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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TCNJ chapter.

Makeup gives us the ability to change our appearance in minor ways each day. Although many people criticize makeup for making people, and women in particularly, believe they need to fit into some so-called standards of perfect beauty, it can be fun to use sometimes. You might already have a signature sense of style when it comes to your wardrobe, based on prints, or color schemes or silhouettes. While everyone knows the detriments of judging a book by its cover or a person by their physical appearance, your style and appearance are the first impression people will have of you. Another component of your unique and trademark appearance is your makeup of course. 

Some people are into a dramatic winged eyeliner, or smoky eyeshadow, or contouring to emphasize their cheekbones, or they have a signature lip color. Your signature lip color is the one you wear on an average day, with a classic outfit that displays your personality to a T. Not sure what your signature lip color is or should be? No worries, here are some tips to finding it. 

First consider what shade or color family compliments your face best. Pick one that harmonizes with your skin’s undertone. Byrdie classifies undertones as either cool or warm. Cool undertones, they say can be identified with blue veins in your wrists or if you burn before tanning. They recommend lipstick with blue or purple undertones to avoid washing you out. Warm undertones are identified when the veins in your wrists are green and you tend to tan. Byrdie says to go for lipsticks with orange and red undertones, such as corals or bright fuchsias as opposed to berry and velvety colors.  

Second another physical feature to consider is hair color. Fashion magazine explains that lighter hair will make lip colors look brighter. Of course the combination of hair color and skin tone contributes to how bright a lip color appears on you. The same exact lipstick might look completely different on a different person. 

Third another factor when choosing color families is personalities. The bolder and brighter your lip color, the more you’ll stand out. If you’re a shier and quieter person, you might not want to pick a color that will make you stand out as much. A safe route to go when picking lip colors for the quieter personalities is a classic nude. Bobbi Brown recommends choosing your nude 1-2 shades deeper than your natural lip color. Of course, if you have a louder and bolder personality and like standing out and being different, bright reds or pinks are a good bet, or you can experiment with a deep wine color for a more gothic look. 

Fourth consider the finish on your lipstick. If you want to dull down the effect of a specific shade/color, opt for a translucent and glossy finish with liquid lip colors. Glossy finishes tend to also be shinier. An opaque matte will enhance and embolden the effect of the color by saturating it. Mattes don’t offer the same shine that glossy finishes do. 

Fifth have a blender color. Instead of picking a signature red or pink or berry color, you could just keep one or two colors that you blend with others to develop a shade that’s completely your own. You might have a beige or nude that you use to bring down the effect of any other color you have if you prefer minimalist looks but want to play with your looks at the same time. If you prefer dramatic looks, pick a deeper color, like a berry to blend with colors and enhance their effect. 

Whatever color you do end up choosing, make sure you moisturize your lips so it doesn’t dry them out. I like to use a lip balm before I put on any lip colors, because there’s nothing worse than lipstick on dried and cracking lips. Additionally, to make sure it does smudge or wipe off, you can layer it with translucent powder or a lip liner or pencil. You can create extra definition by outlining your lips with a pencil in the same color as your lipstick.  Of course, when you have special events that don’t happen on a daily or even weekly time frame, it’s time to toss things around and go for a color you normally wouldn’t choose.  I think a signature lip color is one of those things that defines you. Even if you don’t wear it everyday, once you’ve adopted it, everyone associates that color with you. And, as Bobby Brown herself says, “Find a lipstick that looks good on your face when you are wearing absolutely no makeup.”

 

Anandita is a junior at TCNJ, majoring in economics and minoring in English
Victoria is a senior at The College of New Jersey and a features editor for HCTCNJ.  She is majoring in Journalism and Professional Writing, and minoring in Marketing & Communications.