The perfect red lipstick

The perfect red lipstick

We’ve all done it, myself included, spending 20 minutes in the store painstakingly testing each lipstick on our hands to find the perfect shade of red only to find when it comes home it doesn’t look good when you actually wear it. Red lipstick is the ultimate classic makeup, but finding the right shade can be trickier than you might think. Luckily there are a few shades that are universally flattering.

If you want to find the right shade of red lipstick for you, you really need to try it on your face, not the back of your hand. But don’t do this in the store, those testers are not clean (just imagine how many people have used them before you) so you don’t want them going on your lips. Instead, take advantage of the department store makeup ladies, who can apply their products to you but use proper hygiene practices so you can be sure it’s safe.

 

Any of the reds that don’t have an undertone are a good bet for a universal lipstick. My vote for a red lipstick that flatters any skin tone is Chanel Allure Passion. This is a very classic bright movie star red (and the luxury packaging looks rather fetching in my makeup bag too).

Thanks to Makeup Alley for the following guide to the perfect red lipstick:

Picks for Pink:
Chanel Hydrabase Lipstick in No. 95, Red Dream )
NARS Lip Stain Gloss Indian Red )
Christian Dior Rouge Dior in Red Premiere 752 )

Picks for Yellow:
MAC Lipstick in Spice It Up! )
Shiseido The Makeup Perfecting Lipstick in P23 Real Red )
Dior Addict Lipstick in Positive Red 857 )

All-Purpose Reds:
NARS Lipstick in Jungle Red )
Chanel Allure Lipstick in No. 10, Passion )
Scott Barnes LipSuede in Sabrina )

Red lipstick, like red nails, does require a bit more upkeep than a nude, but the results are worth it.