A rite of passage that every little girl passes through to reach womanhood is the selection of the wrong lipstick. Almost every woman can remember the first time she paraded into school wearing bright pink lipstick or ruby red lipstick to only be embarrassed. Searching for the right lipstick ensued. It’s a choice that can mean the difference between looking like a clown or a princess. Choosing the right lipstick is a science, not a style. It mainly requires a keen sense of balancing your needs with your wants. Following are a few factors you will want to consider.

Step 1
Choose a lipstick color that is similar to the description of your skin. Forget about figuring out if you are a winter or spring. Instead, opt for choosing a lipstick color that fits the description of your skin tone. For instance, if your skin is light, pick a light lipstick like peach. Similarly, if your skin is dark, pick a dark lipstick like raisin. Choosing a lipstick in this manner will help you stay on the right track and steer clear of major lip color disasters. It also helps you narrow down your choices quickly when you enter a store, especially since lipsticks are normally arranged on shelves from light to dark.

Step 2
Choose a lipstick “finish” that complements your lip size. A lipstick finish describes the way in which a color sits on your lips. Finishes normally range from matte to shiny. Matte finishes show up as flat and dry. They usually look best on large lips because of their minimizing effect. Shiny finishes show up as glossy and moist. They usually look best on thin lips because of their plumping effect. As a result, you should choose a lipstick color that complements the size of your lips. If you are lucky enough to have medium sized lips, you can choose any finish.

Step 3
Choose a lipstick texture that feels comfortable to you. Over the past decade, lipstick textures have grown from thick and heavy to light and creamy. Manufacturers of lipstick finally figured out that no two women are alike and so they don’t want to wear the same type of texture of lipstick. As a result, you have a lot of choices these days. In the area of texture, there really isn’t a wrong or right choice, just pick a lipstick that feels good on you.

Step 4
Choose a lipstick that is right for your lifestyle. Picking a lipstick that meshes with your lifestyle is key. If you work in an office and really don’t have time to freshen up, choose a lipstick that is durable and long lasting. If you work outside and need protection from the sun, choose a lipstick that has sunscreen in it. In other words, choose a lipstick that is right for the lifestyle you lead.

Step 5
Make your final choice in lipstick based on what looks good on you. At the end of the day, you won’t be happy with your lipstick choice, if it doesn’t look good on you. So, no matter what the make-up girl says about the new lipstick, don’t buy it unless it looks good on you.

Tips & Warnings
Always try to test out a new lipstick before you buy it.
Don’t buy a lipstick because it’s the new lipstick. It might look good on Tyra Banks, but make you look like a clown.