Tell me if this sounds like you: You go to your favorite beauty counter, a hot new lipstick color satisfies your shopping need for the day, then you go home and find out it looks horrible on you!  Yes, well that is the story of my life!  Lip color and I have this ongoing love-hate relationship and I’m just sick of it!

In this month’s issue of Women’s Health Magazine, celebrity make-up artist Kimara Ahnert offers a guide to choosing the right lip shade for your skin tone.  I learned a few things that will help keep me from throwing away those poor lipsticks sitting at the bottom of my makeup bag like benchwarmers sadly waiting for the right look.

It’s important that you figure out your skin’s undertones.  Kimara says, “Look at the veins in your wrists under natural light. If they appear bluish, you have cool undertones; If they’re more green, you’re warm.”

Now I’m sure many of you usually test lip color on the back of your hand like I normally do.  Well this isn’t as accurate as testing color on your fingertips.  “It more closely mimics the shade of your lips, ” Kimara advises.

I should really pay more close attention to my skin tone whenever I’m looking for the right shape of lip color. Here are some tips from Kimara about skin tones:

• Fair skin tones should avoid bright shades of pink and brown that can look too severe against light skin
• Medium skin tones, stay away from nudes which can leave you looking washed out
• Olive skin tones should steer clear of orange-reds and pinkish reds which will make your face look green
• Dark skin tones should pass on anything remotely orange—it will bring out yellow undertones

Now go out and get the hot flattering lip shade that works for you! Let us know what lip color tips you use!

For more lip shade tips visit http://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty-and-style/beauty-product-tips