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A bold red lip is such a classic look, and nothing makes us feel better than a red lip.
But we know the struggle of finding that perfect shade of crimson to flatter your complexion all too well. Have you ever spotted a red lipstick you loved on your friend, but when you tried it on yourself, the effect wasn’t quite right? It’s all down to finding the perfect red lipstick for YOU, not everyone can wear that dark, dreamy blood red or a bubbly bright, bold red.
We talked about how to identify undertones along with their importance but how does that relate to choosing the right shade of red?
If you have a pink/blue undertone you should go for a red that has the same undertone, so more cold reds for you. To ensure you don’t tread too far into the pink territory, try this layering trick: Outline and fill in your lips with a warm red liner first, then swipe your cold red-based lipstick on top.
If you have a warm undertone, opt for a more orangey red and apply the same trick: Fill in your lips with a blue-based liner first and then swipe your fiery red on top.
If you have a neutral skin tone, you’re a lucky girl – you will find many lipsticks that suit you well.
Tip for beginners:
- Try bold colors in sheer formulas and textures, like MAC Hot Tahiti or Lady Bug lipsticks. Create a stain effect by dabbing lipstick on with your finger and then blotting with a tissue.
- How to keep a glossy formula in place: “Make sure to moisturize first, because dry lips will absorb the emollients in lipsticks, compromising wearability. Follow with a lip primer and lip pencil as a base.” says Fatima.
- The trick to keeping matte lipstick from drying out your lips: It’s all in the prep work – exfoliate, hydrate, and blot! Lip care is just as important as skincare to ensure great-looking lips.
Red Lipstick for Fair Complexion/Warm Undertone
Texture: Go with matte and opaque.
Color: Bright and rich reds with blue undertones add vibrancy to the alabaster skin, so play it cool. If you still opt for a darker shade of red, make sure you add a bit of contour/blush to your face, so you don’t look washed out.
Lipstick: We would recommend the all-time favorite MAC’s Ruby Woo and NARS Audacious Lipstick – Charlotte
Red Lipstick for Medium Complexion
Texture: Semi-matte, creamy texture.
Color: Complexions with yellow undertones turn a glowing tan with a little help from a tangerine-tinged bullet. Unlike your fair girlfriends, you should steer clear of blue undertones, which can turn pink on medium, olive-toned skin — girls with medium skin tone should opt for a fiery red.
On the other hand, burgundy-based hues deliver intensity without feeling vampy.
Lipstick: Nars Semi-Matte in Heat Wave in Heat Wave and Scarlet Empress.
Red Lipstick for Dark complexion/Cool Undertones
Texture: Sheer and glossy textures bring dimension and luminosity to your deep cocoa skin and add an extra dimension.
Color: With a dark complexion, high pigment, and really bright reds stand out without the risk of appearing milky or pastel. To keep any bright red from looking too jarring, apply bronzy-brown lip pencil to blur the outer edges so they meet the skin in a less drastic way. Or you can just dab lipstick with the finger.
Related: How To Tell If You Have Cool Or Warm Skin Tone
Lipstick: Try Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips in Carina’s Love, NARS Larger Than Life Lip Gloss – Rouge Tribal
You might not be aware, but the fact is that finding your perfect lipstick shade has to do a lot with your skin undertone. Once you’ve figured out if you are warm, cool, or neutral-toned, finding lipstick will be an easy and satisfying task for you.
- Warm Undertones – If you have a warm skin undertone, the rule is to choose lipstick with the same features. Lipstick with warmer undertones looks reddish, orange, and yellow. They can also have coral, gold, brown, or copper undertones. Women with warm undertones should try red, pink, orange-shaded, and rosy shades.
- Cool Undertones – Cool-toned lipsticks have blue and purple undertones. You should look for the hues such as mauve, crimson, purple, plum, and cherry. They will match perfectly with the blue undertone of your skin.
- Neutral Undertones – Will you be surprised if we say that you can wear any color you want? Oh, you lucky girl!
The best red lipstick for a warm undertone
The best red lipstick for a cold undertone
