Nude Navigation How to find the most flattering nude lipsticks for Asian skin
Photography by Issac Lam / Makeup by Viko Sun
Navigating the aisles of nude lipsticks can be a challenge as fundamental as finding your correct foundation. “Finding the matching nude is very challenging, if you pick a shade that doesn’t match your skin tone and you risk looking washed out by your outfit” says fashion stylist and lipstick lover Veronica Li during our 7-Day #LCLipChallenge. “I’m on the quest to find the perfect nude.”
The road to determining the most flattering nude lipstick starts with understanding your skin’s undertone and colour and then identifying a very particular lipstick shade to match. To help us break the task down into manageable steps, Veronica Li sat down with Lane Crawford Beauty Service Assistant Manager Kenneth Kwok, and tapped into his beauty expertise for some fail-proof tips.
Step 1: Determine your skin’s undertone
COOL: Skin looks rosy with a bluish undertone
How can I tell if my undertone is cool?
“Start by taking a look at the veins on the inside of your wrists. People with blue or purplish-hued veins are the most likely to fall under the ‘cool’ category. Another way to tell is if jewellery in silver, platinum or rose gold look more flattering on your skin than gold jewellery,” explains Kwok.
“Silver jewellery suits my skin tone and I’m always drawn to blues, greens, pinks and purples as I know they flatter my blush undertones,” adds Li, when discovering her skin’s cool undertone.
WARM: Skin looks yellow or golden with a greenish undertone
How can I tell if my undertone is warm?
“If your veins look green in colour, it’s most likely you have a warm undertone. If you like look best in traditional yellow-gold jewellery colours, or you have freckles and tan easily, it’s also a sign this is your category,” shares Kwok.
NEUTRAL: Skin has no obvious overtones of pink or yellowness
How do I tell if my undertone is neutral?
“If you have difficulty determining whether your veins are swaying more towards a blue or green tinge, you fall in the neutral undertone department. If this is you, count yourself lucky - you can switch between nude lipstick shades for cool or warm tones, and both with be flattering on you.”
Step 2: Determine your skin colour
“Looking specifically at North and East Asian countries, including Hong Kong, China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan, Asian women’s skin tones typically range from light peach to pale brown. Within this, skin tones can be broken down into ‘very fair’, which is a milky, translucent skin tone, ‘fair’, which is pale and light-hued in colour, and a deeper skin tone which is referred to as ‘medium’,” explains Kwok.
“Veronica skin is light in hue, which means she has a light skin colour. If your skin is on the paler side you should avoid pastel or soft shades to avoid looking too washed out”, adds Kwok
Step 3: Find your perfect nude
Once you’ve determined your skin’s undertone and colour, it’s time for the easiest (and most fun part) – revealing the most flattering nude lipstick for you.
If you have very fair skin
and cool undertones…
A ‘true’ nude
If you have very fair skin
and warm undertones…
A soft rosy nude
If you have medium skin
and cool undertones…
A toasted almond nude
If you have medium skin
and warm undertones…
A medium beige nude
“I love the soft rosy nude tone of this lipstick, when paired with the pastel pink suit it’s my kind of casual chic for a Saturday catching up with friends,”
Kenneth’s Expert Tips
1. Prep for perfection
“Prep with lip balm to avoid dry skin showing up as cracks on the lips. If your lips are particularly dry, opt for a moisturising nude lipstick too. Giorgio Armani Beauty’s Ecstasy Shine Lipstick-100 Smile is a favourite of mine.”
2. Exception to the rule
“When it comes to eye makeup, those with cool undertones can wear warm eyeshadows and warm undertones with cool eyeshadows; the eyeshadow shades that looks most flattering on you will have more to do with your hair and eye colour than your skin, so the lipstick rules needn't apply.”
3. Exit Strategy
“When it comes to removing your lipstick like a pro, apply a lip balm and wipe it off with a cotton pad, Eve Lom’s lip balm works great for this. Make sure you rest your pads on your lips lightly for over 10 seconds and it’ll come off in one easy go.”
