Hey y’all! How are you all doing today? Are you enjoying your Sunday? I hope so!

So, today, we are going to move into day 8 (can you believe it’s day 8 already!? 12 days of Red (Lips) is flying by!! =[ ) of Red (Lips), the blue-based red lip. You might be wondering, “what the HECK is she talking about!? I swear a red lip is red…”. Well, you are correct, we are talking about red lips, and nothing else. However, different shades of red have different hues. This holds true for every red lip product, but it’s more obvious in some then others. For example, some red lip products have a fair amount of pink in them, meaning that the colour has a pink tint or tinge. This is the same for all colours, but I find it trickiest to work with when I am using red lip products. And, what’s even worse is, red lip products can have a blue, pink, brown, orange or yellow hue. And just when you think you can’t be any more confused, beauty bloggers will throw you off even more, with their constant reference to a red lip product being a warm-toned or cool-toned red. 

When I first got into beauty, and I heard about all of these reds, I instantly ignored all of that confusing talk, because I only had a couple of reds in my tiny collection and didn’t really care what colour they were based off of. I saw red when I looked at them, my lips were red when I applied them, and that was the end of the story. However, as my collection expanded and my love for red lips grew, I knew that I had to learn what all of these descriptors meant, because otherwise, I would choose red lip shades that weren’t really suited for me. For instance, I now know that I don’t particularly look my best in a warm-toned red (how ironic, since I have a warm complexion!!). Sure, I look okay, but I don’t look as good or beautiful or strong and powerful as I could, and by now, I’m sure you all know: when I pull out a red lip product to wear for the day, I don’t want it to be a half-attempt. No, I don’t want to look good, I want to look damn good. 

So, I studied up, and for all of the girls (or guys, again, no judging here) who are probably cross-eyed and foaming at the mouth from confusion…

1. You will be hard pushed to find a red lipstick that is just red. Of course, every red lipstick is red, but almost all of the ones that I’ve ever seen (and trust me, I’ve seen a lot) have some kind of tint to them.
2. Red lipsticks with orange hues look very warm, hence the reason that most people refer to these lipsticks as warm-toned. They are usually the lipsticks that stop you in your tracks, as they tend to be the brighter of the red lipstick bunch. They can look good with lighter complexions, but they look exceptional on fair skin tones. That’s right, if you have ivory or porcelain skin (with a pink undertone), you might want to hunt down a nice, orangey-red, because you’ll be looking flawless. These lipsticks tend to look like a reddish coral colour when sheered out.
3. Red lippies with a yellow tint are the closest out there to a true red. There is just something about when the red and yellow come together, it almost cancels out the yellow tone (but not quite). These babies also seem a bit bright but they definitely won’t seem as bright as the orange hued lipsticks described above. This particular colour is universally flattering, but looks best on my fair girls. Oh and for your information, these colours are also warm-toned.
4. Red lipsticks with brown tones in it sounds disgusting, right? I agree, however, these are so beautiful when applied to the right skin tone. These are another category of red lip that people refer to as warm-toned. These are usually the deeper, slightly more dramatic red lips that I’m sure you’ve seen. Naturally, these seem to look best on people who have deeper complexions, warm or cool. I find that anyone with a medium skin tone or a bronze/caramel skin tone can truly rock this colour. Side note: I once saw a picture of a model on the Chanel runway at New York Fashion Week last fall, and oh my lanta! She looked gorgeous! She had this deep, sultry and mysterious brownish-red lippie on. And, guess what? She had bronze skin!
5. Red lipsticks with pink hues are one of the most common and are therefore super easy to find. These can range from sheer, light reds, to deeper, cranberry reds. These are truly, beautiful reds and are one of the most wearable for everyday. People in the beauty biz refer to these lipsticks as cool-toned, but don’t be fooled! People with warmer complexions can wear these colours and still look great. Overall, pinky-reds can work on anyone, but I find that they look best on fair to medium skin tones (with warm OR cool undertones).And last but not least,
6. Red lippies with a blue base might sound off-putting if you don’t get what I mean, but trust me, you’ll soon change your mind. [;)] Blue-hued reds are referred to as cool-toned, and tend to be the most flattering type of red. You can literally wear a blue based red if you are fair, dark or in between. Another thing I like about reds with a blue tint is that you can have a warm complexion or a cool one, it doesn’t matter. Bluish reds are rockable by anyone (hehe)! Furthermore, just going on personal opinion/preference, if you have a deep and cool complexion and want to make a killer statement, I would totally say that you should opt for a cooler red. Don’t believe me? Just try it and see what your friends say! I guarantee you’ll look fab! 🙂