How To Find Your Perfect Red Lipstick Shade

Source: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images & Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images

Marilyn Monroe, Jessica Rabbit, and Elizabeth Taylor. What do these iconic bombshells have in common? Their hot red lip look was iconic. Donning the perfect red pout may sound easy, but IRL, it can be quite difficult to find a shade that really works for you. There’s a common misconception that fairer tones are all considered cool, whereas darker tones are warmer, but it doesn’t necessarily matter what’s on the surface of your skin; it’s about what’s underneath. Life motto, right? Every skin tone is different, so it’s important to take note that there’s no ‘one-red-fits-all’ when it comes to red lipstick. The key is to take a minute to get to know your skin’s undertone – here’s everything you need to know:

Finding Your Undertone

Undertone, undertone, undertone! If you’re a beauty lover, you’ve probably heard the word ‘undertone’ used quite a lot. That’s because it’s vital to choose your perfect foundation, eyeshadows, and, you guessed it, lipstick! If you don’t already know your undertone, don’t worry, there’s a simple trick to find out.

Take a look at the veins on your wrist; if they look bluish, you’ve got cool-toned skin. If, however, they look more green, then you have a warm skin tone – the golden tone of your skin acts as a filter over the color of your veins, making them appear green. If your veins appear bluish-green, then consider yourself lucky because that means you have a neutral undertone, which means you can basically get away with pretty much anything – we’re jealous! If you’re unsure, check out our complete guide to finding your undertone here.

Warm Skin Tones

Celebrity Skin Twins: Jessica Alba, Kim Kardashian, Mila Kunis, and Vanessa Hudgens.

Source: George Pimentel/WireImage/Getty Images & JB Lacroix/WireImage/Getty Images

If you’ve determined that you fit in the warm skin tone category, opt for warm-toned lipsticks. Warmer lipsticks tend to lean towards orangey hues, like coral, golden, copper, and all the way to siennas and browns.

Perfect Lipsticks for Warm Skin Tones: MAC Lustre Lipstick in Lady Bug, $18.50, Revlon Super Lustrous Matte Lipstick in Really Red, $6, Lime Crime Matte Velvetines in Suedeberry, $20, Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick in Obsessed, $38, Nars Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencil in Red Square, $27.

Cool Skin Tones

Celebrity Skin Twins: Jennifer Hudson, Amanda Seyfried, and Kelly Osbourne.

Source: Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images & Steven Lawton/FilmMagic/Getty Images

If you fall into the cool skin tone category, look for lipsticks with blue hues like plum, cherry, mauve, crimson and purples.

Perfect Lipsticks for Cool Skin Tones: MAC Matte Lipstick in Russian Red, $18.50, Huda Beauty Liquid Matte in Cheerleader, $20, Kevyn Aucoin Expert Lip Color in Bloodroses, $35, L’Oreal Paris Color Riche Matte Lipstick in Doesn’t Matte-r, $10, Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lip in Perfecto, $7.

Neutral Skin Tones

Celebrity Skin Twins: Selena Gomez, Ciara, Julianne Moore, and Kerri Washington.

Source: Allen Berezovsky/FilmMagic/Getty Images & Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Neutral skin tones you can rock pretty much anything. Neutral skin tones have both cool and warm tones, so there’s pretty much nothing that doesn’t suit you. Seriously, stop rubbing it in already!

Perfect Lipsticks for Neutral Skin Tones: Anything works, but we love Kat Von D in Studded Kiss $19.

Once you’ve found your perfect shade, make sure you get it in a formula you love…

Lipstick textures: Another thing to consider when choosing a lipstick is its texture. Lipsticks aren’t just lipsticks anymore; they’re so much more! There are liquid lipsticks, which often give long-lasting matte finishes, creams that give mid-length wear and are more hydrating, and stains that literally stain your lips, and tons more. If you’re wearing a cream lipstick, we always recommend a lipliner, which will help it to stay in place, and last longer.

Application tips: Before applying any lipstick, gently exfoliate your lips, then apply a little lip balm and blot – the key to a great application is preparation! Choose a texture that is right for you. For slightly dry lips, look for a lipstick that’s creamy or glossy and don’t forget to moisturize with a balm, beforehand!

What’s your fav red lipstick shade? Does it’s undertone match with our guide? Let us know in the comments below.