Have you ever swiped on a lipstick that looked gorgeous in the tube, but somehow orange on the lips? You might just be cool-toned. For whatever reason, most lip products found at Sephora and other makeup counters seem to be warm- or neutral-toned. This could be for a number of reasons – maybe most humans are warm-toned, these colors are easier to formulate, or they are simply preferred by consumers. Whatever the case may be, those of us with cool undertones just need to dig a little deeper to find something that flatters us. (Note: this article was inspired by Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk Fair shade of lip products, which absolutely nail the cool undertone. Check out that article here.)
Liner
Merit Signature Lip Liner: I swatched these in store and was surprised to see a lot of these brand new lip pencils are actually cool-toned. They are very slippy and soft, making them easy to blend. Mayfair is the cool mauve I recommend.
Anastasia Lip Liner: There are multiple cool-toned options here, but the one I tried is called Mocha. Be warned that it doesn’t look cool-toned in the swatch on the website; I promise in person it’s a browny mauve.
Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil: This is a cult-favorite product, and the cult-favorite shade happens to be cool-toned. Endless Cacao is a cool taupe that looks amazing as an outline to the lips.
Balm, Gloss & Oil
YSL Candy Glaze: These went viral a few years ago, and I’m still wearing them. While most of the nudes and pinks in this collection are warm-toned, Nude Lavalliere is a cool pink that is pretty much the same color as my natural lips.
Ilia Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil: A small hack – I’ve discovered that lavender and violet shades tend to be cool-toned. That is how I found this product in the shade Maybe Violet, a beautiful color that looks purple in the swatch but natural on cool-toned people like me.
Rabanne Lip Glowies: These ultra-shiny glosses come in beautiful, unique shades. I was delighted to see two are truly cool-toned: Toxic Lips, a pop of pink, and Soul Kiss, a kiss of icy chocolate.
Provence Beauty Tinted Glacé: These thick oils provide high color payoff and even higher hydration (they are also $8.99). The shade Plum Merlot is a dark bite of cool plum, as the name suggests.
Lipstick
Westman Atelier Lip Suede: These lipsticks have tiny hearts imprinted directly onto the product – so cute! The shade Je Rêve is a cool berry that can be built up to full impact or swiped on for a wash of color.
Ilia Color Block Lipstick: Ilia makes the best lip products. I love this creamy lipstick because it doesn’t feel thick at all, and the shade Rosette is a soft iced pink that is complimentary for my skin tone.
Anastasia Lip Velvet: These are technically lip mousses, but have the same effect as a lipstick. Two shades in the line are super cool-toned: Pale Mauve, a gorgeous taupe, and Cool Brown, which looks just like you’d expect – so gorgeous.
