Lipstick is a must-have that no self-respecting girl should ever dream of leaving the house without. As essential as it is, finding the perfect lipstick is a struggle.  And unless you know how to test a lipstick, you can end up with a color that’s all wrong.

Make-up artist Bobbi Brown’s tip for choosing a lipstick that will work for you is to look for a colour that is like your own natural colour, but to take it up a notch. If you are very dark and have purple or dark brown lips, go for chocolate and blackberry colours. For evening, take your daytime colour to a richer intensity. If you chose a berry lip gloss during the day for example, a satiny burgundy would look more dramatic at night. Here are the best possible lipstick hues that are guaranteed to accentuate and flatter you.

Scarlet Red

Red lipsticks for dark skin are incredibly popular right now. A red lip is bold, sexy, and sophisticated. However, if you don’t want to go all out with a bright red, get something a little darker and more subdued, that you can easily wear during the day, too.

Orange

Shades of orange and tangerine make great lipstick colors for darker skin. They’re incredibly popular popping up in jewelry, clothing, shoes, and all kinds of other makeup. If you want to really highlight your skin tone and make the most of the hottest color trend, this lipstick is fantastic.

Matte Flesh

If you’re looking for something subtle, a really understated color that will make your other features pop, warm your skin, and allow you to keep the focus on your eye makeup, for example, a nude, neutral, or natural shade is perfect. A matte lipstick is a great idea, but you can look for one with a sparkle, too. If you want some extra sheen, just slick some clear gloss over your lips after you apply it.

Raspberry

Berry is a versatile color on darker skin tones, so you can wear it during the day or at night. Look for something with red undertones, to really highlight your skin.

Pink

Yes you can wear pink as well. Feel free to get light with it; there are so many variations, you can go with a nude pink, a candy pink, or a luscious hot pink. Get one with a subtle shimmer that will make your lips look even lusher.

Violet

If you want a really dramatic lip color go with purple! From grape to violet to plum, all kinds of different hues work well during the day as well as the evening. This shade shimmers just a little and it goes on wonderfully dark. If you’re wearing a deep purple color during the day, I would suggest going lighter on the eyes. If you’re trying to make a statement at night, it would look amazing with simple but darker eye makeup.

Brown

Brown lipsticks are incredibly versatile. You can get a darker, chocolaty shade for something really dramatic. If you want something more neutral, a lighter shade works. Pair with lighter colors on your eyes, and make sure you choose a shade that really complements your skin tone.