Have you ever bought a beautiful lipstick, only to go home and find that it looks horrible when it’s actually on your lips? My friends and I struggle with this sitch on the daily – although it’s more like monthly. (How many lipsticks would you have if you bought one daily? MAKEUP OVERLOAD). Anyway.

Even if you find the right colour (after days spent trolling the makeup aisles), the texture and finish may just not be doing it for you. Did you want matte or glossy? Pearl or shimmer? The options are endless – and, quite frankly, overwhelming. But have no fear! Here is a brief decoding guide to the puzzle that is red lipstick. And while I can’t guarantee that a certain lipstick or shade will look perfect on you, I can give you some tips to help you discover  ~the one~. 
 

 
Header image: Miranda Sings
 

BLUE – RED

Source: thebeautymodel.com / tmagazine.com

If a red lipstick looks a bit purpley when under a certain light, it is definitely a blue-red. There are often guides that tell you that you can only pull off a red with a specific undertone, but gone are the days of assuming that blue-red lipstick will only look good on pale, dark haired beauties: let’s challenge that idea. I believe that anyone can wear anything, as long as they are confident and own it. However, if you’re not feeling comfortable with your lippy choice I would try offsetting a blue-red hue with a sweep of very deep olive eyeliner – the colour will complement your lipstick and draw peoples’ gazes to your entire face, and not just onto your mouth.
 

ORANGE – RED

Source: azaleanofficial.tumblr.com / fixatedonfashion.tumblr.com

The same confidence rule applies to orange-red lipstick. Although it may cater towards darker skin tones, orangey reds can look great on anyone! Here’s a tip – after applying your lip colour, dust a little shimmery bronzer onto your cheeks. The gold tones in the bronzer will pick up on the golden hue of your lipstick and make you look radiant! (Proof: that guy just can’t seem to take his eyes off of Ms. Azalea).
 

RED – RED

Source: the-streetstyle.tumblr.com

It may seem a bit redundant to name this shade twice, but red-reds are in a league of their own when it comes to makeup. Because they are so vibrant, it can be tough to feel comfortable flashing everyone on the street with a fire engine mouth. Both girls above paired their lips with dark cat eyes, and while many advice-givers say that you should downplay your eyes when wearing bold lippy to avoid “overdoing it”, you can see that you can play up both features without looking like a clown. My only bit of wisdom is to keep the heavy makeup away from under your eyes, and focus instead on creating a clean sweep on the upper lid. A clown-y raccoon? No, thank you.
 

DEEP-RED

Source: senniyuh.tumblr.com

Ooooh, so you’ve stumbled into the deepest and darkest part of the red lip-iverse. If you’ve decided to buy something this bold, I’m going to assume that you’ve got the confidence bit all taken care of! When wearing something this dark, it is essential that you make sure it is well applied. Make sure to blot and put on a couple coats before leaving the house, and put the tube in your purse for any emergency touch-ups. I would also recommend packing a moisturizing gloss that you can dab on top of your lips midday, because lipsticks rich in pigment tend to dry out your pretty pout. Don’t try smearing on a balm, though. If ur gonna take this precaution, make sure you apply the balm lightly with your fingertips.

PS: If you think you can’t pull all of these colours off, look at Iggy! She can rock orange-red and deep-red lipsticks and she looks fantastic!
 

FINISHES

Source: makeupandbeauty.com

For me, the finish of a lipstick is as big of a deal breaker as the colour. When it comes to red lips, I personally love a matte look…as it is very modern and clean and has no added shine to distract from the impact of the colour itself. However, a pearl finish can be nice, as it adds a tiny bit of shimmer without being glossy. If you want to go all out and get a glossy or lustrous lipstick I won’t stop you – you just have to be extra careful not to wear a lot of makeup anywhere else because bright red + gloss = a really bold statement. In terms of colour longevity, matte finishes last the longest while super duper glossy ones rub off quite easily.
 

~PARTING WORDS~

Red lipstick is all about balance and illusion – if the colour you just bought doesn’t seem to be working for you, try pairing it with complementary makeup on another part of your face. If you’re unsatisfied with the finish, either add some translucent powder or light gloss on top to achieve the desired effect.

…And if all of that doesn’t work, maybe it was just a crap lipstick.