Choosing the right lip color can be frustrating, but knowing your skin type the choice becomes much simpler. Every woman has spent hours wandering the makeup aisle trying on various shades of red lipstick and still not find their ideal shade. It’s tempting to simply purchase the latest shade that comes out every season, but that’s expensive and wasteful when you end up not wearing it at all. Since there isn’t a shade that works on everyone, figuring out your perfect shade will help.

The following are a few great tips that will help you choose that perfect shade of lipstick:

1. Apply a lip balm before applying color

Achieving gorgeous lips is not just about using a shiny or matte lipstick–it’s also about prepping your lips. Before you even apply lipstick, be sure to apply a lip balm. This ensures that your lips are soft and supple, not dry and chapped.

2. Cool undertones

Take a good look at your skin. If you have a pink, red, or bluish hue to your skin you have a cool undertone. An easy way to tell if your undertone is cool is to look at the veins in your wrist. If these look blue then you have cool undertones. People who tend to turn red before they tan often have cool undertones in their skin. In this case, the best lipsticks for cool undertones have a blue or purple tint to them. It doesn’t really matter whether you choose a matte or cream lipstick or lip stain, so long as you choose a color that has a cool undertone to it. When you choose a red lipstick, try to stay away from the orange shades and go for the deeper blue reds. People with cool undertones should be careful with bright lipstick shades as these colors tend to wash out their complexions.

3. Warm undertones

If your skin has a golden or olive shade to it, then you have a warm undertone. Again, look at your wrist and see if your veins look a little green. If you tend to tan fairly easily then you most likely have warm undertones. The type of lipstick colors for you are warm and bright shades, so look for bright red and orange colors when looking for any type of lipstick.

4. Neutral undertones

You are lucky if you have neutral undertones because then you can wear almost any shade of lipstick you like. You probably know by now that you can wear any type of jewelry (gold or silver), and in the same way you can wear just about any lipstick color. Just put it on and your lips will pop.

If after reading through these tips, you still aren’t sure, don’t fret. If your skin is fair, you’ll look radiant in deep reds and colors that offer contrast with your skin tone. if you’re a bit more olive skinned, try pinks, corals, and nudes. If your skin is darker, opt for a bold and bright red.

Just remember that in the end the lip color you choose is up to you. If you think you look best in coral, even though it doesn’t go with the rules, go for it. Makeup is supposed to be fun and you should wear what you like. In the end, use a lip color that makes you feel the most confident.