The Best Red Lipstick

Wearing red lipstick is not as easy as it sounds. It can look horrible if it is not the right color red. What is the right color red? How can you determine what red lipstick will look best on you? You have to make sure the lipstick's undertone matches your skin's undertone and complexion. Once we determine that, we will determine what is the best Red lipstick for your lips.

Lets start with your skin's complexion. Complexions are considered either cool or warm. Complexions also have undertones. Someone with cool complexion has pink or blue undertones to their skin. Someone with warm complexion has tan, peach, brown, or golden undertones.

You can determine your skins complexion by taking a piece of white paper and holding it up to your face while looking into a mirror. What tone do you see on the paper? I am not so sure this method is the best to determine your skin tone. I have been to a professional makeup store and had a consultation after I did the paper method. Both ended up with the same result. So try it and see if you can tell by the paper method.

To summarize:

Cool Complexion = Pink or Blue Undertones

Warm Complexion = Tan, Brown, Peach or Golden Undertones

Lipstick also has undertones that need to be considered. Red lipstick has blue and orange undertones. The key to this is matching them to get the best looking red lipstick on your lips. Just take a look at the lipstick and see what tone it is. You can usually tell by holding it up to the light. If it has orange in it then there's your tone.  Orange toned lipsticks are more in the brick and tomato color families.  Blue toned lipstick are more in the berry family.

To summarize:

Red lipstick = blue and orange undertones.   

Matching the skins undertone to the lipstick's undertone is what you want to do. Anyone can wear red lipstick. Wearing it well is something different. It is all up to you and what you are going for.

An orange undertone lipstick will look “oranger” on someone with warm complexion. Red lipstick with blue undertones will look “pinker” on someone with a warm complexion or pink undertones. This is what you are going for.   

Someone with pale skin and red hair should avoid red lipstick with blue undertones. They should use red lipstick with orange undertones.Brick red is an example of a color area to be in.

Someone with medium skin and medium brown hair should avoid red lipsticks with orange undertones. Go with red lipsticks that have a blue undertone. The color area to be in is berry reds.

Someone with fair skin and blonde to medium brown hair should go with blue red lipsticks. The berry family.

Someone with brown or tan skin and brown hair should stick with red lipstick with orange undertones. Stay in the tomato type red family.

Remember, anyone can wear red lipstick. It is not a color you want to wear all the time but there may be that special occasion where you want to stand out in a crowd. The paler your skin the bigger the pop of color will be. Look at Gwen Stephani. She is gorgeous with her blonde hair, pale skin and bright red lips. She wears it well. You can too.