Nothing says Christmas like a bold red lip. There’s something about wearing red lipstick in the winter months that feels festive; pair it with a pop of glitter and, in a nutshell, it’s Christmas!
The red Christmas lipstick has become a permanent accessory during the December months. But as you may have experienced, the same red lip isn’t right for everyone, and choosing a flattering shade can be tough; but don’t let that stop you. Once you know the secret to choosing a red that suits your skin tone and you decide on a finish that you love, it’s easy to find the perfect Christmas red lipstick that you can wear for every festive occasion.
Everyone needs a Christmas red lipstick in their collection – and it just so happens that we know how to help you choose the perfect one!
How To Choose A Flattering Red Lipstick
There are two things to consider when choosing red lipstick for Christmas: tone and finish. The tone of lipstick will make or break how it works with your complexion. When you get it wrong, you can end up wearing a colour that just doesn’t look quite right. As for the finish, that comes down to your own preference! To make it a little easier, we’ve created a cheat sheet on how to choose a red lipstick for your skin tone…
How To Choose A Red Lip That Suits You
• Fair to light skin: suits true red, blue-red and raspberry-red shades.
Tip: play it cool with tones!
• Medium skin: skin really suits pink reds and orange reds. My best piece of advice would be to avoid blue undertones, as they can look pink on medium complexions.
Tip: avoid blue undertones as they can look pink on medium complexions.
• Dark Skin: suit wine-coloured hues of red and orange-reds.
Tip: when wearing a bright red, use a lip-liner in a bronzy-brown shade to blur the edges to stop the contrast looking so dramatic.
Our Perfect Christmas Red Lipstick
We thought we’d put the cheat sheet to the test and asked the Escentual Beauty Team to share – in their opinion – the best Christmas red lipsticks and see if the theory is true! Here are the red lipsticks they choose for this festive season and why…
Chelsey
Fair skin with neutral undertone.
The Lipstick You’ve Chosen is…
Shiseido VisionAiry Gel Lipstick
Shade: 218.
Undertone: Orange.
Finish: Satin.
Why Do You Love This Red Lipstick?
Orangey-reds suit me best when I have a tan, and 218 packs a vibrant punch that makes me look festive in seconds, even when I’m having a Grinch moment! It’s a classic pillar-box red that feels modern; I even like to dab it onto my cheeks to emphasise the warmth it gives my skin.
Strongly pigmented lipsticks often feel waxy or slightly ‘mask-like’, but not this one; it feels like a veil. With this red lipstick, I get colour, comfort and zero bleeding, which I always look for because my lips are uneven and I have a scar, so I need all the help I can get.
Shiseido is always challenging the norms with technology and this lipstick has the most incredible texture; it’s called VisionAiry for a reason – it feels like you’re wearing nothing, but on the lips, it’s EVERYTHING.
Keavy
Fair skin with cool undertone.
The Lipstick You’ve Chosen is…
DIOR Rouge Dior Ultra Rouge Lipstick.
Shade: 641 Ultra Spice.
Undertone: Blue.
Finish: Luminous matte.
Why Do You Love This Red Lipstick?
I thought finding the perfect Christmas red lipstick was impossible until I found the Dior Rouge Ultra Rouge in shade UItra Spice; it has an incredible luminous matte finish that feels nourishing and really does offer you 12 hours of wear.
The depth of this blue-toned red shade means that it’s the best lipstick for fair skin like mine and that it’s a flattering shade that I feel makes teeth look whiter and my eyes bluer (don’t ask me how!). The creme de la creme of the lipstick world, the Ultra Rouge collection has a Christmas red lip for everyone, so if this doesn’t sound for you there are many more to choose from.
Darcey
Olive skin with cool undertone.
The Lipstick You’ve Chosen is…
GIVENCHY Le Rouge Deep Velvet
Shade: Santal 19.
Undertone: Deep orange.
Finish: Matte.
In my opinion, GIVENCHY Le Rouge Deep Velvet is the perfect Christmas red lip look for the festive season. I love that Le Rouge has 12 hours of long-lasting colour, so that you can enjoy its intense, ultra-matte finish right the way through joyful mornings of gift unwrapping, up until the merry evenings with a glass of bubbly! My favourite shade is Rouge Santal; its ‘brick’ colour has an orange undertone that adds depth and volume to my lips while warming my olive complexion.
Ceryn
Light skin with yellow undertone.
The Lipstick You’ve Chosen is…
DIOR Rouge Dior Couture Colour Lipstick
Shade: 999.
Undertone: Neutral.
Finish: Matte.
Why Do You Love This Red Lipstick?
I have a wide selection of red lipsticks in my beauty stash, but 999 is definitely my most versatile. It’s a neutral red which means it’s not too blue or too orange. My ideal finish is matte because it’s incredibly long-lasting; no matter what I eat or drink, it stays put, which is exactly what I look for in a Christmas red lip.
Hannah
Pale skin with neutral undertone.
The Lipstick You’ve Chosen is…
YSL The Slim Velvet Radical
Shade: 303 Rose Incitement.
Undertone: Blue.
Finish: Velvet matte.
I love a Christmas red lip; matte is my go-to finish but I have very dry lips so I need a formula that’s smooth and comfortable like the YSL Slim Radical. It’s chic square-shaped bullet makes it really easy to apply, and its colour intensity even lasts through a full-blown turkey dinner! The blue undertones but slight rosiness make it extremely wearable for someone like me who has fair skin – and I must admit that I love how it makes your teeth look whiter after you apply.
Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture The Slim Velvet Radical Lipstick Review
