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How to Choose Nude Lip Color for Mahogany Skin

Nov 9, 2011 / By Amanda Layman Low

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Bold eye shadow pairs well with nude lips.

Photo: Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images

You can’t go wrong with nude lip color. While bright shades of crimson and pink may wind up looking fake and old-fashioned, nude lips are ultra chic and perfect for both formal and casual events. But because you want your lipstick to blend seamlessly into your mahogany skin, it may take a little work to find a shade of lipstick that matches perfectly.

Determine your skin’s undertones by looking at your face in natural light. Most mahogany-skinned ladies have warm skin, meaning your undertones are deep gold or yellow. However, if your skin has an ashier tint or pink undertones, you have cool skin.

Peruse the makeup aisle for neutral shades that share your skin’s undertones. All nude lipsticks will have distinctly cool or warm undertones. Typically, products with descriptive words like beige, golden, tawny and cappuccino will have warm tones. Products with words like sand, ash, buff and tan will usually have cool tones.

Choose colors that aren’t more than two shades lighter or darker than your natural lip color. To make your lips appear nearly colorless, stay as close to your mahogany skin color as possible. For a truly nude effect, it may help to put concealer over your lips before applying lipstick.

Test out the colors you’ve picked by blending them into your lips. If you can’t test the product, hold it up to your face to see if it matches your skin. Also, read the label: You’ll probably want to pick a lip color that’s more matte than sheer, because a matte shade will more effectively cover up your natural lip color for a strong, nude effect.