I am light to medium skin toned and had a NARS make up artist put me in the deepest shade; on my own, I would have selected the recommended lighter shades. The color is beautiful! It completely warms the face; and the formula is very light weight and long lasting. The color choice makes sense given make up artists see Exhibit A as universally flattering (it's not that red; more that it mimics the color you actually get from sun exposure). Falaises is a summer Olympia, something easy with impact to put in daily rotation. It's in the same color family of the current NARSissist warm toned blush palette