How to Choose a Lip Color That Suits You

The right lip color can bring warmth to the skin, sharpen the eyes, or give the whole face a little more definition. The difference can be subtle, but you see it.

Texture changes the effect, too. A translucent balm lets the lips show through; lipstick brings richer, more saturated color. Gloss catches the light, while liner gives the lip a cleaner edge.

Here’s how to find your signature lip color.

Start With Your Natural Lip Color

Look at your lips without makeup and notice the colors already there. They might be soft pink, peach, rose, mauve, berry, warm brown, deep brown, or a blend of several tones. Your upper and lower lip may differ in color, too.

Use that natural color as your starting point, then move within or just beyond it. Pink and rose lips can move toward petal pink, rosewood, or berry. Peach and warmer lips can move toward coral, warm rose, or terracotta. Mauve, brown, and deeper-toned lips can move toward rose-brown, caramel, plum, berry, or deeper reds.

Then Look at Your Undertone

Undertone is the subtle warmth or coolness beneath your skin. Unlike skin tone, which can shift with the seasons, your undertone stays relatively consistent.

Look at your skin in natural daylight, especially around the jaw, neck, or chest. Warm undertones have more golden, peach, or yellow tones. Cool undertones have more pink, red, or blue tones. Neutral undertones sit somewhere between the two.

If it’s difficult to tell, look at the veins on the inside of your wrist as another clue. Green-looking veins can suggest a warm undertone; blue or purple can suggest cool; a mix can point toward neutral.

Once you know your undertone, use it to narrow the color family you found above.

If your natural lips are pink or rose, warm undertones can look toward peachy pink, warm rose, and coral; cool undertones toward petal pink, mauve, and berry; neutral undertones can sit comfortably between the two.

If your natural lips are peach or warm pink, warm undertones can move toward coral, terracotta, and warm rose; cool undertones toward cooler pinks and rosy mauves; neutral undertones toward balanced rose and soft coral.

If your natural lips are mauve or brown, warm undertones can move toward caramel, rose-brown, brick, and warm red; cool undertones toward mauve, berry, plum, and blue-based red; neutral undertones can move between rose-brown, berry, and muted red.

Woman applying Kjaer Weis tinted lip balm

Find the Right Depth for Your Everyday Shade

For an everyday lip, choose a shade with enough depth to show clearly against your complexion. If your skin is light to light-medium, start at the softer end of your color family. If your skin is medium, move toward the middle. If your skin is medium-deep to deep, look toward the richer end of the same family.

You can still wear any shade you’re drawn to. This simply helps you find an everyday color that feels easy against your complexion; more contrast creates a bolder lip.

Find Your Lipstick Shade: A Lip Color Guide

Now bring the three together: your natural lip color, undertone, and complexion depth. Use the chart below to find the Kjaer Weis shade closest to your coloring, then choose the formula you want to wear it in.

If your natural lips are…	Tinted Lip Balm	Lipstick	Matte Liquid Lipstick
Pink or rose	Gracious for petal pink Empower for brighter pink	Warm: Blossoming Cool: Honor Neutral: Genuine	Blossoming
Peach or warm pink	Romance for coral pink	Warm: Calm Cool: Serene Neutral: Affection	Wonderful
Mauve, brown, or deeper-toned	Lover’s Choice for deep berry	Warm: Effortless Cool: Believe Neutral: Authentic	Warm: Lavish Cool: Lush

Want a softer effect? Stay toward the lighter end of your color family. For more depth or contrast, move toward a richer shade within the same family.

And everyday doesn’t have to mean nude. If bright pink or red is the color you naturally reach for, it can be every bit as much a signature shade.

How to Choose a Red Lip Color

Red can feel warm and earthy, bright and clear, or deep and rich. The undertone of the red changes its character, while the formula determines how much color comes through.

For warm undertones, Lipstick in Euphoria brings rich, warm red in a creamy satin finish. Matte, Naturally Liquid Lipstick in Supreme takes red in a warmer direction with velvety, lasting pigment.

