Lips · 4 min read
How to find your red lipstick
Blue reds, orange reds and true reds: how to choose a red lipstick for your colouring, pick a finish you will actually wear, and make it last.
A red lip is the most classic make-up there is, and there is a red for everyone. The trick is less about your skin tone and more about the undertone of the red and the finish you feel comfortable in.
Start with the undertone of the red
- Blue reds (cherry, crimson, raspberry-leaning) look crisp and cool. They tend to make teeth look brighter.
- Orange reds (scarlet, poppy, coral reds) look warm and lively, lovely with golden or olive colouring.
- True reds sit in the middle and are the easiest place to start if you are unsure.
A quick way to read your own colouring: look at the veins on your inner wrist in daylight. Mostly blue or purple suggests cooler undertones, mostly green suggests warmer ones, and a mix suggests neutral. It is only a guide; the best test is to try the shade.
You can try reds live on your own face, on your device, in the Beauty Mirror, and see every red we stock in Shop by Colour.
Choose a finish you will wear
Matte lasts longest and looks polished, but can feel dry. Satin has a soft sheen and is comfortable all day. Gloss is the most forgiving and makes lips look fuller, but needs topping up. Our guide to lip finishes goes into more detail.
Make it last
- Smooth lips with a balm a few minutes before, then blot away the excess.
- Outline with a lip liner close to the shade of the lipstick, then lightly fill in the whole lip.
- Apply lipstick from the centre outwards. A lip brush gives the sharpest edge.
- Blot on a tissue, apply a second thin layer, and blot again.
- To keep colour off your teeth, put a clean finger in your mouth, close your lips around it and gently pull it out.
Keep a cotton bud dipped in micellar water nearby to tidy the edges. A clean line is what makes a red look intentional.