Red lipstick is a timeless favorite, and thanks to recent red wine and red blush makeup trends, finding your perfect shade of red lip is likely at the top of your mind. With so many options available, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, we’ve penned this expert-approved guide to help you find the ideal red for your skin tone ahead.
Featured Experts
- Robert Cook is a national makeup artist for Lancôme
- D’Andre Michael is a celebrity makeup artist
- Natalie Drescher is a makeup artist based in Miami
Red lipstick is an unparalleled way to make a bold statement with your look. Robert Cook, national makeup artist for Lancôme, described it as the “always classic, sophisticated, chic, on-trend lip color that anyone can wear in almost every situation and every era.” If you’ve ever wanted to rock a red lip, but choosing the right one for you feels daunting we’ve got you covered.
Before selecting the right red lipstick for you, you need to determine the undertones in your skin. “If you have a warm undertone, warmer-toned red will look amazing on you!” says Miami makeup artist Natalie Dresher. “If you have a more cool-toned complexion, bluer-hued reds will bring out your best features.”
Celebrity makeup artist D’Andre Michael explained that warm, cool and neutral undertones exist. Warm undertones are peachy and yellow, as seen in Angela Bassett, Kim Kardashian West, Beyoncé and Jessica Alba, explained Michael. Cool skin tones have hints of blue, pink or red like in Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Adele and Lupita Nyongo’o. Neutral skin tones, which include Angelina Jolie, Kerry Washington, Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Aniston, have a mix of warm and cool.
You can decipher your skin tone in two ways, according to Michael. “If you tan easily, then you are a warm tone. If you burn or just get red when in the sun, then you are a cool tone,” he said. Additionally, with “cool skin tones, your veins will appear green, blue or purple. [With] warm skin tones, your veins will appear green.”
When selecting a red lipstick, Dresher recommends keeping your teeth in mind as well. “Cooler toned reds tend to be more flattering for teeth as they bring out the bluer, ‘whiter’ shading in teeth,” she notes. Warmer reds, on the other hand, may bring out yellow shades in your teeth.