It’s a common beauty conundrum: you want to wear that hot new magenta lipstick, but it doesn’t seem to work with your go-to peach blush. With the statement lip going strong for spring, in saturated shades of poppy, coral and fuchsia, you may find yourself facing this makeup-matching mystery more than ever.
First things first: you don’t need to match your blush to your lipstick shade exactly, unless you want to go for a monochromatic look. The best rule of thumb: let colour theory be your guide, says Lori Taylor Davis, Smashbox global pro lead artist. “Have lips and blush be related in colour,” says Taylor Davis, and choose shades within the same colour family, such as a dark pink lip with a soft pink blush.
Complementary tones (colours opposite each other on the colour wheel) also work well, says Davis, who in this case suggests pairing a dark violet lipstick with an orange-peach blush, for example. If you’re doing a high-impact lip, such as an electric pink-coral, you may want to skip the blush altogether to let your lip colour shine. “A simple, softly sculpted cheek allows the lip to be the showcase,” says Davis. For a subtly sculpted look, swipe a bronzer or contouring powder underneath the cheekbones. “It [also] depends on skin tone and face shape,” says the pro. “Warmer tones sometimes need a pop of colour on the cheek to tie it all in.”
