Whether you are looking for a Classic 1950's Hollywood red or a modern glossy wine red lipstick, this blog should help you find the best shade for you.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT RED LIPSTICK
Before choosing the right shade of red lipstick for you, it's important to think about the undertones of your skin. Are they warm or are they cool? This can be tested in several ways, see below...
VEIN TEST
By looking at the colour of your veins, this can help identity whether your undertones are warm or cool.
WARM - If you are warm, veins are likely to appear more green
COOL - If you are cool, veins are likely to appear more blue
JEWELLERY OR HIGHLIGHTER TEST
When choosing a highlighter or jewellery we tend to choose silver or gold, depending on what best suits our skin tone.
WARM - If you have warm undertones, you might be more likely to opt for gold jewellery or a golden highlighter.
COOL - If you have cool undertones, you might be more likely to opt for silver jewellery or a silvery highlighter.
DARK SKIN TONES
Dark skin beautifully carries the vibrance of a true red but to identify the most flattering choice its important to look at the undertones of the skin. This is because dark skin also has undertones that usually lean towards like yellow & green (Warm) or Red (Cool). Using the same 'Warm and Cool' test above with your undertones in mind, this can help you to identify the right red. Matt, gloss and lip tints are all suitable, see product suggestions below.
MATT RED FOR YELLOW UNDERTONES - L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Matte Addiction Lipstick 'Brick Vintage' £7.99
MATT RED FOR DARK SKIN RED UNDERTONES - Emolyne Cosmetics 'CÔTE D’ IVOIRE Warm Wine Red' - £21
GLOSSY RED - Bobbi Brown Crushed Oil-Infused Gloss 'Hot Streak' £19
COOL RED LIPSTICKS
The most flattering red lipstick for cool skin tones is likely to be a blue red or something with fascia undertones in it. See the following for suggestion in matt, gloss and cream tints.
WARM RED LIPSTICKS
The most flattering red lipstick for a warm skin tone is likely to be a orange red or something with copper undertones in it. See the following for suggestion in matt, gloss and cream tints.
DEEP RED - NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream 'Rome' £7.00
MATT RED - Sunnies Face Fluffmatte Lipstick in 'Hot Sauce' P395
GLOSSY RED - Ellis Faas Glazed Lips 'Sheer Orange' £23
TRUE REDS
A true red is the most neutral shade of red lipstick and perhaps the most popular due to its historic links with Hollywood and the classic 1950's look. Two of my favourite true matt red lipsticks are listed below, I feel both are universally flattering, however one leans towards cool undertones and the other towards warm undertones.
MAC RUBY WOO £17.50 - 'Ruby Woo' is a slightly bluer red, therefore if you have cool undertones this might be a good option for a true red lipstick. This is a matt lipstick, therefore if you are looking for a fuller lip, I would recommend using the lip pencil first to slightly overfill and finish with a gloss. I would also apply a lip treatment or balm to hydrate the skin before wearing a matt lip.
FENTY UNCENSORED £20 - 'Uncensored' is a lip paint leaning towards a more orange tinted red. This would be a good true red for warm undertones, I am wearing 'Uncensored' in the header photo for a reference. This is amazingly long wearing, a good double cleanse with oil is needed to remove fully. The lip paint only dries 95% therefore feels really lightweight and non-drying.
OVER 40'S
Sheer lipstick, balms & gloss are super flattering & hydrating for more mature skin. Gloss can also make the lips appear fuller. However, sheer lipsticks are not as long wearing as matt lipsticks. Therefore I would recommend using a Matt lipstick as your base before applying a gloss or sheer lipstick on top. See sheer lipstick and gloss product suggestions for warm & cool skin tones below.
COOL RED - HOURGLASS Nº 28 Lip Treatment Oil - £48