Why red lipstick is for you – even if you don't think it is
I wore the same shade of lipstick for three years in a row. It was my makeup safety blanket; a shade, I thought, that worked with everything. An inoffensive, muted mauvey pink, there was never a risk I'd look silly wearing it. I had four in rotation at once: in my handbag, car and makeup bag. Knowing this, how would you feel if I told you I'd never, ever wear it now?
The shift happened when I was working on a beauty counter in a department store after a conversation with a colleague. 'That lipstick makes you look dead,' she said. 'You need some colour on your face.'
Consider me flummoxed. The lighting in a beauty hall, white and clinical, does nobody any favours, but dead? I was wearing blusher! And bronzer! 'Try this,' she said, handing me a new lipstick. It was an orange-toned red so bright I could see it in my periphery before I looked down. Armed with a micellar soaked cotton pad and my new lipstick, I had nothing to lose.
I assumed for years that these shades of orange reds existed primarily for my darker skinned friends. One swipe and I realised that actually, no: this shade can work for me. Suddenly, the dark circles around my eyes were less prominent; my skin looked brighter, more luminous; my teeth sparklier. Having taken the lipstick home and road tested it for a week, I learnt quickly that actually, few makeup items work as hard as a red lipstick. I wore it on bare skin days, crisp and neat; on evenings out, balancing a winged liner; with a Breton tee and low pony; with the LBD I saved for best.
Taylor Swift and Amal Clooney, two women who know the power of a great red lip
Years on and I'm still amazed by its transformative, instantly beautifying effect, and only wished I knew sooner that it could be more flattering than a more subdued option. I ask makeup artist Jamie Genevieve for her advice on how she makes red lipstick work for everyone.
'Well, to start, a brighter, more neutral [not too warm, not too cool] red will suit most people,' she says. 'Choosing a neutral red means you can pair it with different lip liners to customise the shade more and make it your own. I, for example, pair a red lip with my liner in Bark, which is a deep, neutral brown, which dials the colour down a little. An easier route into red is to wear it in a gloss form.'
And some rules of thumb for finding your shade? 'Think about the undertone of your skin,' says Genevieve. 'If your skin leans warmer, I'd choose a red lip with more orange undertones, and if you're cooler, opt for a blue-toned red.'
If you're about to take the plunge and try a red lipstick for the first time, I think Jamie's advice about opting for a brighter, neutral red is stellar. Look for shades that are clean, bright, not too warm (orange, ruddy or terracotta) and not too cool (scarlet or pillarbox). Try it first with fresh, radiant skin and a slick of mascara; you'll see quickly how it makes everything look fresher and sleeker. With that, here are the red lipsticks that work for me, as well as the best classic, neutral red shades to shop now.
Shop: The best red lipsticks
High Intensity Lip Pencil
Ok, this doesn't look like a red shade in the picture, but it very much is (and an excellent one at that). It's a warm red that skews a little coral. I'll choose this on days I've run out of steam and need to look and feel more energised. NARS makes my favourite makeup, and this formula is superb. The matte texture feels so creamy, and the pencil makes it so easy to scribble over the lip and buff with a finger for a diffused finish. It's joy on a stick.
MACximal Silky Matte Lipstick in Red Rock
For years we turned a blind eye to MAC's drying matte formulas because the shade selection was just so good. A reformulation of its matte lipsticks has brought one of the most comfortable, velvety finishes we've found in a long while. Red Rock is a true clean red, neither too warm nor too cool. It's a great option if you're not sure about your undertone and want something more failsafe.
Satin Slip Lipstick in Hickie
From Jamie's own brand, this warm-toned red lip is a great segue into bolder colour; its satiny texture means it's less punchy than matte, as well as more comfortable to wear. Wear it with a brown lipliner as Jamie does; it makes the shade more cinnamon-y and autumnal.
Rouge Dior Long-Wear Lipstick in 999
Dior's cult red is one of the most classic and tonally balanced: it's got a hint of both warm and cool tones, which makes it really easy to pull off. The shade comes in both satin and velvet finishes, but the satin gives the lips both dimension and juiciness, helping thinner lips look so much fuller.
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