Choosing the right lipstick shade can be a tricky decision. Too light and you won't even know you went and splurged €18 on a new shade, but too dark and you run the risk of looking like a clown. Before running out to panic buy for the Christmas festivities, we decided to call in some expert help. Emma Farrell, a make-up artist and owner of Dublin-based EF Creative Studios, has a few tips to keep in mind when hunting for the perfect lippy. Match to your skin tone Just like the colour we choose for our clothes, different colour lipsticks look better on different skin tones. Cool tones work better on those with fair skin while warm tones look better for people with olive skin. If you’re fair skinned, look out for anything with a purple or blue undertone, an example of this is Mac’s cult classic nude ‘Creme Cup’. If you are more olive skinned, opt for something with an orange, red or terracotta undertone. Mac’s ‘Velvet Teddy’ would be a perfect example of this. Choose your look Before you set out to pick up your lipstick have an idea of what look you are going for and stick to it. If you go looking for an everyday nude only to be carried away with a beautiful red once you get there, you’ll come home disappointed. A good tip for picking your everyday lip shade comes from Bobbi Brown who says:

“If I could teach someone just one thing about lip colour it would be this: find a lipstick that looks good on your face when you are wearing absolutely no makeup”.

Bobbi Brown: image via Wikipedia A good way to find this colour is to look for one two shades darker than your natural lip colour. If you do decide to go for a statement lip, just remember step one and make sure it matches your skin tone. Lip Size Lipstick is an easy way of changing your lip size but we’re not talking about over-drawing your natural lip line. If you want to make your lips look bigger choose a light shade and add a gloss. The same can be said the opposite way around, so if you are worried about your lips being too big, opt for a darker matte shade. Don’t shop online This is another trap that we’ve all fallen into at some point but choosing a lipstick colour for the first time online is not a good idea. Okay, there’s none of the pressure of choosing at a counter but colours generally look more blue-toned on a screen and can look vastly different from one screen to another. Hit the shops to find your perfect lipstick and once you’ve found it re-purchase online to your heart’s content. Check out Emma's social media channels for some more expert tips: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter