With my red hair, red lipstick has always seemed a little bit out of my league. But then I read an interesting fact: most women can pull off red lippy. Oh, really?! We need to know more! There are so many ‘beauty’ tips out there it’s easy to end up completely confused.

Most experts say that anyone can wear a true red colour, but they are not always easy to find. Need some guidelines for getting the right shade for your skin colour and complexion? Here is SAHM’s top 5 tips for choosing the perfect red lipstick shade for you!

Think about Skin Colour First

The most important consideration when choosing the right shade of red lipstick, is the actual colour of your skin. If your skin is pale, look out for a red with pink or blue undertones. For olive or darker skin seek out an orange based red to better suit your complexion.

Too bright for your colouring?

Any quick glance around the red lippy make up counter will show you red comes in many, many hues, and varying levels of brightness. Really bright reds will pop against pale skin and tone down on a darker complexion. Swipe the tester on the inside of your wrist for an idea of how it will look on your face.

Then Consider Hair Colour

Make-up experts say hair colour does play a role in the right shade of red lippy. Blondes should opt for a bright red matte finish lipstick, for dark hair a deep red is needed unless your hair is dark and skin pale then using too deep a red will give you a very severe look. Red heads can’t go wrong with a coral based red.

For Every Occasion?

Big red lipstick is a style statement. Consider before you apply your chosen hue, whether you can pull it off at this occasion. Sometimes it’s best to keep it simple and tone down for day to day wear and save the really bright ones for big nights out.

Consider the rest of your Make-up

Especially the eyes. Over doing the eye make-up and wearing your brightest red lippy could end up having you look like you’re off to an 80’s revival party. Definitely the last era of make-up style we want to revisit!

What’s your favourite red lipstick? Do you wear it every day?