Will Red Lipstick Ever Go Out Of Style?

In one word… NO but why?

I adore a red lipstick, honestly, I have about four in my make-up drawer at any time. It’s bold, instantly eye catching and simply iconic. However, it’s not easy to pull off and, unlike the trusty nude lipstick, you can’t wear it every day.

It has a time and place which makes it more special. It’s hard to trace the origins of the red lipstick but one of the most famous woman to do it service was of course Marilyn Monroe. We’ve all seen the images of the late, great Hollywood star pouting at the camera which have become ingrained in our popular culture. Thanks to Marilyn the red lip has become synonymous with sex appeal. The two go practically hand in hand and won’t be parted.

Red lipstick is universal, shades may differ from one brand to the other, but the red lipstick (when matched correctly) works with everyone’s skin tone. Unlike hot pink, purple or orange, red is the only colour which will suit everyone.

Just because it’s universal it doesn’t mean it’s easy to wear well. You want to look chic and effortlessly elegant not cheap and garish. But how?

1)     If you wear a red lip keep the rest of your make-up simple.

Unless you want to look like a clown or a stripper, if you choose to have a red lip then keep your eye shadow, eyeliner and any other make-up minimal. That doesn’t mean you can’t wear any mascara or shadow but just remember to tone it down. A heavy, black smokey eye and a red lip is frankly just too much and will not look good on everybody. A red lip should be the only statement on your face like these photos below show.

2)     Avoid feathering and smudging by lining your lips

I’m rather ambivalent to cheating the size of your lips by using liner; each to their own but if you’re wearing red lipstick then you need either a clear lip liner or a red one like this from Clinique matched to your shade.

3)     Experiment. Experiment. Experiment.

Go to your make-up counter and try as many reds as you can to find the one which suits your skin tone. As I said, not all reds are created the same; some will have pigments of blue or orange so make sure you have a good look across various brands to find one which works best for you. Do a quick swatch selection on your hand and choose your favourite.

4)     Gloss. Matte. Satin.

Thanks to advances in cosmetic technology we now have lipsticks with a range of different finishes and qualities. Personally, I prefer either a matte or a satin finish because a gloss is too sticky and, inevitably, it ends up in my long hair. Every brand will have their own finishes so, again, you’ve got to try before you buy.

Whatever you choose, wear your lipstick with confidence. There’s nothing worse than a woman too afraid to wear make-up because she feels self-conscious.

 

TTFN

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Please note all images are sourced from Pinterest and are not our property.