The expert says: "This shade is really pretty on Mandy. It works well with her skin tone and creates a balanced look. Since she has a little pink in her skin, this shade complements her blue eyes and fair complexion," says Nemes.
Mandy says: "This pink is bubbly and fun -- perfect for a Saturday brunch with the girls."
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Light pink on light-medium skin with yellow undertones
The expert says: "I like this shade on Stephanie. While the lipstick does have a blue base, it's pink enough to flatter Stephanie's yellow undertones. She can also apply Lancome Juicy Tube, $18, on top of the lipstick. It's a clear gloss that would really pump up the color and make her lips look more vibrant," says Nemes.
Stephanie says: "I was surprised it wasn't a little chalkier, because frosted lipsticks (like this one) tend to show up whiter against my natural lip color, but this is a true pink, so it looks great."
The expert says: "This is a nice, clear neutral on Devran and it brings out the beautiful whites of her teeth and helps light up her eyes. It works well with her skin tone. If this is too pink for you, mix a little bit of coral into it, which will soften the pink and give it a more nude-y finish," says Maderich.
Devran says: "This pink is brighter than what I'd normally wear but it's also neutral enough that I can wear it for any occasion."
The expert says: "Since the blue in the pink contrasts with the yellow undertones in Rahel's skin, the hue stands out more, so it's very eye-catching. To tone down the pink, mix a little bit of burgundy or plum into this color," says Maderich.
Rahel says:"I usually wear pink or nude shades on my lips, so this is a safe choice for me. If I wore a shade like this I could play up a more dramatic look with my eyes, like a smoky eye."
The expert says: "This color is very pretty on Mandy. Mandy's lucky because she has yellow and pink undertones in her skin, so warm and cool lipsticks will work on her. This lipstick is a great balance of the two," says Nemes.
Mandy says: "This is such a versatile color. I think it really works with my fair skin tone."
Since we spend all our waking hours talking to pro makeup artists and celeb hairstylists, we editors are walking beauty encyclopedias. Have brittle nails? Take a fish oil supplement. Want to elongate your face? Get side bangs and contour your face with bronzer. But ask us which lipstick shades flatter women of all skin tones and we're stumped.
Choosing the perfect coral, and even harder, the perfect red, can take months of trial and error. That's because finding the exact right hue depends on your undertones. If you have greenish veins and yellow undertones, then you're warm and should get colors with an orange base. On the flip side, if you have bluish veins and pinky undertones, you're cool and should get colors with a blue base.
Or so we thought.
According to some makeup artists, there are universal shades -- magical hues that flatter all of us, regardless of our skin tone or undertones. Skeptical? So were we. Which is why we spoke to celebrity makeup artist David Maderich, and Miami-based makeup artist Marissa Nemes. When they told us about a few lipstick shades that really do work on anyone, we asked four women with varying skin tones and undertones to give them a test run. Here are the results.
