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I don’t know about you, but when it comes to the perfect lip look, it's not very likely that one product will get the job done. I’m often channeling my inner Van Gogh, mixing shades and products to get that perfect lip, no matter what look I’m trying to achieve. Here are some of my favorite combos for my favorite lip looks, including options for different skin tones.
A good nude lip is a timeless look. The trick with nude lips is understanding your skin tone and undertone well to pick the right combo. When it comes to lighter skin tones, using liners that are still light but have a little brown in them can give your lips more dimension, so that when you layer it with a true nude, it doesn’t look too flat. Tarte’s lip liner in Buff paired with Makeup by Mario’s Flatiron lipstick is a great example. Whereas with darker skin tones, having slight rosy underneath can make the lip pop more so it doesn’t look super ashy, but also opt for brown or beige shades to find something a bit closer to your skin tone. We like the Tarte lip liner in rosy brown paired with Hourglass’s warm beige lipstick. You can always make these pop with a glossy lip tint in a nude shade so you still have some subtle color.
Sometimes all you need for a complete look is a bold red lip. I feel like everyone should have this look in their make-up arsenal, but the trick is to again cater to your skin tones and undertones. A good lip liner can give you a strong base. MAC's Chilli Rimmed is a brick shade that can work to add more dimension to a bright red lip like MAC’s Ladybug or just act as a base for a brick red lipstick like their shade Paramount.
I don’t normally wear a lip combo for a day-to-day, but when I want a little extra glam while still, keeping it natural, I love a good rosy lip. For fairer skin tones we recommend the Pillow Talk and Wedding Belles lip combo from Charlotte Tilbury. But if you have deeper skin tones, purples translate into pinks because of color theory. Using a purple, like Ilia’s lip crayon in Rhyme, paired with a pink gloss or tint helps bring that rosy color to your lips.
Nothing says bold beautiful like a dark and bold lip. I love seeing a simple makeup look stand out with a more vampy lip. This includes colors like browns, purples, and burgundies that look great on every skin tone if you have the right combo. If you’re looking for a more brown combo, Ilia’s crayon in the shade Kiln paired with Huda Beauty’s Amore lipstick creates a nice brown with a hint of rosiness to it. If you’re going for a more burgundy or purple looks, Fenty's Brown'd Out liner and Underdawg lipstick combo is the perfect pair.
