How to Pick a Red Lipstick
How-To: Make the Matte Red Lipstick Look Work For You
You loved Nicole Kidman at the Country Music Awards and she totally rocked a look that redheads are frequently told to avoid: matte red lipstick. But her gorgeous pout alone is proof that the texture and colour are a lot more versatile than you've been led to believe. With the right shade and prep, matte red can work on ANY skin tone and with ANY hair colour. Just follow this advice:
Undertones, undertones, undertones. I know I'm forever yammering on about this, but picking a shade that complements your undertones makes all the difference. If you have primarily pink undertones, look for a cool or blue red like NARS Lipstick in Scarlet Empress ($58). If you have golden undertones, an orange red or coral is most flattering. Try MAC Pro Longwear Lipstain Marker in Purposefully Red ($35). Olive undertones look best in brown-based or brick reds like Dior Rouge Dior Lipcolor in Action Red ($50). Primary, fire-hydrant red is flattering on all skin tones, so when in doubt, go with Estée Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Classic Red ($45).
Keep reading . . .Matte textures are vibrant and will accentuate all the other hues in your skin, so keep other colours you wear subtle and co-ordinating. Use a light peach blush with orange red, a sheer berry with blue red, and a subtle bronze with brown red.
Use a lipstick primer. Bright, matte colour has a tendency to dry lips, which can make any creases and lines stand out more, so if there's not a base to keep it stable, it can fade unevenly and look messy. Try DuWop Prime Venom Lip Balm ($32), MAC Prep + Prime Lip ($33) or Pop Beauty Lip Magnet Primer ($28.95).