How To Find Your Perfect Shade Of Red Lipstick

Ever notice how some girls can just own it in red lipstick, and others really don't?

image via I'm Not A Barbie

Red can be overwhelming, but there are a few tricks to mastering it.

First up, if you don't normally wear red, ease into it. Sometimes a red gloss can be a good stepping stone to get you used to such a strong color - you don't need to launch straight into red in its boldest form.

Next, know which undertone is right for your skin.

image courtesy of en.paperblog.com

If you are fair skinned, try a blue based red.
If you have an olive complexion you will look better in an orange based fire engine red or a brick red.
If you are dark complected a deeper more burgundy based red will look amazing.

A true, movie star red (like Julie Hewett Rouge Noir) looks amazing on pretty much everyone.

The key to owning it in a red lip is to keep everything else simple.
Keep your foundation clean, accent your brows and keep your eye almost bare.

Be a little bit more specific with your application - red needs more definition. A messily applied beige is neither here nor there, but a messily applied red lust looks awful.

Cameron Diaz, jeans, white shirt and red lips

A final note: don't save red lipstick for when you're dressing up. It looks killer with jeans or cutoffs and a white shirt.

image from blondeambition07