I Love Red Lipstick!

Yes, I do! There is nothing about getting dressed or dressed up that makes me feel more finished than when I add that last item to my look, red lipstick. Now it wasn’t always this way. I used to wear medium tones – never pale – I am that already. But recently it became evident that wearing anything more than mascara made my eyes look older and even smaller than they already are. Mon dieu! I couldn’t wear more blush without looking really weird and red lipstick was starting to be a real thing so I gave it a try with some interesting results and considerable funds invested along the way.

Now, vinyl lipsticks, that’s my term for lipstick that looks scary shiny, are not for me or any woman beyond her twenties. We just don’t have the collagen to carry it off. But a creamy red looks luscious no matter your age, even if you have almost lost your lips. (They deflate and roll inward as we get older, isn’t that lovely…) Here’s the problem that I had to overcome, lip lines, the vertical ones. I can’t say how much I detest them but there they are, and the only way they don’t show is if I smile so I smile a lot.

Back to the good part, I finally found a brand that absolutely does not bleed, Dior. It doesn’t come cheap but just like getting permanent makeup on my eyebrows (another story for another post) it has changed my look and my life for the better. This isn’t a commercial, it’s a revelation and there may be other brands that work too. I would love to hear your feedback on this.

Mr. Christian Dior created Dior Red #9 as his first lipstick in 1955 and it is still my favorite. It now carries the name Dior #999 and is available in 10 different products. I have four of them, and am planning to add the Ultra Rouge formula just to try something new. It is supposed to have extra pigments to last up to 12 hours. That would be beyond miraculous for me, I usually have to redo every time I look in the mirror so i can only imagine the amount of lipstick I have ingested over the years.

So what red is the right red for you? In general, if you have a warm skin tone, stick with warm reds and wear cool tones for cooler skin tones. The easiest way to try a bunch of shades is to paint them on your fingertips. The color on your fingertips closely resembles the natural color of your lips. This way you can see how the color looks on your skin and how it reacts with your personal chemistry. Any lipstick can turn darker or even go off-shade turning from pink to fuchsia or bright red to dark brick like something out of Dracula so testing a lot of colors really helps. Once you find a likely candidate that blends and flatters your skin tone then try it on your clean, color-free lips and wear it for awhile to see how you like the look and feel of it. The lighting in all stores sucks, why I don’t know. Because of this you cannot trust the store lighting to make your color decision. Fortunately Nordstrom will give you samples which is amazing because then you can try your new shade in natural light, evening and candlelight before forking over $38 for a tube of lipstick. Other stores may do this as well.

Philosophically red lipstick has a lot going for it. In body language, strong lipstick says “Listen to me” whereas strong eye makeup says “Look at me.” Interesting note: When you wear your best red tone, it make your eye color sparkle. I do love my red but it’s not a look everyone favors. I will say this final word though, even if you don’t love red, if you are over 50 you need color on your lips and that does not mean clear gloss. Sadly, our coloring fades over the years and even if you have rosacea some lip color will bring a better color balance to your face.

As always, if your are stewing about which colors work on you or get annoyed because you can’t find anything when you shop, let’s set an appointment for your color analysis. You will be amazed to see all the yummy colors that will flatter you and I include a makeup lesson so you will know if your are wearing the right foundation, eye, cheek and lip colors and what to do if you are not. I have done lipstick seminars in the past and Nordstrom has said they would host one for me. If you are interested, comment in the box below and I will set one up to find everyone’s best lip color for autumn.

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