer shades of red will most likely be affected by the color of your lips. Most makeup counters have tester tubes at the ready, so don’t be embarrassed to try the lipstick on. You don’t want to spend money on something that isn’t right for you. (Be hygienic about it! If you can, swipe the lipstick on a piece of tissue in case someone tried it on before you, and then use a cotton bud, if one is available, to apply the lipstick instead of putting it on straight from the tube. You don’t know whose lips have been there, and where those lips have been before!)

Of course, part of the fun of wearing makeup is that you don’t always have to follow the rules, so if you’re cool-toned, but have your eye on a red-orange tube, go for it!

Regina

* * *

The perfect natural arches: The K-Palette 1-Day Tattoo Lasting 2-Way Eyebrow Liner is smudge-proof and water-proof, promising you perfect eyebrows for 24 hours. Get it in Honey Brown for the perfect natural everyday look or go for Chocolate Brown for well-defined artista-looking eyebrows. Available at Beauty Bar

How To Draw The Perfect Eyebrows

Dear Rissa, 

I am Chinese and like most girls with the same nationality, my eyebrows are scarce and scattered. I’ve mastered how to draw perfect arches, but it stresses me out every time my brows disappear when I sweat at the gym or get wet from the rain.  I’m very afraid of getting my eyebrows tattooed. Is there another option you can recommend?

Nicole Lao

 Before you even consider something as permanent as tattooing, the world of makeup offers a myriad of solutions. I am very anal about my eyebrows. In fact, my eyebrows are what take up the most time in my makeup routine. I’m a perfectionist when it comes to brows. I like them looking naturally perfect without looking like they were drawn on the face.

 I was recently sent the K-Palette 1-Day Tattoo Lasting 2-Way Eyebrow Liner (available at Beauty Bar). It claims to be smudge-proof and water-resistant, giving you perfect eyebrows for 24 hours. I hear that women go crazy over this in Japan. And I understood why — once I road tested it, I fell in love with it. This two-way eyebrow liner comes with a micro-fibre brush on one end and a sponge powder tip on the other. The liquid eyebrow liner has the right amount of translucence — the color is deep enough to fill in sparse areas of the brows but not dark enough to give you severe-looking brows. I always spend so much time blending, lightening, darkening, (doing everything!) just to achieve the right natural hue and intensity for my eyebrows  (yes, even if I’ve bought the perfect shade). When I’m in a rush, heavy hands are my eyebrows’ worst enemy. But this beauty tool makes grooming the eyebrows a breeze. The fine tip of the micro-fibre brush gives the most natural-looking feathery strokes mimicking our real hair on the eyebrows. It’s pretty hard to make a mistake with this; it will make even makeup newbies feel like a pro. I love it because it wonderfully shortened my makeup time in half! The liquid tip is best for shaping the arches and the outer eyebrows while the powder tip is perfect for the inner eyebrows, giving you flawless but natural-looking brows. Yes, with this product, your eyebrows will never look fake or overdrawn.

To see how long it lasted, I even tried sleeping with it. No smudges on my eyebrow area and none at all on my pristine white bed sheets. But worry not because it removes easily with soap and water; no eye makeup remover needed! I’ve tried A LOT of eyebrow products, but I knew this one made my heart beat differently. Why? Because even if they sent me a free sample (in the shade Chocolate Brown), I immediately went to Beauty Bar the next day to buy my own in the other available shade, Honey Brown. Even if I’m morena, I personally prefer the lighter shade of Honey Brown for a natural everyday look. But if you want strong, well-defined artista-looking eyebrows, get it in Chocolate Brown.

Rissa

* * *

Read my lips: Clinique’s Almost Lipstick is a very sheer formula that allows you to gracefully grow into shades you never thought you would actually like. Photo from www.stylebistro.com

The right lipstick shade and flawless skin tone

Dear Lucy,

I am not very brave when it comes to trying out new shades of lipstick. I’ve wasted so much money on shades that just sit in my drawer unused because it just isn’t me after all.

I also feel that my skin is uneven, thus I use full foundation even on the beach. I know I look like such a fashion victim, but it is still better than stepping out looking ugly. What can I do to counter that problem?

Gwen

You can try Clinique’s Almost Lipstick. It is a very sheer formula that allows you to gracefully grow into shades you never thought you would actually like. What shade to choose? Whatever shade in the range catches your eye! The formulation is foolproof and universally flattering. It meets and merges with your natural lip color as well, making each shade look unique on every lip. I remember how much I loved Black Honey before and your letter just made me itch to get myself a new supply of that.

Almost Lipstick now comes in different shades, with tones ranging from nudes and pinks to deep violets and reds.

Re your patchy skin tone, go see a dermatologist because she will be in the best position to assess your skin condition. In terms of makeup though, you can try Clinique’s Even Better makeup. It is a dermatologist-developed makeup that helps restore uneven skin tone. It feels light and sheer but covers well and makes skin look flawless.

Lucy

* * *

Send e-mail to Lucy Torres-Gomez at ltg@pldtdsl.com. E-mail Rissa Trillo at stylesos_rissa@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter @RissaMananquil. E-mail Regina Belmonte at vivatregina.tumblr@gmail.com.