Matching your lipstick to your nail polish might seems like something your grandmother used to do, but for special occasions it completes a sophisticated look. Find out how to match lipstick with nail color and even eyeshadow for a refined style.
More and more cosmetic companies are launching the exact same shades for lipstick and nail polish, but that doesn’t mean this combination is the only elegant choice for any look. As long as you follow some basic guidelines, you can make sure none of the colors you’ve chosen clash in an unpleasant way.
How to Match Lipstick and Nail Polish
A sporty or casual look doesn’t require a lot of color coordination between your hands and your lips, but it can be a detail that’s noticed by people used to elegance. Jennifer Lopez’s nude lips and French manicure combination is the most obvious and understated, but there are plenty of combinations that make you look good even without using the exact same shades.
If you want to enhance your dramatic smokey eye effect, go for dark nails and keep your lips in a pale or nude shade that doesn’t create too many color focal points in your overall outfit. Pink or pastel nails should never be worn with a darker outfit, especially if you match them with your lips.
As a general rule for matching lipstick and nail polish, make sure you keep the two shades in the same color family, whether they’re both warm or cold. Even if you’re not going to coordinate your colors thoroughly, make sure you don’t mix strong options like bright red lips with candy pink nails or over coordinate your makeup palette. Your lips, nails, outfit and eyeshadow should never all be the same color at the same time. Coordinating them in pairs works best for an elegant look.
How to Match Colors by Season
Once you find the right looks when matching lipstick and nail polish, you can make an even more elegant statement by choosing the right colors for each season.
Spring is the best time to experiment with pastels, from peaches to shades of lavender. You can choose brighter lipstick and nail polish, even going for shimmery or sparkling effects. Coordinate with the falling leaves in fall, from gold to earth tones and plum and go for deeper berry shades in winter.
If all this seems too much for your everyday makeup habits, keep the basics of matching lipstick and nail polish for special occasions, when you really want to make a great lasting impression.
