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Lip Plumping Gloss

How to Choose the Right Lip Plumping Gloss for Your Skin Tone

31 Jan 2024

Our latest obsession? Lip plumping gloss! For a ducky pout with ease, nothing beats a lip plumping gloss to achieve shine, color, and plumping all in one step—and as America’s #1 Lip Gloss Brand*, we’re proud to bring you the best. Duck Plump Lip Plumping Gloss comes in 18 shades so you can rock your most fabulous color for any occasion, from everyday wear to an amazing Big Game makeup look. For any occasion, we think lip plumping gloss is pretty ducking amazing. Just check out our article on Why You Need Lip Plumping Gloss in Your Makeup Routine.

But what if you’re not sure which lip gloss color is right for you? No worries, lip gloss lovers. Here, we’re unpacking every aspect of what you need to know to choose the perfect color for your unique and beautiful skin. So pucker up those duck lips, and let’s dive in to find the perfect shade of lip color for your skin tone!

Discovering Your Skin Tone

Skin tone goes far beyond whether your skin is pale, deep, or somewhere in between. Your skin tone is also comprised of warm, cool, or neutral tones. Do you notice hints of pink, yellow, or blue? These small differences in skin tone can make all the difference when choosing the right lip gloss shade to beautifully accentuate your unique skin.

Take a look at your veins. What color do they appear? Greenish veins likely indicate warm undertones, while purple-blue veins are more likely to indicate cool skin. You can also consider what type of jewelry you tend to wear. If you tend to look better in gold, you’re likely warm toned, while if silver makes you shine, you’re likely cool toned.

Compare your skin against a white shirt or piece of paper. Does your skin look rosy or pink? You’re probably cool-toned. Does your skin seem yellow or gold in comparison? You probably have a warm undertone.

Still not sure? It’s possible you could have a neutral undertone. While warm skin tones have a golden or peachy hue, and cool skin tones may have a bluish undertone, a neutral skin tone will have a mixture. One final test— If you’re more likely to burn in the sun, you likely have a cool undertone, whereas if you’re more likely to tan, you probably have a warm undertone. Do you burn and then tan? That’s another sign you might have a neutral skin tone.

How to Choose a Lip Color for Your Undertone

Your skin tone may change depending on how much sunlight you’re getting, but your undertone remains constant. That’s why it’s a great way to help you choose what lip gloss color will look best on you.

Best Lip Colors for Cool Skin Tones

Cool undertones tend to have hints of blue, red, or pink. Cool skin tones usually look best with soft pinks, berry hues, and wine shades. You can even try out some frosty shades like silver and lavender. Lip glosses with golden or orange tones are more likely to clash with your skin type, so use them with caution, and try to stick with rose, berries, pinks, and purples.

Best Duck Plump Lip Plumping Gloss for cool skin tones:

  • Mauve Out of My Way
  • Strike a Rose
  • Lilac on Lock
  • Pick Me Pink
  • Bubblegum Bae
  • Wine Not
  • Pure Plump

Best Lip Colors for Warm Skin Tones

Warm undertones have hints of gold, yellow, and peach. The right lip gloss can enhance your natural radiant glow. These skin tones look great with peachy pinks, golden nudes, sheer corals, orange, gold, and warm brown.

Best Duck Plump Lip Plumping Gloss for warm skin tones:

  • Nude Swings
  • Apri-Caught
  • Brown of Applause
  • Brick of Time
  • Peach Out
  • Hall of Flame
  • Twice the Spice
  • Cherry Spice

Best Lip Colors for Medium Skin Tones

Neutral skin tones can be extremely versatile. The right lip gloss shade for neutral skin tones includes pinky nudes, classic reds, mauve, rose, and warm browns.

Best Duck Plump Lip Plumping Gloss for medium skin tones:

  • Bangin Bare
  • Nude Swings
  • Brown of Applause
  • Brick of Time
  • Mocha Me Crazy
  • Mauve Out of My Way
  • Hall of Flame
  • Twice the Spice
  • Wine Not
  • Pure Plump
  • Cherry Spice

How to Choose a Lip Plumping Gloss for Your Skin Tone

Depending on the shade of your skin, different lip gloss colors will better complement your natural features. Here, we have tips for the best lip gloss colors for the palest skin to the deepest hues.

Best Lip Gloss Shades for Fair Skin

For light skin, nude shades that complement a fair complexion are a great choice. Also consider shades of pink, light peach, and light coral. For nudes, also consider pale taupe or beige.

Best Duck Plump Lip Plumping Gloss shades for pale skin:

  • Bangin’ Bare
  • Nude Swings
  • Apri-Caught
  • Strike a Rose
  • Pick Me Pink
  • Bubblegum Bae

Best Lip Gloss Shades for Olive Skin

Olive skin tends to rest somewhere between fair and dark skin, which means it can handle a wide variety of color. Since olive skin often has green or yellow undertones, warm shades may be safer to bring out your natural warmth without washing you out. Rich browns, dark berry, orange reds, and bright colors will make olive skin shine.

Best Duck Plump Lip Plumping Gloss shades for olive skin:

  • Apri-Caught
  • Brown of Applause
  • Brick of Time
  • Mauve Out of My Way
  • Lilac on Lock
  • Hall of Flame
  • Wine Not
  • Cherry Spice

Best Lip Gloss Shades for Brown and Dark Skin

Deep skin tones look amazing with bold, bright shades like vibrant berry, bright red, and orange. Avoid pastels, as they may give you a washed-out look. Instead, for a more muted and nude look, choose warm, dark colors.

Best Duck Plump Lip Plumping Gloss shades for brown skin:

  • Mocha Me Crazy
  • Peach Out
  • Hall of Flame
  • Twice the Spice
  • Wine Not
  • Pure Plump
  • Cherry Spice

Best Lip Plumping Gloss Shades for All Skin Tones

Did you find some amazing shades to complement your unique, gorgeous skin? Feel free to try them out virtually using our Virtual Makeup Try On Tool, and don’t be afraid to try different colors with different outfits or for special occasions, from bold jersey-matching colors for the Big Game to professional nude shades for the office. Don’t be afraid to use more than one color of Duck Plump Lip Plumping Gloss at once!

No matter your skin tone, Duck Plump Lip Plumping Gloss’s Clearly Spicy clear lip gloss variation is the perfect choice for lip plumping and shine when you aren’t looking for color. You can even mix and match it with your lipstick of choice to add plumping and shine to your go-to color.

Want to learn more about achieving fuller lips? You can check out our article on How to Make Your Lips Look Bigger with Makeup. And for more Big Game makeup content, check out our top makeup products for the Big Game.

Show us your best duck lips by tagging us on social media @NYXCOSMETICS and share your favorite Duck Plump Lip Plumping Gloss colors and looks!

*L’Oreal calculation based in part on data reported by NielsenIQ through its Scantrack Service for the Lip Gloss category for the 52-week period ending December 31, 2022 for the US xAOC market according to L’Oreal’s custom product hierarchy. Copyright © 2023, Nielsen Consumer LLC

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