Red lips are one of the boldest and sexiest makeup moves a girl can make.
From the porcelain-faced, black-haired, red-lipped look of Snow White to present-day beauties such as bronze-kissed, brown-haired Penélope Cruz and rosy-skinned, blonde Heidi Klum, red lips have always been a classic fashion statement.
The first step to rocking a fierce red lip is finding out which hue works best with your skin tone. To do this, you need to determine whether your skin’s undertone is pink, yellow, green or brown. If you don’t already know, study yourself in the mirror (without makeup!) to figure it out.
If your undertone is pink or if you are pale, your skin will have trouble supporting a bold red; it will do nothing but make you look washed out. (But, hey, if that’s the look you want, go for it! That’s what Snow White did, and she was the fairest in all the land.) Instead, look for lipsticks that are a mixture of red and another shade such as coral, orange or peach. Also, stick to minimal amounts of lipstick. The best way to apply a small amount is to first prime your lips with a scrub or balm and then use your finger to transfer the lipstick from the tube to your lips. This gives you much more control over the lipstick so you don’t overdo it. Bonus: It also means fewer touch-ups during the day. (This is the way I put on lipstick for day-to-day wear.)
If your undertone is yellow, the lipstick that works best for you is one with a blue or purple undertone.
For the olive-skinned ladies with green undertones, it’s actually better to go for a brighter red. Dull or matte reds with non-red undertones aren’t necessary and often won’t look good against olive skin.
Likewise, bold red lipstick can be worn by those with brown undertones (anyone who is tan or dark-skinned). Dark shades of red are also good for those with darker skin, but only if you also have dark hair — the shades compliment each other.
If you want to go bold with lipstick and apply it directly on to your lips, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, you’ll need to reapply it throughout the day, even if it’s advertised as all-day wear. We just don’t have the technology for that to be entirely true. Unless you keep your mouth shut and don’t move it all day, your lipstick will fade. The best way to keep your lipstick on longer is to exfoliate your lips once or twice a week, use lip balm before applying the lipstick, trace and fill in your lips with lipliner and then apply the lipstick with a lip brush.
Red lipstick can be worn every day, only on special occasions or never, depending on your personal preference. One truth is time-tested: It’s an easy way to spice up a look!
— Alix Kramer
