Making Whitened Teeth Whiter with The Power of Lipstick

Colors are hard! There’s always a subjective element – no matter how many palette theories you read up on, choosing the perfect lipstick shade seems easier said than done. It’d be one thing if you were going for your usual aesthetic, but you just got a teeth whitening treatment. The whole point was to change your look!

You can stop calculating and comparing. We’ll give you simple tips on finding a lipstick color that’ll make your teeth pop and compliment your natural pigments.

Avoid Dull Teeth with Contrast, Contrast, Contrast!

Let’s review some art class basics. If you want to harmonize your pigments, you’ll choose muted tones that neighbor each other on the color wheel. That’s not what we’re going for here. You want to emphasize your newly whitened teeth, so what you’re looking for is contrast. Bright, saturated tones will stand out sharply against your teeth, making them look positively radiant.

This concept is even more important when it comes to the color white. True white is an incredibly easy shade to influence. Lipstick with yellow, orange, or brown undertones will bleed that shade onto your teeth, making them appear stained or muddled. On the other hand, pure, clear tones like cobalt blue, emerald green, and cherry red will provide that stunning contrast that we talked about – without bringing out dull shadows.

Choosing the Best Lipstick for Your Teeth and You

Of course, you don’t just want your pearly whites to dazzle. You want your whole new look to wow the crowd! For that, it’s important to select lipstick hues that also compliment your natural colors.

• Warm skin tones glow next to equally warm tints. You might be panicking at the thought of adding jewel tones to your makeup, but don’t worry. Remember that the main idea is to stick to clear colors. You can still rock shades like peony pink, peacock blue, and iris.
• Cool skin tones will likely have an easier time finding complimentary lipsticks, since they already tend to avoid yellow and orange undertones. Cool-leaning reds are an obvious choice but consider shaking things up with colors like fuchsia and dark blue.
• Neutral skin tones can technically lean warm or cool, making a teeth-popping lipstick choice tricky. You could always borrow shades from warm- and cool-toned palettes, but you want to showcase your pigments! Since the undertones in your skin are more subtle, you can pull off rich brown nudes like espresso and walnut without having dirty looking teeth.

All these tips and suggestions are great, but at the end of the day, it’s true that the best lipstick color is going to be the one you think looks great. After all, part of the reason you wanted whiter teeth was for the confidence boost, right? Apply whatever makeup has you feeling fine and fresh, and don’t forget to thank your dentist for your stunning pearly whites!

About the Author

Dr. Nicholas Mueller (just call him Dr. Nick!) earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota and his dental doctorate at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. He is a current, active member of the American Dental Association, Chicago Dental Society, Wisconsin Dental Association, and the International Association of Orthodontics. To schedule a consultation for cosmetic dentistry at Shorewood Family Dentistry, visit our website or call us today at 414-332-8150.