The Lipstick Guide: What shade to use for key occasions
Wednesday, October 3, 2012 at 11:52AM There are certain emotions and impressions that come with particular colors, which then makes them the perfect weapon if you know how to use them. You can leverage these things according to the effect you want to achieve on people. Some can call it manipulation, but I like to call it resourcefulness. :)
That said, there are no hard and fast rules when choosing lipstick shades. In the end, it depends on your personality, location, and the kind of people you are with. You can even just pick your signature shade and wear it anywhere you like. But if you're the kind of girl who changes lipsticks more often than she changes shoes, then honey, this is for you! Let your lipsticks do the talking!
Going on your first date with a special someone? You can never go wrong with a glossy, flirty-yet-innocent pink lipstick. It doesn't scream *too much* but it's not blah either! Whether you're wearing a chiffon dress or something casual, a pink lipstick like the Cover Girl Lip Perfection Lipstick in Dazzle will look gorgeous on you. A glossy finish like this makes your lips look plumper and more kissable.
So you guys hit if off, huh? Congrats! If you want to make a good impression when you meet his parents, there's nothing better than a sheer peach or coral shade. It's a non-threatening color, plus it's quite cheerful and uplifting. It won't shock his parents for sure, with the additional benefit of giving you a brighter, more positive-looking face. This color, such as the Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine in OR 541, is perfect with sun dresses!
According to the New York Times, makeup "...increases people’s perceptions of a woman’s likability, her competence and (provided she does not overdo it), [and] her trustworthiness, according to a new study..." Wearing subtle, enhancing makeup to a job interview can definitely increase your chances of being hired. Go for a sensible brown rose lipstick like the Estee Lauder Pure Color Lipstick in Bois de Rose to look more put-together and professional.
Once you're hired, a pleasant, friendly brown pink color is the perfect everyday shade. It makes you look more approachable and not too distracting. A color like this is usually called the My Lips But Better (MLBB) shade - it's very close to the actual color of your lips, but when worn it enhances what you have immensely. The lippie featured above is the Avon Valentine Brights Colorbliss Lipstick in Fresh Rose.
A hot pink lipstick can do no wrong in a party with lots of dancing, drinking, and just clean smashing fun. It's great with shimmery and bodycon dresses, heels, and a glass of margarita. Featured above is the Beauty UK Lip Vinyl in Pure Pacha!
There is nothing more romantic than a wedding. It's the day when two hearts beat as one, when two people celebrate their love in front of friends and family. Go with the mood by wearing a romantic berry lippie with your dress. It says "I'm happy for you and I mean it"! It's a fun, grown-up shade, and oh it looks fantastic in photos. ;) Try the Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Rose Lipstick in Amelia Rose!
Are you going to an evening engagement with lots of speeches and polite clapping? Somewhere with men in suits and women, tasteful evening gowns? Then red is the perfect color for the occasion. It's an elegant, fierce color that would look particularly good with a black dress. A classic like MAC Russian Red says "I'm confident and beautiful and you can bet your bottom dollar that I know it!"
And that's it! Do you have your own lipstick suggestions? Would love to hear your thoughts!
Reader Comments (23)
This post is so helpful and timely! Yes I think nudes/peaches/light rose look a lot better for the "bit-serious" occasions while the brights are great for girl nightouts and other parties! However sometimes when I feel cheeky, I also wear hot pink over a date hehe! What's still important is to carry yourself with confidence and if you've already got a loud lip, have neutral cheeks and eyeshadow for everyday. :)
What about orange lipsticks?.. :)
Orange lipstick is more a case-by-case color for me. Great for parties and such!
Great to know that there is a right way or an appropriate way of choosing your lip color for an occasion. I just pattern my color with my mood or emotion kasi. However I'm sporting red lippie almost everyday even in the office. I usually just apply light makeup kasi then red lips nlng for that omph factor.
Great guide Liz, thanks :)
And this post says it all :)Brown lippies for me are great for everyday :) Especially Taupe from Mac. :> I love this! :) and I think I am "the kind of girl who changes lipsticks more often than she changes shoes" :)) I now have 8 lipsticks in different shades :)))) that how I love lippies <3
WOW! This is amazing, Ms. Liz! Just what every makeup enthusiast/ newbie needs! :) Will surely follow this guide when I go out to attend a birthday celebration tonight! :) I'm glad that you also included the kind of outfits that will look good with it :D :D this is really a big help! im so speechless :)
I love the everyday office lipstick shade.
Do you think RED is too much for a date?
Great post Ms. Liz! Also I'd like to add to this --- Don't forget to wear that beautiful lipstick with a happy smile, it might not only make your day brighter but someone else's too! :)
@Kitten - Hope you don't mind if I give my 2 cents to your question. :) Personally, I don't think wearing Red is too much for a date. Actually, I preferred it when I was dating before when I was single. You know how nervous us ladies tend to get before a date or how we check every detail from head to toe before we meet our date? As soon as I wore that red lipstick, it gave me that instant confidence boost and made me feel instantly sexy. It really does leave an impression too on your date. Like Ms. Liz said earlier in her post, it can serve as a perfect weapon to us ladies if we know how to use them. :)
FUN TIDBIT FOR THEE LADIES: Did you know that the color RED is the favorite color of men on ladies compared to other colors? It even inspired the song Chris de Burgh wrote for his wife, "Lady in Red". From a scientific standpoint, I quote "Through five psychological experiments, Andrew Elliot, professor of psychology, and Daniela Niesta, post-doctoral researcher, demonstrate that the color red makes men feel more amorous toward women. And men are unaware of the role the color plays in their attraction." (Reference: http://www.rochester.edu/news/show.php?id=3268 // http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/005659.html)
There you go, wear that RED loud and proud! :) Hope this helped! :)
I don't know what it is with your writing today but it's sooo cheerful and the background for the pictures is do adorable! Thanks for the tips Ms. Liz :D
Wow, this post is very helpful and detailed. I agree with your points here. I love the lipstick suggestions! Will try to follow them. =)
I love hot pink lippies and Russian Red so much that I wear them anytime, anywhere! Well no BF, work, or job interviews for me yet, so I can get as crazy as I want these days. :P I love Amelia Rose!
@MsHabibi yes I actually like wearing red because of that, and I notice that red or pink clothes make a girl look even prettier. :))
read through the comments after reading the post (of course) and I so agree with Ms Habibi! Red is of course one of THE main colors and its so attractively visible/striking to our eyes. :)
To be honest, I was bit confused when choosing shades of pink for lipsticks and don't know which color to wear (it actually just depended on my mood!) but now this guide came along - should read more of this. Don't want to look out of place, though the shades are quite similar. I just want to wear the lipsticks appropriately you know :P
Thanks for this great post!
I am loving how you're doing your lip photos.
And I like the Avon Fresh Rose shade.
I love the Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Rose Lipstick in Amelia Rose on you! I'm thinking of purchasing it :)
I want to try red lippies too, but I'm afraid because I have full lips :/
@Alexis: I have full lips too and I used to be afraid of wearing red lipstick. But now I'm loving reds! Applied precisely, they make your lips even more gorgeous. Just think of Angelina Jolie--when she's wearing red lipstick, her full lips look even more gorgeous!
Hehe!Hot pink lipstick for partying? I'm totally wearing hot pink lipstick to work. I like the confidence it gives me. :)
WOW! Great post! very informative, clear and concise. Thanks so much! anyway i like the color Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine in OR 541, awesome~! anyway, check out DPC Yellow Canvass for more of the cosmetics products, its a Free canvassing tool.
for more info check out their website:)
Here’s the link:
http://www.dpc.ph/
Thank you so much for this post, Ate Liz! This is so helpful because I really am clueless when it comes to makeup/fashion--let alone lipsticks--and I'm already 21! Plus, there's an upcoming job interview for me. I feel kind of hopeless (haha) but because of your posts and your blog, overall, I am finding my boosters for self-confidence! Thank you so much po! You don't know how much your blog posts and reviews help naive people like me. Haha. :))
@Nin - Ditto! :) RED defnitely gives us that little oomph and boost that we need.
@Kmmyp - Exactly my thoughts too. It is THE color of colors for me. :)
What a cool guide for lipsticks! I'm one of those girls who's fond of changing her lippie shades every now and then. I wear orange with Revlon's Lip Balm/Tint in Rendezvouz underneath Bobbi Brown's Tangerine when the weather's feeling gloomy. When I don't want to stand out as much, I wear my MLBB shade in Revlon's Sugar Plum :)
Thank you for this post! Now I have a guide on which shade is most appropriate for every occasion! I love articles like this. :)
I love your Avon Rich Rose lipstick! I've been trying to look for dupes of that product (because it's too hard for me to find Avon products), and nothing compares to Avon's Rich Rose! It's frustrating actually, thinking I could be wearing that in upcoming weddings or formal celebrations, or maybe as simple as hanging around at coffee shops while reading books over my latte. huhu... :'(
I wear lipsticks all the time, but I match them with my outfits. I always make sure that the color of my lipstick goes well with the color or my top or dress. I like balancing them, such as when I wear a dark purple top, I wear a peachy nude lipstick. Or when I wear something blue, I match it with either a red lippie, or a pink one. When I go on really big occasions, I always don my Mac Red lipstick. EXCEPT when I go out on a date with my boyfriend. I never wear lipsticks on those occasions. I always wear my Benetint on my lips, matching my K-Palette liquid eyeliner and Frat Boy Blush. Wearing these three is my standard look, because I look most natural in them. :)
hahaha this is funny :) and very informative as well. I want a red lipstick! dark poba mac russian red or bright?:)
This is very helpful! Glad I came across this post! Thank you Ms. Liz!