Permanent lip liner and color is fast becoming a hot trend all over the world. Here in the USA, year after year there are more women choosing permanent make up as a time saving alternative, and permanent lip shading or blushing is a popular treatment.

Getting your lip color tattooed on might sound a bit scary, but it’s not quite like a regular tattoo. Lip pigmentation uses a much kinder, less invasive method of color implantation, which will not fade out to blue in the way a regular tattoo usually will. It is a great way of adding definition, color and perceived volume to your lips, making you ready for anything all day every day.

When you decide to get your lip blushing done, one of the first questions will be what color to choose. Here we discuss which colors suit which skin types, as well as the things you need to know about lip tattooing before choosing your color, so that you can make the right choice when you come to have your treatment.

Things to remember about permanent lip pigmentation

Lip tattoos can be an amazing investment, one which will reward you daily with healthier looking, beautiful lips. However, it’s important to understand a few things about lip pigmentation, particularly when you’re selecting your color shade.

It’s an enhancement

Lip tattoos are designed to enhance your natural lips, and to give the impression of fullness. Using advance 3D make up techniques, I can help your lips look fuller, using shading around the edges and a lighter color in the middle. But a lip tattoo will not actually plump up your lips, so don’t expect a completely new look.

You can still use lipstick

Your new lip tattoo is designed to act as a beautiful base, but it doesn’t mean you should throw out your lippy collection at all. You should never use lipstick during the healing process, but once everything is fully healed up, you can use lipsticks, glosses and balms as usual. You may need to experiment to see how your colors look over your new base color, but you can still create your own looks with lipstick over the top.

The color will fade

Because I use skin safe pigmentation in my permanent make up process, which is not the same as traditional tattoo inks, there is a certain degree of fading to be expected. Colors that are very close to your natural color will probably need touching up once a year, whereas if you go two to three shades away from your natural color, the touch up may not be needed for 2-5 years.

You can pick more than one color

Most good permanent make-up practitioners will use shading techniques to give your lips a more natural look. They may start with a darker shade as a lip liner, fading it inwards in circular motions to give a natural, attractive appearance. This can be followed by the application of a second color for the infill, blending it perfectly for a plump, healthy and natural finish.

The end result will depend on your skin tone

Not only will the end result vary depending on the base color of your natural lips, it will also depend on how your skin tone reacts to the pigmentation process. Some people with very dark skin have experienced a condition known as hyperpigmentation when trying to apply permanent lip tattoos. In this situation, their lips could actually end up darker than they started off, even if they picked a lighter color, so it’s important to consult fully with your practitioner prior to making any decisions.

As with any permanent makeup procedure, it’s important that you go into this with your eyes wide open. Side effects and complications are rare but be sure to discuss with your practitioner any health conditions or other worries you might have about the process.

What shade will suit your skin tone?

Some faces can get away with bold, bright red lips, but let’s face it, most of us look like a clown gone wrong when we attempt the big red look. The color you can get away with will depend heavily on your own skin tone and complexion, so it’s important to understand color theory before making any decisions on your skin pigmentation shade.

As a general rule, your skin tone is fairly easy to define and will help you pick your lip pigment with ease:

Identify your undertone: Look at the veins on your wrist. If they are blue, you have cooler, pink undertones, if they are green, you have warmer, yellow undertones. If they are both blue and green, you’re a lucky neutral who can get away with pretty much anything.

Understand which shades go with which tone: Yellow undertones work well with warm colors, and pink undertones look great with blue or purple hues.

Trial and error: Play with some of the lipsticks in your collection and start thinking about which ones are more flattering on your skin. Think about the hues that are present in that lipstick; is it cooler blues, or warmer oranges or yellows?

This basic test is a great place to start narrowing down your options for lip pigmentation colors, but of course your personal preference comes into play too. If you love a particular color but it doesn’t ‘fit’ with your skin tone, it’s still your choice if you want to go for it or not.

Narrowing down your color choice for lip tattoos

OK, so you know whether you’re going for warm or cool, but with potentially hundreds of precise pigments to choose from, what else should you take into account to help you choose the ideal tone? Thinking about your skin coloring can help a lot too, and whether you’re naturally perfectly pale or richly tanned, you can find a great color for you.

Super pale skin

If you’re very pale, your best bet is to go for a nude toned color. Think peachy shades that you can overlay with a nude gloss for a perfect daytime look. Avoid dark shades of brown or burgundy, as they’ll contrast too much with your pale skin.

Dark skin

Very dark complexions have a wide choice of lip colors, lucky you! Try out coral shades or pigments with an orange element for a fun pop of color. Stay away from chalky colors or those with too much white in.

Olive skin

If you’ve got a lovely olive complexion, you’ll do well in warm, natural tones. Look for sunset reds, perky coral and warm amber to complement your skin. Avoid purple as it will bring out the yellow in your skin and make you look sickly. Brown will look too monochromatic.

Yellow undertones

If you’re not quite olive but not pale either, you’ll look great in blue based reds. Flesh tones and bronzes also work really well but steer clear of purple if you don’t want to look too yellow.

Pink undertones

Again, if you’re between pale and olive but have pink undertones, stick to peach tones for a natural look. For a more eye-popping combination, try brick red or orange-based reds, but don’t go for blue based reds as they’ll clash horribly.

Light Asian skin

You’ll no doubt have lovely full lips and a natural coral undertone to your skin, so complement this with beautiful coral lips and plenty of highlighting lip gloss. You can get away with bold reds too, but don’t bother with the nudes as they’ll just make your skin look pasty.

Super Dark and South Asian Skin

For those with much darker or Southern Asian skin, choosing a lip color can be a tough decision. You have natural blue subtones to your lips which could result in a color not being quite the shade you had hoped for.

Remember, it’s a good idea to go a couple of shades away from your natural skin color if you want something that’s going to last and will not fade out too quickly. Talk to us for more advice on picking your perfect lip pigmentation colors.

Contact me today

Talk to me today to find out more about how micropigmentation could help you! From eyeliner to eyebrows and more, here at New Image Beauty Bar my goal is to make you the best you can be! You can call or text 954-774-5087 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response!