Red is a universal colour that can be worn by anyone of any age and any colour. It’s a powerful colour that can polish up your look in seconds and give you a boost of confidence and wake you up. But finding the right red isn’t always easy with all the options out there. So I am going to help your search by breaking it down into two easy steps – Color and Finish/Texture
- Find your tone
There are many ways to do this but let’s simplify.
Veins
Look at the veins on the back of your wrists, if they are blue, you are cool tone. This means that blue reds and cranberry reds are for you. Blue reds also make teeth look whiter. If your veins are green, that means you have some yellow in your skin and have have warm tones. Opt for more orange reds. If you can’t tell or see your veins you may be neutral which means every red compliments you.
Jewelry
If you can’t see your veins, consider the jewelry you gravitate towards. If you gravitate to silver jewelry, opt for cool tones – blue reds. If you gravitate towards gold jewelry opt for warm tones – orange reds.
There is no rule. This is just a guide line to get you comfy with red.
Try Red On
Choose one brand with a variety of reds and try them on to see which red you gravitate to. Both Pat Mcgrath Labs and Charlotte Tilbury are iconic makeup artists that have created makeup lines with a variety of reds – these are great brands to begin with.
2. Find your finish
Now that we know what tone of red to look for we get into the world of many finishes.
Mattes
Mattes are a great way to begin wearing reds because they are subtle and don’t smudge. There is also no shine.
Try:
Rimmel’s Stay Matte Liquid Lip Color, Firestarter
Notes Cosmetics, Mattemoist Lipgloss
Cream
Cream Lipsticks are perfect for drier lips or lips with fine lines that develop as we age. Creams still have a bold pigment but feels smooth and hydrating with a sheen.
Try:
Bare Minerals Mineralist Hydra-Smoothing Lipstick which is also vegan
Reds also come in beautiful glosses, with lots of colour payoff. This is perfect for those with smaller lips who want more fullness. Glosses are also a perfect match for women that love wearing color and are confident wearing red.
Try:
Stila Shine Fever Lip Vinyl in Hot Pursuit
I recommend lip balms and sheer glosses to my clients that aren’t comfortable with reds. If you’re not ready to say ‘look at me’ or bring attention to your lips but still enjoy the colour red, try a less bright, more sheer version or off red.
Try:
L’Absolu Mademoiselle Shine
3. Tips and tricks to make your red last all day without feathering:
Exfoliate your lips and apply lip balm. A quick way to exfoliate your lips is gently brushing your lips with a toothbrush. Blot of off excess balm otherwise you will get a diffused look. Lightly apply powder to absorb any residual oil. You can also use a Anti-Feathering Lipliner at this point. Apply a liner all over the lips almost like a primer to avoid the awkward liner ring at the end of the day.
Apply the lipstick from the center of the lip outward to avoid too much product along the edges that may bleed. Blot and repeat If you are still worried about your lipstick moving, hold 1 ply of tissue over your mouth and powder to keep color.
Clean up the edges with a concealer and brush and set with powder to prevent bleeding. (OPTIONAL)