Red Lipstick: The Right Shade for Your Skintone

'Tis the season for holiday parties.

As a matter of fact, my work party is tonight. One of my favorite ways to look "holidayish" is to wear red lipstick. It gives it that extra pretty punch of fancy. :)

I've tried many, MANY different shades of red lipstick in my 28 years and it took a surprisingly long time to realize that if you wear the right shade of red it can make you look like a million bucks. Conversely, the wrong shade of red can make you look washed out or make your teeth look yellow.

Most red lipsticks are either "cool", "warm" or "neutral"...though, in my opinion, there are very few true neutrals. Cool reds flatter those with cool skintones. These have blue or purple undertones to them. Warm red flatter those with warmer skintones. These shades have more gold undertones. Neutrals have an equal mix of both cool and warm undertones.

So, which shade works best for your skintone? Well, first you need to determine what skintone you fall under, if you don't already know. The easiest way to tell is to look at the inside of your wrist. If your veins look blue or purple and the skin has a pink tinge, you're a cool. If your veins look green or olive colored and your skin has yellow, gold or peach tinge, you're a warm. This article does a great job of explaining AND has photos. :)

Warm reds might have coral or orange-y hints to them. Cool reds can often look deeper or more like a blood or brick red. This might sound completely confusing, but I promise, there is a shade of red for you! It's just a matter of knowing what flatters your skintone.

I hope this helps or gives you something to ruminate on next time you go looking for red lipstick. Have a fabulous weekend!