I wore red lipstick every day for a week – it was liberating

Thank Taylor Swift for modernising red lipstick. The biggest pop star in the world has made it her signature and it’s driven the trend for bulletproof lip stains (hers is courtesy of Pat McGrath Labs), the kind that go on wet and dry to a felt-pen finish. But Swift is an icon, and iconic make-up doesn’t work every day. Or does it?

According to National Geographic, red lip colouring dates back to 3500 BC. In ancient Greece, sex workers were required to rouge their lips to identify themselves or risk punishment, cites the publication. During the Roman Empire it was symbolic of high status, in Elizabethan times red signified power, and during the Second World War, red lipstick was encouraged as an antidote to low morale, thus it escaped rationing.

Lately the internet has been circulating something called “the red lip theory”, the supposition that red lipstick will even out a drab complexion all on its own. A pick-me-up courtesy of a smear of crimson and nothing else.

I’m guessing the thesis plays on the same premise as blush. A pop of rouge on the cheeks never fails to lift a paled complexion, making eyes and lips appear brighter by proxy.

But as someone who has typically shunned poppy hues for safe, approachable nudes, it feels antithetical to my usual style to switch to a Swiftie red.

That said, beauty ruts need re-examining once in a while or you could fall prey to old-fashioned ideals. Do one thing for too long and you can become blind to its limitations.

It’s no biggie to try on red for one night, but an isolated occasion isn’t enough to decipher whether something suits you. Or indeed, how it makes you feel in different scenarios. Therefore, I embarked on a proper trial run. I would wear red lipstick in various textures, opacities and tones – at work, at the weekend and for dinners with friends and colleagues. This is what happened.

The first thing that struck me when applying red lipstick on the regular is that it’s not a quick thing. I’d worn a red lip before of course but not with real intention. And rarely, if ever, for daytime in overhead lighting and in serious meetings when no one wants to get caught out with lipstick on her teeth.

Through trial and error I found an application method that works. I apply it straight from the bullet over my bottom lip and then press my lips together to distribute the product to the top lip. Don’t ask me why, but this never fails to keep the colour within the lines. In fact, often it ends up far more precise when I don’t look in the mirror – somehow I can feel the contours of my lips more intuitively than when I’m trying to follow the shape of my lips visually.

The question of whether or not to use a lip liner plagued me throughout this experiment. For the most part I decided it was a good idea, mainly because when lips age they lose their fullness and the skin is less taut. While I have largish lips, they are flatter and dryer than they once were, hence it’s far easier for lipstick, especially a creamy one, to bleed.

The next conundrum: should I use a matching red liner or go for a neutral? I opted for the latter, mainly because I was interchanging between different shades of red therefore I settled on one close to my natural lip tone, focusing mainly on the cupid’s bow and the centre of the bottom lip. A bizarre reality: lining gets tricky at the outer corners so I didn’t bother.

As for finish, I assumed I’d prefer the comfort of a cream lipstick but ended the week sold on matte. Matte lipsticks are far more advanced than they used to be (less drying) and stay put for longer than their satin sisters. Plus, if you favour a dewy complexion as I do, then the juxtaposition of bright matte lips and glowy skin is far more chic than the opposite way round. At least that’s my assessment.

Look 1: Diffused beginner red

As for products, I started the week with Violette FR’s Sheer Matte Lipstick in Amour Fou, which, to be transparent, is more of a waxy balm than a lipstick. It’s got just enough colour to make you feel like you’re wearing red but not so much that you look dressy. The make-up artist behind the brand is French, so if you can imagine it, the formulation is sexy and diffused – an “I just woke up like this” vibe.

Look 2: Warm day red

A beauty editor friend of mine described this product as “your Fisher Price red”. In other words, you need zero skill to get it right. On other days I wore an Hermès matte lipstick in a punchy warm red named Rouge Cinétique. The orange undertones instantly lifted my complexion which to my mind made it more appropriate for daytime as opposed to a deep blue-toned rouge which comes across as deep and alluring – i.e. too sexy for the office.

Look 3: True pillar box

At one reasonably fancy event I lined the whole of my lips in a soft brown lip liner and applied Celine’s lipstick in Rouge Triomphe (a true pillar box) over the top to dampen the hue that gave it an air of cool. My efforts elicited my first compliment of the week.

Look 4: Dark and alluring

The most daring red I tried was one in the cool-toned family. I doused my lips in Ilia’s Lip Sketch Crayon in Blue Note with an outline of deep brown liner which I blended into the pigment to soften the edges in what’s known as an ombre finish. In any other scenario it would have felt too gothic, too conspicuous. But for evening, with a slinky black ensemble, it was a triumph.

Annabel’s verdict

With all of the looks I tried, apart from the first, I needed an extra slick of concealer, applied daintily with a sharp-edged brush, to outline the edges. This makes the colour pop more and helps prevent bleeding. And despite how precise you are at application, you need to reapply red lipstick throughout the day, especially in the centre of the lips where the colour fades each time you eat or drink.

Did people’s reactions to me change during my week of red? Yes. You can see eyes dart up (and then quickly down) when they see you coming. Red is an alarming colour – you can’t help notice it, especially if colleagues and friends aren’t used to seeing you in something so bold.

Many commented on my lipstick, either wanting to know which one I was wearing or simply passing on a compliment. Then there’s the odd one or two who tell you they prefer you in more natural make-up. My Gen-Z daughter for one.

All in all, I found the trial liberating. It got me out of my safety net and gave me an excuse to try something different. I’ve found four reds that suit me (as seen above) and I’ve worked out how best to wear them (the outfit you wear with your red lipstick is equally important).

The only thing I haven’t tested out is how a romantic partner might react to red lipstick. As it’s Valentine’s Day, I’ll put that test to the readers. Let me know how it goes…