What Lip Color Should I Wear – 55 Shades With Swatches

How it works

Standing at the makeup counter, or just bored of your usual? Press the button for one of 55 lip colors, glosses and stains, each shown as a swatch.

Read the full guide

Narrow it to a family of shades

After your first press, the list beside the button narrows the draw: Nudes, Pinks, Reds, Berries and plums, Corals, oranges and browns, Bold and unusual, or Glosses, stains and effects. Every shade has the same chance inside its group.

Try it before you buy

Set the count to 3 and look for the closest match to each at a makeup counter, where testers let you see the shade on your own lips. If you cannot try it on, swatch it on a fingertip and hold it near your mouth in a mirror.

Questions and answers

What lipstick color should I wear every day?

A nude or a soft pink close to your own lip color is easiest: Pinky nude, Mauve nude, Dusty rose or a tinted lip balm. They look neat without drawing attention, so they go with any outfit.

What is the difference between a lip stain and a lipstick?

A stain soaks color into the lips instead of sitting on top, so it usually lasts longer and fades softly. Lipstick gives a stronger color and a choice of finish, from matte to glossy.

When did red lipstick become popular?

Dark red was one of the most popular lipstick shades through the 19th and 20th centuries, especially in the 1920s. Black lipstick came later, worn in punk and goth styles from the late 1970s.

All 55 lip colors

Nudes 9

Caramel nude A golden light brown.
Cocoa nude A deeper milk-chocolate neutral.
Mauve nude A beige with a dusty purple tint.
One shade deeper than your lips Match your own lip color, then go one step darker.
Peachy nude A warm beige with a hint of peach.
Pinky nude A soft pink-beige that looks like your own lips, a little neater.
Soft beige A pale, muted neutral for a very quiet lip.
Tinted lip balm A sheer wash of color that also softens the lips.
Toffee A warm tan-brown, glossy or matte.

Pinks 8

Baby pink A pale, sweet pink.
Blush pink A light warm pink that looks like a flush.
Candy pink A bright, cheerful mid pink.
Dusty rose A muted, grown-up pink with a little gray.
Fuchsia A loud purple-pink that is hard to miss.
Mauve Pink and purple, softened.
Rosewood A deep, brownish rose.
Watermelon pink A juicy pink with a touch of red.

Show all 55 lip colors (38 more)

Reds 11

Blue-red A cool red with a hint of blue, the old-Hollywood look.
Cherry lip stain Color that soaks in and lasts longer than lipstick.
Cranberry A red with a purple edge.
Crimson A deep red with a little blue.
Dark red The favorite shade of the 1920s, deep and dramatic.
Gloss over red A red lipstick with a clear gloss on top for a wet look.
Orange-red A warm, bright red that leans toward orange.
Oxblood A very dark brownish red.
Rust A brownish red, like old iron.
Scarlet A pure, vivid red.
Tomato red A ripe, warm mid red.

Berries and plums 8

Aubergine A deep eggplant purple.
Berry A deep purple-red, like crushed blackberries.
Berry lip stain A stain in deep berry, fading softly through the day.
Black cherry Almost black, with red underneath.
Magenta A strong purple-pink.
Mulberry A soft purple-red, lighter than wine.
Raspberry A bright red-purple.
Wine A dark red-purple, like red wine in a glass.

Corals, oranges and browns 7

Apricot A soft, light orange.
Burnt orange A deep, earthy orange.
Chestnut A glossy mid brown with red in it.
Cinnamon A spicy red-brown.
Coral pink Pink and orange at once.
Espresso A very dark brown.
Terracotta A clay orange-brown.

Bold and unusual 8

Black Long worn in punk and goth styles, by men and women.
Electric purple A bright, saturated purple.
Emerald green A jewel green for a costume or a dare.
Gold metallic A shiny gold for a party.
Gray A cool stone gray.
Midnight blue A deep, dark blue that reads almost black.
Periwinkle A soft blue-purple.
Teal Blue-green and unexpected.

Glosses, stains and effects 4

Clear lip gloss Shine with no color, alone or over any shade.
Matte liquid lipstick Goes on like a gloss and dries matte, in any shade.
Ombré lips Darker at the outer edges, fading to lighter in the middle.
Shimmer gloss A gloss with fine sparkle over a light pink.

How this list was compiled: 55 lip colors, finishes and effects. Checked on 2026-09-24 against https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipstick: dark red lipstick was one of the most popular shades of the 19th and 20th centuries, especially the 1920s; black lipstick is worn by men and women in alternative subcultures, especially punk and goth; lip stain leaves a stain of color and generally stays on longer than lipstick; liquid lipstick applies like a gloss but dries matte; nude lipsticks became popular in 2014 and early 2015. Our own, not from a source: the list, the plain color names (no brand shade names), every hex value (chosen by eye so a swatch can be shown), the groups and every line. No skin-tone claims and no brand is named. Licence: own work