red lipstick - why cant I get it right?

[HappyHugs]

I really want to wear red lippy with a new red dress but every time I try it looks like I've got false lips on!! I usually wear a rosy pink liner and gloss and have dark hair and v pale skin. Im 40 ish. Is it really so difficult?!

My own opinion is that bright red lips need to be matte, semi matte, velvet et but not glossy.

Leave off the lip gloss, but if you still need a bit of shine, dab a tiny amount of vaseline for lips in the centre of your bottom lip and then press lips together.

Thanks SS, I'll try any suggestion....

Totally agree about the matte thing.

Which lipstick(s) one you have? Mac Ruby Woo is the red lipstick really, utterly matte and a butiful shade that honestly does suit most people. Rimmel Kate 101 (I forget the name) is worth a try.

Most of wearing red is getting used it TBH. You could always try just dabbing dome on with a fingertip and building up for there.

I can't wear red lipstick - I've got very thin lips and a small mouth .
I should in theory look like Clara Bow.
I look like a really rough transvestite

The only way I can get it to work though- line all of my lip with a liner. Layer 2 layers of lipstick and blott.
I find a wine red more flattering.
I've got the Kate Moss Rimmel red.
I keep it for Hallowe'en witch/ Zombie Bride ,

Indeed Mrs Lettuce I fear I am a creature of habit as much as anything and the red is 'different' for me. I might try the rimmel one first as i assume it would be cheaper, 1st world problems eh!

Not everyone suits red lipstick. I have a really pretty friend with lovely shaped lips, but bright lipstick does not work on her at all. You can try different shades, probably a blue based red with your colouring would be a good bet. Matt gives a truly retro look but some lips suit gloss or sheer reds better. Revlon do a sheer balmy based lipstick that comes in a very soft easy red (candy apple), I think that would be a good starting point and avoids the false lips look. Or you can rub in a red to give a slightly stained look to the lips without the full on made up mouth. I wear matt reds but the full on shine reds of the 70s can look beautiful, they are very different from a 40s thick solid red. Sadly the best ever red gloss, done by Charlotte Tilbury for Helena Rubenstein, doesn't exist any more as far as I can tell. So experiment, spend a few hours in a makeup department trying them on, and if they don't work, find a rosy pink or something that you really love instead.

Zombie Bride not really what I'm aiming for, may actually go for the Mac after all!

I've just gone for some very bright pinks, corals etc. they're not red but they work well.

You sound very knowlegable Helly, are you a make-up artist? I really suit gloss on lips, it brings my face to life and completes my make up but maybe a strong red matt could work...

There are two rimmel kate reds the 01 and the 101, the 01 is dark, warm and shiny, not good at all (on me). The 101 is alright but nothing beats ruby woo for me.

Rimmel is about 1/2 the price of mac but it's easy to spend loads on a series of cheap products then end up having to splash out for the good stuff anyway

oops, 01 and 111 (kiss of life) that's the true(ish) matte red. There;s also 107 that's matte too but I didn't buy it. Not my bag.

Ah, here - kate 111 at hte top, ruby woo at the bottom.

I prefer ruby by a mile but it is rather dry so it might be a bit difficult to apply if you're used to gloss.

Decisions...decisions, actually think I prefer the top one though it is marginal. Thanks for the effort Lettuce, above and beyond the call of duty!

I keep trying different reds but they all just make me look like a haggard old drag queen (verified by DSis and Sis in Law!). I have the Revlon Candy Apple which is ok (ish) and Mac Lady Danger (fine for a big dressy night out) but I'm still not convinced. I tried Chanel Rouge Allure in Inimitable today and it just made me look hard bitten and old.

I've tried Ruby Woo and Russian Red and they both looked awful. I've asked the sales assistants on the MAC, Chanel, Clinique, Estée Lauder and YSL counters to tell me which types of reds I should look for and have had different answers from all of them.

I have a small mouth and thin lips. I'm fair (yellow based complexion) with mid brown hair and green eyes.

I think I probably need to go to every single makeup counter and ask them to put each red on me in turn and hen take a photo. It could take hours!

Do you add (a little more) blusher when trying on reds sorrel? Can make all the difference.

Lisa Eldridge video is useful. I rate Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks, 'Fire & Ice' and 'Cherries in the Snow' aren't true reds but may suit your colouring?

It takes a bit of getting used to bright lipstick if you've never worn them. The first few times I wore bright reds and pinks I felt everyone was staring at my mouth, but you get over that quickly! I think it's just confidence and finding a shade/formula that works for you. Good luck.

Oh and MAC ''Dubonnet' is a nice deep wine red that might suit

Yep, I think the blusher thing is key and I probably do need to slap a bit more on!

I've watched that video and it's great but didn't really help me decide on which colours to choose/avoid? The Chanel counter lady yesterday said I should avoid reds with too much blue in them?

I do a lot of am-dram and use this Max Factor one in 120 Hot for most shows as it doesn't move. I think I don't mind the brightness so much then as I've got a lot of other make-up on as well!

Eye make up needs to be minimal too, that's another cause of the drag look. Blusher needs to have a similar base tone to the lipstick - in fact that might be a good starting point. What is the base the base colour in your blusher?

To the counters with you dear!

I'd start with mac though - they have a plethora of reds

lady danger
chili
scarlet ibis
runaway red
brave red
lady bug
mac red
dubonnet

all warm. there are more too but can't bring 'em to mid atm.

Would try ruby woo again too.

Oh, heck, I know I'm obsessed with red lippy - sorry.

One last tip. Eyebrows need to be groomed and filled in will make a massive wap of a difference.

Hell, I fear a summery is needed now .

To wear red (once you find your colour and whilst trying them on) you need: (more) blusher, filled eyebrows and minimal eye makeup (liner on the top lid and lashings of mascara will suffice. Honest.). Your colour is unlikely to be particularly dark or deep because of your colouring and the shape of your lips.

Brilliant tips and info, thanks MrsLettuce I tend to really only wear liner and mascara anyway and my brows are pretty groomed.

My usual blusher preference is a cream one (I have dry skin and like a nice dewey look) and I'm currently using this No7 one in Rosebud.

I've just put on another layer of blush and had another go with both Candy Apple and Lady Danger. I can see that my blusher is a totally different shade to Lady Danger but I do like that pink, rosy cheeks look. Possibly though, it isn't right for me! Candy Apple is definitely a softer look and not as orange but again, makes me look, I think, quite mumsy.

I adore red lipstick and refuse to give up looking! I'll take a trip into town tomorrow or Monday and visit the MAC counter. The girls didn't seem that interested last time so I think I need to find a keen one who's willing to help me try lots of colours!

If they're all making you look dead try a really orangey red (something that even looks more orange than red in the tube) and see if there's a difference. Because of my colouring (HoC autumn) an orange red looks like a true red on me.

no 17 Love Note is a v cheap one to try.