It can be hard finding the right lipstick that looks great and suits your lips at the same time..but not anymore!

Lipstick, in various forms, has been around for about 5000 years as it is the easiest way to add an instant splash of colour and give focus to your face. The main problem though, is that there is no perfect colour that suits everyone. There are no perfect shades, brands or formulas but these guidelines can help any woman to express her mood or personality as she chooses the lipstick that is right for her.

Sheer lipsticks: are more universal than opaque lipsticks and are more flattering as they allow your own lip colour to be seen underneath. They do not last as long as some other formulas although they are very moisturising and easy to wear. A happy medium can be found in the cream lipsticks but as these are more opaque you will find yourself having to be more discerning when choosing your colours.

Shimmer lipsticks: last for longer than sheer formulations and can flatter the wearer of any age, unlike the shimmery eye shadows or blushers. Due to the light reflecting qualities, lips will look fuller but be warned that shimmer formulations look ghastly on dry or chapped lips.

Matte lipsticks: are the formulas that last for longer than any other and are a good selection to make bold statements with. The main problem with this type of lipstick is that they dry the lips out quite quickly and as such should not really be worn if you have dry or chapped lips already.

Lip colours can be found in many styles of applicator but by far the most popular are the ones that come in a stick in bullet shaped holders. As lips are quite sensitive to the sun, the lipstick formulations that have built-in sunscreens are very useful. Lip-gloss can be used to add an attractive gleam to your lips when used on its own, or to catch the light if applied over your normal lipstick.

If you want to mark an outline to your lips before applying lipstick then a lip liner is the best method (this also helps to stop ‘bleeding’) and is designed for just this purpose. For a darker matte effect just apply a lip liner over the whole of your lip area. A word of caution if you do decide to use this method though is that you may need to apply a lip salve over the top to avoid drying out your lips.

Choosing a Colour:

There are many traditions that help in the selection of lipstick colours. Some of these say that you should choose rich, deep colours such as burgundy or plum reds in winter and lighter, more pastel tones such as pinks or lavenders in spring. Summer months herald the need for sheer or glossy formulations and autumn is the time for brown-based earthy colours. All this said, lipsticks are used as an expression of yourself so you don’t have to follow tradition if you don’t want to – go ahead and experiment.

Colour Guidelines:

People with a fair complexion will find that a small amount of colour will go a long way. Over the top, bright colours will look a mess so stick to nudes, beige tones, light corals or light pinks. Sheer formulas prove to be the most flattering here.

Complexions with medium colours are best suited to brown based mauves or sheer berry types of coloured lipsticks in a cream formula.

Reds, especially those with golden undertones rather than blue, are the best and most suited colours of lipstick for people with whitish complexions. Also, pink shimmers can look good too with both colour schemes working well in almost any formula.

The best colours to use for your lipstick if your complexion is darker are rich and deep shades such as burgundy, chocolate or plum which will look great in any formula.

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