For cool undertones, Lipstick in KW Red gives you a classic red with a creamy satin finish. Matte, Naturally Liquid Lipstick in KW Red brings the same clear color into a cloud-soft matte.

For a softer way to wear red, Tinted Lip Balm in KW Red gives you translucent classic red, while Tinted Lip Balm in Lover’s Choice brings a deeper wash. Both let the natural lip show through beneath the color.

Sheer, Glossy, Satin, or Matte?

Once you know your color, texture changes how it lives on the lips.

Lip Tint is the lightest touch of color. The balmy formula leaves the natural lip visible beneath a sheer, buildable tint, with jojoba and castor seed oils bringing softness and moisture.

Tinted Lip Balm brings more color while keeping the finish translucent. One layer leaves a clear wash; build it and the pigment becomes richer without losing the natural lip beneath it. Ten certified-organic oils, hyaluronic acid, and squalane give the formula its supple, almost weightless feel.

Lip Gloss shifts the focus to light. Semi-sheer color sits in a cushiony layer of shine, with sweet almond, jojoba, and castor oils conditioning the lips as you wear it. Wear it alone for sheer, luminous color, or over lipstick or liner to bring light to a richer shade.

Kjaer Weis Lipstick is where color becomes richer and more defined. The creamy, moisture-rich formula gives the lips high-impact pigment with a satin finish, while sunflower and rosehip oils, shea butter, and jojoba oil keep the lips soft and hydrated.

For a velvety matte finish, Matte, Naturally Liquid Lipstick glides on like a gloss, then settles into cloud-soft, lasting pigment. Rich color feels almost weightless on the lips, while sunflower, jojoba, and castor seed oils, shea butter, and hyaluronic acid keep the matte finish soft and comfortable.

Lip Pencil plays a different role. Rather than choosing it for finish, use it to define the lip or shift the color deeper, softer, or brighter.

How Lip Liner Can Shift Your Lip Color

Lip liner gives you another way to work with a shade you already love. Keep the pencil close to your lip color for subtle definition, or choose a deeper, warmer, or brighter tone to change the effect.

For more impact, shade beyond the lip line and slightly inward before applying lipstick. Or fill in more of the lip and layer Tinted Lip Balm or Lip Gloss on top, keeping the depth of the pencil beneath a softer finish.

Color, With Care

Lip color is as much about how it feels as how it looks—how it glides on, how it wears, and how your lips feel hours later.

Kjaer Weis lip formulas pair rich pigments with nourishing oils, butters, and skin-caring ingredients that leave lips soft and comfortable. Whether you choose a translucent wash, creamy satin, or velvety matte, texture and care are part of the color you wear.

A soft wash of pink. A rich sweep of red. A creamy nude worn down to the case. Find the color you’ll want close at hand.

Find your Kjaer Weis lip color →

Frequently Asked Questions About Lip Color

How do I know what lipstick color suits me?

Look at your natural lip color, then consider your skin's undertone. Pink, peach, mauve, and brown lip tones can each guide you toward a shade family, while your undertone helps narrow the warmth or coolness. Use the shade finder above to choose a Kjaer Weis color.

Should lipstick be lighter or darker than your natural lips?

For a subtle everyday lip, choose a shade close to your natural lip depth or slightly deeper. A lighter shade creates a softer, more muted effect, while a deeper shade brings more contrast and definition.

What lipstick colors suit neutral undertones?

Neutral undertones can wear both warm and cool shades. Muted rose, rose-brown, soft pink, and balanced berry are useful starting points. The depth of the shade and your natural lip pigmentation will influence the finished color.

Can you wear red lipstick every day?

Absolutely. A translucent red, like Tinted Lip Balm in KW Red, gives the lips visible color with a softer finish. For richer pigment, Lipstick in KW Red brings a creamy satin finish.

Is tinted lip balm better than lipstick for everyday wear?

It depends on the finish you enjoy. Tinted Lip Balm gives you translucent, buildable color with a nourishing balm texture. Lipstick creates richer, more saturated color with a creamy satin finish. Both can be part of an everyday routine.