Hehe! Thanks Manny! I hadn't heard of that one :D... of course, makes sense!

Yes, that's it. Don't ask my why I know this English abreviation even though I go bare faced most of the time. I have no idea.

I'm cool toned, so I'm sorry I can't help with colours! But I do like the idea of shades that are a bit sheer, as they highlight rather than wear me! Clinique Chubby Sticks (original not intense) are great for this. I have them in 4 or 5 shades, ranging from pink and mauve through to coral and they all suit. Normally I can't wear coral, but I can in the Chubby Stick. I have also heard Clinique Black Honey Almost Lipstick suits a lot of people, and I think it might go well with your hair and skin.

We should have sorted you out at the Laura Mercier counter in London with Jaime and Liz.

I have also had great luck with advice from Bobbi Brown, and I think they are better with warm tones than cool. For what it's worth, I think bb "Italian rose" would be gorgeous on you

Lol, Astrid. I should have known it if it's a British acronym!

Lucy, I've just been looking at the chubby sticks. Thanks!

Yes, I should have Angie. Hindsight is a wonderful thing eh? Oh well

TG, thanks for the rec!

I swipe a few samples on my hand right before I leave the store. Then I check it in the parking lot under daylight to see the actual color. This only works if I don't swipe on too many and forget which is which. If I LOVE one of them, I go back in and buy it. If they're all kinda "meh", I drive home and eat chocolate LOL!

I want to 2nd what Keturah said...buy from a store that allows you to return it if you don't like it. at 1st I wouldn't do that, it seemed unseemly to return something I had bought and just a few times, but then I realized just how much this stuff costs. so now if I don't like it after a few (2 or 3) wears, it goes back...also makeup is one area that I crave help in store, I don't always agree with the 1st or 2nd recommendation, but there's usually to much "stuff" in stores to try to find the perfect color by myself.

I like Elea Blake. You can purchase small samples, the product is nice. I use their light summer makeup. Another is Indigo Tones.

I've had good luck with free consultations at Sephora, but worse luck at some makeup counters in department stores where the sales people tend (in my experience) to push a more-makeup look. At Sephora I try to find a salesperson who's wearing less makeup because that matches my own style better.

I mostly wear Clinique because of chemical sensitivities, and their colors happen to work very well on me. The Chubby Stick is great - Mega Melon is exactly the MLBB look on me (I love this new acronym, thanks) and there are a lot of different colors. To my surprise, my best (and only) true red lipstick came from a Clinique gift bag, but at least I knew to ask for the pink/cool shade version of the gift bag. All through my teens and 20s I thought my red hair meant I should go for autumn tones in makeup. So wrong, with my skin.

Anyway, I'm just rambling, but between color mismatches and sensitivity to makeup ingredients, I totally hear you on the frustration of buying something that doesn't work. I didn't know until recently that I could return stuff (Sephora is *great* for returns) and it's revolutionized things. Now I go into Sephora, ask for help, try out a full look for the day to see if I'm sensitive, then go back the next day to buy whatever products worked.

I think I'm a soft autumn as well, and I recently found a couple I love. They're Almay Lip Butters. I tend to like a fairly natural look on myself, and these are really nice, creamy and lovely. I bought the nude(medium-light), and the berry(medium). I love both, but especially the berry(medium). Some reviews said they're not very long lasting, but I got a few hours of wear and even after eating or drinking I had a nice bit of color. I love that they feel like a creamy lip balm rather than a drying lipstick.

Oh, and just wanted to add that both colors above are pinky-browns, fairly sheer, but you can build them up to more intense color quite easily.