Lipstick!!

Lipstick and Skin Tone

I have so many lipstick tubes at home, in my purse and in my desk drawer at work. Clinique, Estee Lauder and many other brands run a gift with purchase at most department stores. You spend a certain amount of money and you receive a makeup bag filled with different products. Among those is usually a tube of lipstick. The colors are always beautiful. They may not look that great with my skin tone and coloring but the colors are beautiful. I have so many tubes in an array of colors that it looks like an artist palette.

During my 20’s and 30’s, the colors that looked great on me were bright red or a vibrant shade of berry. My hair was a dark brown and my skin was flawless. There were no blemishes about 95 percent of the time. My skin tone and coloring was even. Most of the time I didn’t need to wear foundation. So I would moisturize and wear eye shadow, mascara and of course, my red or berry lipstick. Those colors of lipstick brightened my face and I glowed.

Now, as my 40’s rolled along, I noticed there was a subtle change in my skin tone and color. It started with an age spot at my temple. Then there was a slight pinkish color to my cheeks. I needed to wear foundation a little more often to even my color out. The red and berry lipstick colors still looked good on me but not really. I begin to opt for softer shades of both reds and berries. My hair color begin to get sprinkled with a silver gray. So, I began to color my hair a dark brown. I thought because my hair was the same dark brown as it was in my 20’s and 30’s that my red lipstick would still look the same. I was wrong. I looked like I was ready for Halloween. Truly horrific. I wondered why. My hair was dark like it was in my 20’s, so why didn’t the red lipstick look amazing now like it did then? Now, I don’t know the science of it all I just know that my skin tone changed. A lack of sleep, stress, sun, environment and just life in general can wreak havoc on our coloring and skin tone. My skin tone changed and so will yours.

Here I am, in my mid 50’s, and there are more changes to my skin tone which influences my choice of lipstick. I tend to favor softer shades of berry and rose colors. My bright red lipstick is a thing of the past. At my eyes there are crow’s feet and little lines under my eyes. There are lines developing at the sides of my mouth all from a lifetime of smiling and laughing. That is a good thing, it shows a life of happiness. Anyway, the last time I put on red lipstick, I looked harsh. Every flaw on my face seemed to magnify. My uneven skin tone stood out like a sore thumb.

Now, I am embracing my grey and I am loving it. Growing out my hair was a nightmare but I finally did it. Now the key is to find a soft balance with grey hair, skin tone and lipstick. Definitely no bright red unless I want to scare someone and that doesn’t sound like fun for me or them. I like to have a soft glow to my makeup routine. That includes neutral colors with a hint of rosy pink or berry.

My skin tone matches the gray hair because my hair and skin are aging together. My lipstick choices have evolved as well. I love the soft pink and rose neutral colors. The wrinkles on my face show a life filled with lots of laughter so I want to showcase my lip color so that I glow.

Remember, choose your lipstick color that matches your skin tone so that you will be so beautiful that heads will turn.