How to tell if a lipstick is cool or warm
The sheer-out trick that reveals a shade's true undertone, so you can read any color on the shelf.
Is that pink a cool pink or a warm pink? At full strength you often cannot tell, because a solid swatch hides its own base. Here is the trick I use as a makeup artist.
Swatch it, then sheer it out
Swatch the color, then thin it out with your finger. As the pigment sheers down, the base of the shade rises to the surface.
- If an orangey brown jumps out as it thins, the shade leans warm.
- If blue starts to come through, the shade leans cool.
The pure swatch keeps the base hidden. The sheered edge exposes it. Once you have done this a few times, you start to see the lean even without sheering.
Why the lean matters
Color harmony is the whole reason to care. When the undertone of a shade matches your skin’s undertone, or when all your makeup shares the same lean, the look reads as intentional and flattering instead of slightly off.
You do not have to restrict yourself to one family of colors. You just want to know which way a shade leans before you commit, so you are choosing on purpose. That is Step 2, Decode The Shade.
Watch Melissa explain it