Colour Story - In Search of the Perfect Red

Queen Elizabeth I, Liz Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Naomi Campbell, Anne Hathaway, Taylor Swift, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong'o and Rihanna are women with at least one thing in common.  They have all rocked a fierce red lip.  Red lipstick is a classic that will always be on trend.

There are two parts to rocking a red lip.  The first is the physiological benefit.  The right red can make you feel powerful, adventurous, confident and unstoppable.  The second is red's ability to visually stimulate the minds of both the viewer and the one wearing it.  A killer red lip is the very definition of style and sophistication.

A perfect red lipstick is an essential part of every woman's make up bag.  So how does one find their perfect red?

How to find your perfect red

One thing to keep in mind when looking for your perfect red is that red is divided into two main families:

There is the cool family, with blue, mauve and berry tones.  An example of a perfect cool red lipstick would be Russian Red by MAC.

Russian Red by MAC

On the opposite side of the spectrum you find the warm family, featuring true reds along with orange, yellow and brown tones.  MAC's Lady Danger is a great example of a warm red lipstick.

Lady Danger by MAC

Here are a couple tried and true methods that you can use to find your red;

Identify your undertones

You have one of the three following undertones: yellow (warm), pink (cool), or neutral.

Easy methods for finding your undertones

• Veins:  Take a look at the veins on your wrists in natural light.  Blue veins indicate cool undertones, while green is an indication of warm under tones.  If you cannot tell, then you are neutral.
• Jewelry:  If you find silver to be flattering against your skin, odds are you have cool undertones; gold, your undertones are warm.  They both work?  Then your undertones are neutral.

Now that you've found your undertones here are the reds that generally work best with those particular undertones.

• Warm Undertones:  Tomato reds, orange reds, brown- and golden-based reds along with tawny reds.
• Cool Undertones:  Pink tones, berry, blue and brick reds and plums.
• True reds are great for all undertones

Skin tone

• Fair Skin?  Look for berry or mauve tones, and try to avoid browns
• Medium Skin?  Your reds are brown based and true reds
• Olive Skin?  Reds with gold flecks, orange or yellow base and fire-engine reds are all you
• Dark Skin?  Go bright.  Intense colour, such as deep reds and reds with blue undertones are your friends

The most important thing to remember when wearing red lipstick is to make sure that your lips are exfoliated and hydrated.

Even with all the guides and advice out there (and here) it is always best to take chances and experiment and have fun.  In truth, when it comes to makeup the "rules" are really just guidelines.  If you have warm undertones and a cool toned red catches your eye, go for it and do you! 

So have you found your match?  What is it? Share in the comments.