How to pick the perfect red lipstick
It’s no secret that my all time favourite makeup look is the red lip. It’s fun and dramatic, and I can guarantee that as soon as I wear it I feel approximately 16838759047059 times better about myself. But all too often I hear clients saying they can’t find the right red lipstick for them, or wanting to know which shade they should choose to make their teeth look whiter. Well, my darlings, look no further for the red lip 101!
First things first, you’re going to need to know what the undertones are in your skin. Something that I think sounds far more confusing than it actually is, and probably puts most people off from even trying to work it out. There are two main types ‘ warm undertones’ and ‘cool undertones.’ The easiest thing to do if you’re absolutely clueless, is check your wrists. If your veins appear more purple then you’re a cool toned, if they’re green then you’re warm and if you’ve got a mix of the both you’re usually neutral and can get away with anything, you lucky thing! This same principle applies to all makeup, and is the reason some products you’ll feel look just ‘right’ and others seem to be working against you.
When it comes to picking your shade, you’re going to use your skin tone to match the colour perfectly.
If you have cool undertones, that means looking for shades that are cool toned. You’re looking for the reds with a slightly blueish background note to them. These tend to be the really classic, deep hollywood red shades. Bobbi Brown’s ‘red’ or Charlotte Tilbury’s ‘red carpet red’ are two of my favourites (and will give you a better idea of the sort of shades I’m talking about when I say, deep, hollywood red!)
If you’re warm toned, you’re going to be looking for shades that have a redish, orange background note to them. Something that has a bright feel to it. My all time favourite’s are Mac’s ‘lady danger’ and Charlotte Tilbury’s ‘tell Laura.’
That’s not to say that these are the rules and you can’t switch it up. If you really want to make a statement then switch it around and use the opposite undertone. Just make sure you give it a test first – you’ll find some colours just don’t look right (particularly if you’re new to red lips!)
If you’re wanting to make your teeth look whiter, then you’ll want to make sure your lip colour is ‘cool toned.’ This works for all lipsticks, not just red’s. Look for those shades above – the really true, deep red’s and you’ll have pearly white’s in no time!
I’d recommend if you’re a first timer for a red lip that you opt for a matte formula. There’s nothing worse than finding your lipstick has smudged all over, so a matte formula will give you that safety blanket that it’s not going anywhere. Nyx Liquid Suede lip colour is super long lasting and I’m loving L’oreal’s Matte Liquid Lipstick formula for something thats long lasting and comfy. For a really crisp lip line, use a liner AFTER you’ve applied the lipstick. It will help to make everything seamless and give you that really strong lip line.
When it comes down to it though, you just gotta try them out. Some you’ll love, some maybe not so much. But isn’t that what it’s all about? Makeup should be fun so if you’ve been shying away from a red lip go out and give it a test – you won’t look back!