What Your Lipstick Color Says About Your Personality
Pantone’s 2021 Color of the Year, a pairing of neutral Ultimate Grey and Illuminating, a sunshine yellow, reflects resiliency and fortitude in times of strife.
It also got me thinking about the messages we convey with lipstick.
Read on for a fun exploration of color psychology and makeup.
Nude
Fig. Pinky beige. Toasted rose.
Whichever way you spin it, we can all agree that there’s something universally pleasing and approachable about nude lip colors. Modest and conventional, nudes are like the girl next door of makeup, appealing most to wearers who are extroverted, friendly, and easy to get along with.
Out of all the shades listed in this post, nudes are also the most utilitarian; they match any outfit and any occasion, including the office.
Fuchsia and Coral
Bored with nudes but don’t feel ready to venture into red territory? Try fuchsia or its orangey cousin, coral.
As a beginner-friendly introduction to bold lip color, I find that fuchsias and corals hit two sweet spots: the first being how the colors impart a flirty, hyper-feminine flourish to every face they touch, and the second being their ability to straddle the line between edginess and sophistication.
If you’re drawn to fuchsia and coral, your personality matches the shades – effervescent, magnetic, and optimistic.
Need help with branching out into bold lip color?
Orange
2013, the cultural zenith of orange lipstick, might be long gone, but you can pry tangerine lip color out from my cold, dead hands.
If orange also continues to call your name in 2021, chances are you’re creative, energetic, and have a flair for modern, forward-thinking sensibilities and the confidence required to sport them. Since this shade has multiple incarnations, such as rust, terracotta, and persimmon, orange also conveys adaptability, adaptability that can’t be beat by other lip shades.
Red
Sometimes no other shade is good enough, as is the case when weighing red lipstick against non-red options.
As a favorite of old and new Hollywood bombshells alike, crimson lips speak to innate sensuality and reflect romantic sensibilities in their wearer. Compared to other popular shades, red also possesses surprising versatility; opaque, high maintenance mattes turn into effortless, undone stains with the blot of a finger, which makes red appeal to makeup lovers who crave traditional feminine expression and none of the fuss that comes with it.
Berries, Wines, and Plums
If you’re someone who thinks the aforementioned hues are for basic bitches, berry lip shades, such as cranberry, plum, and bordeaux, are calling your name.
To me, berry lip shades are like Scorpio energy in a tube; passionate, enchanting, and transformative. They’re perfect matches for introverted, artsy personalities who strive to be taken seriously, and when applied, shades in this family tend to speak for themselves, meaning they’re the ultimate go-to when you’re short on time but looking to make a statement.
Violet
Purple’s a bit of a wild card – it occurs rarely in nature, which means it’s too unconventional to sit at the reds and berries table. Yet when compared to black and blue, purple is too tame.
Purple’s wild card quality, however, is exactly why this shade is so powerful.
Raw. Refined. Theatrical yet reserved. Elusive yet straightforward. All of these words and more describe purple and the people who wear it. And all of these words are why, despite its contradictory nature, purple remains the true, undisputed queen of left-field lip color.
Blacks and Blues
Teal and black make occasional guest appearances in my makeup collection, and if strange shades appear just as often for you, chances are you’re not afraid to think outside – way outside – the box.
Though black lipstick acts as a perfect neutral and blue compliments any all-black outfit, these intimidating shades aren’t for the faint of heart, making them fitting accessories for expressive, open-minded personalities who enjoy taking an experimental approach to life.
Brown
Another color that’s not for the faint of heart.
Assertive, independent, and a bit aloof, brown is the antithesis to the sea of muted pinks and mauves that became ubiquitous in the 2010s. The fact that brown only works for specific undertones makes this shade all the more unique, and it’s a striking, unconventional must-have for the lucky few who can rock it.
Au Naturale
Sometimes less is more, and if you love to opt for bare lips, chances are you’re honest, outspoken, and have a no-nonsense attitude.
Clear lip gloss, a sleek, minimalist sibling of unadorned lips, reflects the same.
What’s your favorite go-to lip color?
