Red lipstick is such a cult-classic shade to wear and comes with a multitude of feelings. I always hear women say they can’t pull a red lip off and I immediately say “no honey” we just need to find the right shade/finish for you! There is a red for everyone and exuding confidence when wearing it also plays into part. 

The way I like to wear a red lip is a matte finish, I’m about a M.A.C NC35 so shades that have blue undertones I’ve found suit me  best (we will get to undertones in a min, I got chu *wink). I also like to contour the with a deep Bordeaux to give the lip some dimension, Nars Train Bleu matte lip pencil is a really good one for that! So I’ll scribble it on the outer corners of my mouth and take a dense brush like the Artis Oval 4 (any buffing brush will do), smudge it in so that it almost gives this ombré effect. I will say this time and time again but Sephora do the best liquid lipstick formula I’ve ever tried, shade 01 is fu*king bomb! The last step I usually do to seal the lip in place is to push a bit of M.A.C Basic Red pigment over the lips. It adds more pigment and your pout look like velvet, no lie. Translucent powder works just as well! 

Some Undertones that may work for your skin complexion… 

• Fair complexions/pink-based undertone. Try blue-based or pink-based reds. 
• Light complexions/yellow-based undertone. Try a slight orange based red.
• Olive complexions/yellow-green undertone. Try a brick, blue-based or rust colored red. 
• Golden/Deep complexions can really play with bold colors and multiple shades of reds. 

Take above with a pinch of salt and wear what makes you feel good, end of story. 

*A few of my personal favs… NARS Mysterious Red matte lip pencil, NARS Cruella matte lip pencil, Rodin Red Hedy lipstick and lip pencil, Chanel lip pencil in Rouge Profond, M.A.C Ruby Woo.