At this day in age, anyone and everyone can experiment with just about any kind of makeup - from the sultry smokey eye to shimmering lips. That said, there are still basic guidelines to follow according to skin tone, hair and eye color. In terms of foundation and powder, that is obviously a no-brainer - it should closely match your skin tone as much as possible - so close that it literally looks like it disappears into your skin. To test for the right shade, simply apply a streak of foundation and/or powder along your jaw line. To determine the right colors of eye and lip makeup, read further to find out…

LIP AND BLUSH COLORS

For Fair Skin

For porcelain or ivory complexions, choose a lip color in lighter hues such as light pink, light peach, and nude.
Dark hair/fair skinned lasses can pull off a bold red lipstick with blue undertones. Try Clinique Long Last Soft Shine Lipstick in Red Red Red.

Redhead/fair skinned chicas look great in warmer lip colors with golden undertones such as corals, warm apricots, warm pinks, warm reds, and honey-nudes. Try Bobbi Brown Lip Shimmer in Rose Bud

or Lancome Color Fever Lasting Radiance Sensual Lip Color

For blush, opt for pales shades of pink or apricot.

For Medium Skin

For medium skin tones (including any hair color), any “medium” lip shade looks best such as medium pinks, light mocha, wine, orangey-reds, and medium peach. Berry shades also look amazing on medium complected women. Try Guerlain KissKiss Maxi Shine Lipstick in Pink Shine.

or Stila Lip Color in Emily, Nicole or Pixie

For blush, choose a medium apricot or rosy pink.

For Olive or Bronze Skin

For olive to bronze skin (including any hair color), choose lipsticks in golds, golds, golds! Also, any hue with a golden undertone (think bronze or copper) or deeper shades of berry, brown or red look great. Try Bare Escentuals Lipstick in Merlot

or Lip Lingerie Nude Negligee by Dianne Brill

or Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Golden Brown

For blush, stick with bronze or rosy pink.

For Brown Skin

For shades of brown complexions (including any hair color), opt for lip shades of bricks, burgundies, brown, deep red or fuchsia. For blush, try a deep berry or bronzy red. Try Stendhal Pur Luxe Lipstick in Glazed Brown or Passion Red

or Sephora Brand Lip Attitude - Glamour

or Shiseido The Makeup Perfecting Lipstick in Brown Red or Fuschia Volt

EYE SHADOW COLORS

When it comes to eyeshadows, that’s when you can afford to play with colors and really experiment. But if you’re quite militant about “proper” shades according to your eye color, then here’s a basic guideline for you to follow:

For Brown Eyes

Brown eyed girls are the luckiest. We can pull off pretty much any shade of eyeshadow and liner from plum to gold. Try Sephora Brand Colorful Pro Eyeshadow Palette - Brown Eyes

or Urban Decay Urban Ammo Eye Palette

or Lulu Beauty Eyeshadow

So have fun, my fellow brown eyed chicas!

For Blue Eyes

Blue -eyed babes look best in shades of the brown and beige family - from taupe to mahogany. Blue eyes also pop with grays, silvers, lavenders, plums and violets. However, try to avoid green colors as they don’t really enhance those baby blues.

Try Sephora Brand Colorful Duo Eyeshadow - Cream & Powder in Brown Harmony

or Dior Dior 5 -Colour Eyeshadow in Petal Shine 809

or Pop Beauty Lid Silver

For Gray Eyes

Gray eyes are best accentuated with deeper cool blues, forest greens, and charcoal shades. Plum colors are also quite flattering.

Try Dior 1-Couleur Powder Mono Eyeshadow in Metallic Blue or Silver Dust

or LORAC Eye Shadow Eye Color in Charcoal

Laura Mercier Eye - Evolution of Colour in Plum Velvet

For Hazel Eyes

Like brown eyes, hazel eyes really stand out with a plethora of colors - especially earth tones such as brown and greens. Plums also rock, my hazel-eyed honeys.

Opt for Yves Saint Laurent Ombres Vibration Duo Eye Shadow Duo in Brown Gold/Lame Green

or Too Faced Eye Shadow Single in Jealous?

or Fresh Eye Shadow Trio in Corazon Del Mar

For Green Eyes

Green-eyed gals look best in brown, lavenders, plum, golds and deep greens. Steer clear of blue shades - they don’t really complement your gorgeous green eyes.

Go for NARS Single Eye Shadow in Strada or Lulu

or Clinique Pair of Shades Eye Shadow Duo in Tawny Terras

or try LORAC Glam Rocks Eye Shadow in Metallic Gold

BONUS TIP FOR ALL EYE COLORS

Just about everyone can pull off black eyeliner except pale, pale skin. Instead, opt for brown or charcoal liner.

Don’t forget that you can mix colors together to create your own unique shade of lipstick or eyeshadow. Just have fun with it!