Red lipstick is both celebrated and treaded upon with caution by most women. Here is a guide to help you choose which red lippie will suit you no matter what your complexion.

Red, red, red, red, red… how much do we love thee? Let me count the ways. Red lipstick has and always will be a classic and despite it being an in your face, there’s-no-doubt-I’m-wearing-lipstick kind of colour, it’s a colour both celebrated and treaded upon with caution by most women. If I had a Rand for every time I’ve had someone tell me, “But I can’t wear red,” I’d be: worried-amount-of-woman x R1 richer. And that’s probably a lot!

As the years went on and technology advanced (and continues to), we’ve never been more spoilt for choice when it comes to formula, textures, wearability and finishes. Seriously, it’s crazy how much is available to us when it comes to lipstick alone. And yet, with this mountain of choices comes a mountain of uncertainty and doubt. Perhaps it feels like too much of a good thing and gosh, where on earth does one start? Well, you start at the beginning, and the beginning of lip products starts with lip balm, does it not?

For the woman who wishes to chart the (possibly) tumultuous seas that which is a red lip, she would start at the tinted lip balms section. I know it may sound strange to some but yes, this is indeed the place to start. Our timid, soon to be red lipped wearing babe now has subtly tinted lips with all the lip smacking benefits of a balm. She is now ready to tackle the day with the confidence a red lip can give, but without the nagging self-doubt. This look is positively sweet.

Once our lip balm wearing babe has grown used to the tint of the balm and is feeling a bit bolder, let us guide her over to the lip tints. You know the ones that look like koki’s or come in a vial with a doe foot brush? These lip tints contain slightly more pigment, but are still sheer enough to be classified as coquettishly sweet. The “I’ve just eaten a ton of suckers or crushed berries” look has been celebrated by fashionistas and makeup artists worldwide and can been seen on the red carpet all the way to the runways. Honey, that bitten lip is simply delicious.

Tints done and dusted… now what? There’s always lip gloss, and these come a variety of finishes. From translucent to opaque, there is a red gloss out there for you.

Our newbie red lippie loving babe has decided “Enough with the tints and gloss! Give me some of that sweet, sweet pigment!” And who are we to argue? Now is the time to decide which type of reds suit our babe. Is she an orange-red kinda gal, a pink-red lady, a classic pinup or a vampy diva? If our newbie red lippie babe has a more olive complexion, (with more yellow undertones) she should feel free to try the orange-red category. The warm tones of her skin complement the warm tones of the orange-red variety and the two meld perfectly in harmony with one another. If our red lippie babe has cooler skin tone, such as more pinky undertones, she should try the more pinky based reds or reds with blue undertones as they would complement her skin beautifully. Alternatively, if she has olive skin, the cooler reds would be quite a statement and would really jump out and say “Hello!” Perhaps our newbie red lippie babe has a darker skin tone and the other types of reds just look a bit too, uhm… fake (or like stickers). She should try deeper, richer more sumptuous reds. Then again, richer reds can suit a variety of skin tones and every babe can enjoy the luxurious decadence of a rich red lipstick.

What about the textures of the different lipsticks? Which one should our babe try? She should try whichever one she feels like trying! If glossy textures are more comfortable to wear (and you prefer the sheerer finishes), then that’s the one you buy. If you like lipsticks that last all day and are highly pigmented, then try a matte. Or perhaps you want something in-between; then look for a satin finish which is not quite matte but not quite glossy either. Total win!

So, my red lipped babes, what colours and textures did you choose? Did this guide help at all? DO share your thoughts!

Article by: Suaad D Artistry http://www.beautybulletin.com/blog-directory/our-bloggers/suaad-d-artistry

Read about how to choose a red lipstick for ethnic skin