How To Wear Red Lipstick

A bold red lip is a great way to brighten up a lacklustre outfit, mood or day. Instantly.

But getting it right can take a little insider know-how.

Here at bh, we’ve gone through more lip colours than we can count. We fancy ourselves as experts, which is why we’re comfortable answering those questions that every woman asks before she rocks a bold lip…

What shade of red do I choose?

If you’ve ever trawled the make-up section of a department store (ha!), you’ll know there are many, many different shades of red. But luckily, there’s a sure-fire way to narrow your choices down: stick to hues that match your skin tone.

Fair skin: True reds
Olive skin: Pink or orangey reds
Dark skin: Wine or purple reds

How do I prepare my lips?

Before you swipe on a bold lippy, make sure your lips are well hydrated. If your lips are a little on the dry side, the colour can catch in the creases and end up looking flaky. To counteract this, apply a thin layer of Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm to your lips before you apply lipstick. The beeswax, coconut oil and lanolin in the balm will form a protective coating and prevent your lips from dying out.

Will the colour feather?

Unfortunately, red lipstick is prone to feathering. That’s why ‘they’ invented lip liner! Choose a lip liner that is the same, or one shade darker, than your lip colour of choice, and use it to line your outer lips. It will also make your lips look fuller (Kylie Jenner, we’re onto you) and help the colour last longer.

A photo posted by King Kylie (@kyliejenner) on

Nov 20, 2014 at 8:12pm PST

RELATED: Make-up tricks for fuller lips

RELATED: Lose your lip liner virginity

How do I put red lipstick on?

When applying red lipstick, it’s best to use a lip brush. Applying it straight from the tube can end in smears (and tears) – and those are hard to fix, even for us pros.

bh tip: Use Manicare Retractable Lip Brush to apply your colour - it comes with a lid, so you can pop it in your handbag for on-the-go touch-ups.

What do I do with the rest of my face?

You want your red lip to be the main attraction. Team it with bright cheeks or dramatic eyes, and you may end up looking like Heath Ledger in Batman. Just saying... To make the right kind of statement, keep rest of your makeup neutral. Think long lashes, minimal eye shadow and naturally bronzed cheeks.

bh tip: For a little natural make-up inspiration, check out this gallery.

Will it end up on my teeth?

No – if you follow this handy tip. Put your index finger in your mouth, purse your lips and slowly pull it out. This will remove any excess colour on the inside of your lips, and keep your lipstick off your teeth.

RELATED: 14 of the best beauty cheats

Red lipsticks we're loving...

Maybelline New York Color Sensational Lip Color in Fatal Red, Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick in Ruby Tuesday, L'Oreal Paris Infallible 2-Step Longwear Lipstick in Red Infallible, MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo, Rimmel London Kate Moss Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick in 107

Do you like to wear red lipstick? Do you have any other tips when wearing a bold lip?

121 Member Comments

Falak142 5 Nov 2019 8:01 PM

I am never confident enough to put a red lip :/

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Rose_P 16 Aug 2019 9:54 AM

Red lipstick doesn’t really suit me. I’ve never been able to find a shade that I felt comfortable with.

biliziv 15 Aug 2019 9:48 AM

Disappointedly , I can not seem to pull off the red lipstick, really wish I could though.

Marclaire 16 Feb 2019 7:14 PM

I find red lipstick hard to wear because I am mature age. What I find helpful is blotting my lips on a tissue after applying the lipstick or mixing it with a lighter coloured lipstick.

90628kwc 1 Oct 2018 9:15 PM

I like to use the honey lip scrub from Lush before apply red lip stick . It has a great taste and easily remove any dead skin from my lips . But red lip stick is really really hard to put on , I often got it all over my lips and looks like I had rashes lol

Affy92 5 Jul 2018 10:19 AM

My favourite reds are MAC Viva Glam 1 and Mac Diva. Viva Glam is a true red and Diva is a dark red

Amelia Hughes 12 Apr 2017 1:24 PM

I always have the problem of it looking too much on my face. Maybe I'm not used to the attention being on my mouth, but I feel like it makes the rest of my face fall flat. Does anyone else have this problem? I may also not like it because it draws attention to my braces :)

Shop A Everyday 16 Jan 2017 1:08 AM

Some lovely shades, I like a glossier one

Shop A Everyday 9 Jan 2017 1:09 AM

I occasionally wear a nice shiny red at ngiht

Shop A Everyday 2 Jan 2017 2:19 AM

I have the YSL red gloss in the Volopte one, it is lovely

Shop A Everyday 29 Dec 2016 2:09 AM

If iI choose a red shade, it must only be at night

Chicklet 7 Nov 2016 7:33 PM

I wish I could do red, but it just doesn't seem to work with my colouring.

Emma171 20 Oct 2016 6:07 PM

love a good red lip, so classic

Pixie96 9 Oct 2016 12:15 AM

I like red lipstick but pink lipstick is what I wear most often.

MorganWilson 21 Aug 2016 2:02 PM

I love a good red lipstick, as a makeup artist I do a lot of mixing of colours to suit my clients skin tone which is a great way to customise your new red lipstick that doesn't quite suit you

Asami 14 Jul 2016 11:15 PM

I try the finger trick sometimes but I still get lipstick on my teeth! great tips

Becstar 10 Jul 2016 8:18 PM

Love the tip of to apply a thin layer of Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm to your lips before you apply lipstick!

preciousia 6 May 2016 12:48 AM

love red lipstick but my hubby prefers the nudes and pinks...

clearcrystalwater 5 Apr 2016 7:31 PM

I'm getting an Estee Lauder red lippy delivered very soon and I think this article has been great to read to encourage me to wear it!

annieleex 3 Apr 2016 2:02 PM

Love red lippie

duality 27 Mar 2016 5:31 PM

I'm a bit older now and not so confident pulling off an intense red. A good alternative is the tinted red balms, my fave is the Intense Clinique chubby stick in Braodest Berry, the cool berry tone is very flattering for nearly all skin tones but it's not a real out there red.

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talk-a-lot 22 Mar 2016 2:55 PM

It can be hard to pull of a red lipstick, its all about confidence and wearing the right makeup and clothes.

MorganWilson 21 Aug 2016 1:56 PM

Yes I totally agree with you there! A fierce red lipstick needs an equally fierce outfit to match

quinzo 7 Jan 2016 2:14 PM

I love a good cool-toned red lipstick, good tip with the liner for fuller lips :)

Shop A Everyday 3 Jan 2016 1:12 PM

I wore red the other night, I was not use to it lol, it was rather bright

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