This Fingertip Hack Helps You Find the Perfect Lip Color

I’ve tried my fair share of makeup hacks, but like clockwork, the internet continues to churn out more, claiming that the latest is better than the rest. The most recent to hit TikTok? A new way to find your perfect lipstick. Instead of comparing it to your nipple or the inside of your lip, this method uses your finger.

“Apparently, this is how women in the 1950s were taught how to find their perfect lipstick shade,” content creator Mireya Rios says in a TikTok video. She then squeezes the tip of her finger, and the shade of pink that it turns perfectly matches the Patrick Ta lipstick that she ended up choosing. When she tries the color on at home, it looks like a spot-on ringer for her natural lip shade.

I have tried everything from matching my lipstick to my, um, areolas to matching it to the inside of my lip, but if it’s as easy as just squeezing a finger? Count me in. Keep reading to see how my version of the hack went.

To try it myself, I started by squeezing my finger and holding it up to my MAC Cosmetics Honey Love ($25), a light, beige-toned rose shade. To me, it looked a little light, so I went a little darker and opted for Dumbo from Makeup by Mario ($28), a spiced rose. It felt too red, so next, I went for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Velvet Lipstick ($24) in Crush, which is described as a soft beige, but to me, it looked like the perfect balance of peach and red tones.

To make sure, I swatched the color on my hand before applying it to my lips, but I could immediately tell that it was going to look a little too ashy on its own, so I went back to the drawing board. Finally, my assistant (also known as my younger sister) told me to squeeze the tip of my finger for a longer time to see if it changed the outcome. I did so, squeezing for about 20 seconds, and the shade that it turned immediately reminded me of a lipstick that I had: the Ctzn Cosmetics Nudiversal ($29) in the shade Sarajevo, a deep brown.

After rummaging through my collection, I confirmed that the color of the lipstick and my fingertip did, in fact, look similar, so I applied it to my mouth. Starting with my bottom lip, I swiped on a few coats, but I was shocked by how dark it was; I was sure there was no way this was my perfect shade of lipstick. However, when I put it onto my top lip, the color was so seamless that it was almost laughable.

This process illuminated the age-old dilemma that many people with deep skin tend to have when it comes to wearing lipstick: we have two-toned lips. So, while the brown color did look pretty on my upper lip, overall, I felt like it was a bit too dark.

So, did this hack work? Yes and no. As someone with two different lip tones, I didn’t feel like this shade did much to brighten up my face, which is the reason why I typically stick to the more peachy-pink hue when it comes to my lip colors. However, I will keep this trick in my back pocket, just in case. There’s nothing like risking your blood circulation in the name of beauty.

Ariel Baker is the assistant editor for POPSUGAR Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted.