If I'm (apparently) a neutral skin tone, why do so few lipsticks suit me?

[Toffeepineapple]

Hi,

I always assumed I was a cool, but every hair dresser and beauty consultant I've seen, tell me I'm more neutral. I am quite pale, but have red and yellow undertones. Apparently this makes me lucky, because it means I can wear most colours, whether that be hair colour, clothes and make up. I find the complete opposite! Cool hair looks draining, warm hair looks dull, so I'm wondering if actually neutrals are less lucky and have to find the exact right shade.

The one that annoys me the most is lipstick, because I love it! Very few suit me and I often have to customise by mixing 2 or 3 shades. Most nudes wash me out, unless I put over a gloss, most reds (possibly all) just do nothing for me and anything with a pinky tone just brings out all my pink and it very unflattering.

My go to is always a plumy, browny tone, but is still more nude than dark. I'm just really bored of wearing the same old same old every day. I don't have an evening lipstick. I usually just stick on a bit of gloss over my day lipstick.

I have quite nice, full lips and I would like to more experimental.

Currently wearing Mac Faux with Mac Spice lipliner, which I actually mix with the Faux, to take calm down the pink a little. Also like Velvet Teddy, but mattes do tend to look a little flat on me.

Any suggestions?

TIA 💋

I can’t answer the question as I struggle with lipstick, but have you considered having your colours done? They will recommend shades (from their own range) and you can then identify which other brands/colours might suit. I’m in a Facebook group for “winters” and people post “winter” suitable lipsticks they’ve found quite frequently.

@SlipperyLizard, I have thought about it. I think I just kept telling myself that I'll wait until covid settles a bit more and I can have a proper consultation, when people can actually touch my face! But I don't think that's going to be happening any time soon.

Do you have a link to the colour potentials? I would have always said I was some kind of winter, but a bit clueless now.

You sound like me except I lean cooler. Nudes look dreadful, I need a pinker nude.

I have to try lipsticks on the pad of my finger tip, if it looks right then it'll suit my lips . That tip has saved me a fortune!

Can you go to a Mac counter and see what other shades look nice? They're usually really helpful.

I am quite pale, but have red and yellow undertones

Surely this means you are actually warm, not cool or neutral?

It won't just depend on your warm/coolness, either, your contrast level will be having an effect and also your features/style personality. I am an (analysed) Spring, so warm, but I don't just suit any old warm lipstick. I have high contrast (medium-dark hair and pale skin and eyes), so need colour on the lips rather than a barely-there nude - but too-bright lipsticks don't suit me either, as I have quite a classic face and they're just too "out there" and can look clownish (except a warm-neutral bright red, but not as an everyday thing). I also suit glossy rather than matte lips.

Lipsticks are a minefield for everyone and I do think trial and error is as good a way as any of finding what suits you!

I had mine done by House of Colour, I think you’re right to wait until it can be done in person again (although that must be now?).

There’s not much info available publicly as they keep it closely guarded, but Winters like me are cool toned (suiting silver jewellery) and look best in clear, crisp colours. Summers are also cool toned but the colours are softer, more muted (I think!).

I found this image of the HoC “seasons”, cool at the bottom and warm at the top. For me it would be hard to diagnose myself, I struggled to see a major difference between summer & winter.

Both red and yellow tones (or not noticeably one predominant over the other) does mean neutral..

I'm also neutral and find very bright warmish pinks suit me (Revlon has a great crayon) and most pink/beige nudes. Try Chantecaille lip chic in camellia, Bare Minerals hydrasmooth in Romance, Revlon matte balm in Audacious

Also, as a neutral you may suit colours of more than one season. I suit some Winter and some Spring colours. Generally bright, clear colours.

Thanks for the replies.

Shall definitely look at getting my colours done professionally.

Do you wear other make up?
I can only wear lipstick if I'm wearing foundation and basically a full face of make up, otherwise it makes my skin look weird in contrast.

Places like Boots No7 can scan you and find your foundation shades, they then have lipstick suggestions that suit that shade. Clinique do the same with their Even Better Pop Lip Colour Foundation lipsticks. They suggest 3, one is very natural, bare, then a day time shade and an evening shade. Tbh I went a bit mad and bought loads, in the tube they look so boring but once you've tried them on they are very nice. They're not matt, just a nice creamy lipstick. Some have a slight shimmer but most are normal. I'm cool toned myself but can get away with most colours as I have dark hair and eyes and don't feel daunted by brights. I also have Mac Faux lipstick, the Clinique ones are so much nicer to wear.

May I ask what your foundation shade is? And brand. That would be really helpful on knowing what shade of lipstick might suit you

@nordica, oh, yes. Definitely. I would look terrible just in lipstick.

@BusterGonad, I think I did that at No7 years ago and it was a terrible match! They matched me to really dark shades. Both lipsticks and foundations. It was when it was first around though, so perhaps teething problems. I'll check out Clinique - thanks. I'm currently wearing Nars in Mount Blanc and was wearing YSL Youth Liberator in BR20. Actually the Mount Blanc is pulling slightly on the yellow side, but is supposed to be neutral.

Oh and something else that confuses me is I can't wear gold jewellery (well, I can, but it looks awful) and I thought being a neutral meant you can wear silver and gold. I can just about pull off rose gold, but silver is more flattering.

Phoebe I'm neutral too and this Trinny lip suits me best

After a quick Google it looks like your complexion is what I'd describe as a cool sandy rose shade, a bit like me. YSL is actually described as Beige Rose on the Escentual webpage. My Clinique foundation is in actual fact called Rose Beige 62! Which is in the category of Fair/Pink. It's from Asia so not on the uk site. I've also got Bareminerals stick in Vanila and I've just purchased Lancome teint adole in 005 Beige Ivorie which looks too pale but is actually a good match one on. I think you'd probably suit rose shades, tea rose and even fuchsia pinks. I don't think you have a yellow complexion but a 'buff' or 'sand' one. You're probably neutral to pink toned, more pink I'd imagine. My favourite Mac lipsticks are Girl about town, Ruby Woo, Rebel and Vegas Volt.

And my favourite Clinique lipstick is Nestled. Looking at it in the tube it looks so brown and daunting but once I put it on in natural day light I loved it. Its a plummy pinky brown. I've also got their chubby stick in Fig. That's a browny plum too.

Here's the Clinique colour chart for lipsticks.

www.stylist.co.uk/beauty/nude-lipstick-shade-skintone-clinique-even-better-pop-lip-colour-foundation/298204

If you look inside your bottom lip, that’s your perfect lipstick colour apparently. It works for me.

I’m the same!
Mac Mehr is a fave of mine along with all fired up for a night out! Alternative day to day I love is maybelline, this in number 15. www.lookfantastic.com/maybelline-superstay-matte-ink-crayon-lipstick-32g-various-shades/12097296.html?affil=thggpsad&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&variation=12097306&thg_ppc_campaign=71700000026979856&adtype=pla&product_id=12097306&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIio7T9-vl8gIVl4BQBh13rQEvEAQYASABEgLPD_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Yes, Fired up is really nice too. And Relentlessly Red which is actually more pink than red.