Best Makeup to Wear with Red lips (Guide + tutorial)
I don’t know about you, but I love a red lip.
This simple pop of color will draw attention to your lips, and to your face as a whole. It can make any look a little classier and is perfect if you are looking for a bold day look, or a fun night look.
But, not all makeup works well with a red lip.
There are some colors and styles that work best to highlight that bold lip without making your face look too heavy or busy.
While some makeup lovers say that the rest of your face should be bare or neutral when it comes to red lips, today I want to dispel that theory and share a few of the best eyeshadows, eyeliners, and makeup tips for red lips!
Plus, I am sharing my step-by-step tutorial for the perfect red lips!
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What to Wear Before Red Lipstick
Before we look at what makeup goes best with red lipstick, I do want to cover how to best prepare your face before you add that pop of color.
When it comes to red lipstick, it is extremely important that you wear foundation and/or concealer.
You want your face to have an even tone, free of redness or spots.
If you skip this step, your red lipstick could actually make the rest of your face look redder or highlight rashes/acne.
TIP: If you want a more romantic look with your red lips, add a pink cheek tint for a softer look!
Red Lips: Which Red is Best for Me?
Not all red lipsticks are created equal. There are so many different red shades out there, you might be wondering, which is the best red for me?
The answer depends on your skin’s undertones. Remember, if you want to find out your undertones, just look at the inside of your wrists. If the veins look green, you have a warm undertone. If they look blue, you have a cool undertone.
When it comes to red lipsticks, there are only two directions to go, warmer or cooler. Warmer reds will have a bit more yellow in them. They are going to appear lighter. These shades are typically the ones that are titled something like “candy red” or “orange-red.” If you have warm undertones, you want to pick a warmer red as well.
Cooler reds will look a little blue, so they will be darker, like maroon or wine. If you have cool undertones, you should choose one of these colors.
What makeup goes well with red lips?
There are so many different makeup looks that go well with red lips.
Check out a few of my favorite pairings below!
Natural Look
Going with a more natural look is a popular direction for red lips, but it is not the only direction. However, if you are interested in a fast and easy way to make your face pop, going natural is the way to go.
For this look, keep your lids bare, add a touch of mascara, and, of course, wear foundation with your red lips.
TIP: If you want to up your makeup game a bit for this look, create a strong brow as well. Shape, fill in and set your brows. This will frame your eyes and create a gorgeous look.
Office Look
If you want to wear a red lip to the office, I suggest pairing it with a little mascara, and a touch of shimmer eyeshadow. This will draw a little attention to your eyes as well but will keep your overall look professional.
Cat Eyes
Cat eyes are such a fun look if you want something bold and exciting. Pair your cat-eye and red lipstick with a subtle eyeshadow, as you don’t want to draw attention away from your liner or lipstick.
The easiest way to do a fabulous cat-eye eyeliner is by using this iMethod eyeliner stamp! It works amazing even for mature eyes or hooded eyelids, and of course, it is waterproof and long-lasting!
Bronze Beauty
Bronze eyeshadows are a really fun and gorgeous pairing with red lipstick. Find a bronze shadow that you love and apply it to your lid with a lengthening mascara to bring the whole look together.
Also you can check my step-by-step soft brown/bronze smokey eye tutorial with pictures!
Bold Colors for Days
I typically do not recommend pairing a bold lipstick with a bold eyeshadow BUT let’s break some makeup rules here. (as I love to do)
So if you are looking for something really bold that will definitely make you stand out, Try wearing a purple/blue eyeshadow with your red lip.
Pop of color
If you aren’t completely sold on the natural look but aren’t ready to commit to a full eye, there is a happy medium.
You can have a lot of fun with your eyeliner when it comes to red lipstick. For this look, add a bit more mascara (preferably a lengthening serum) to add some definition to your eye without going overboard
AND take your favorite color eyeliner (it can be any color, it doesn’t have to be red) and do your winged eyeliner as usual.
I have this cute and pigmented set of color eyeliners that came in 12 different colors and I highly recommend this set to anyone that wants to easily add a pop of color to their makeup game. It is a high-quality set of eyeliners at a super cheap price!
Should I wear eyeliner with red lipstick?
Yes, you can totally wear eyeliner with red lipstick. The eyeliner can be either black, brown, or a bright color like blue, purple, yellow, orange, and even red. Wearing eyeliner with red lipstick enhances the red lips and gives balance to the whole makeup look.
As you can see above, several of my favorite looks with red lipstick do contain eyeliner. While you don’t want to wear too much eyeliner (otherwise it will distract from your lips), wearing a bit of eyeliner is a great way to balance out your face and create a striking look!
Can you wear smokey eyes with red lips?
Yes. You can wear smokey eyes with red lipstick, It will give you a sultry and classy look. If you want to go for a smokey eye, opt for a brown smokey eye instead of the classic black one for a better-balanced makeup.
Red lips and smokey eyes are a match made in makeup heaven. When you do a smokey eye with red lips, it will definitely give you a classy look, so if that is what you are going for, commit to that smokey eye!
However, if you are doing a smokey eye, make sure not to overdo it. Use a dark brown or gray shadow and a bit of smudged eyeliner to draw even more attention to your gorgeous face!
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Classic red lip makeup tutorial
If you are wondering how to get that classic red lip look, check out this step-by-step guide for the perfect red lip!
Step 1- Conceal: Make sure to start off with your favorite foundation to create an even base. If you need a little extra coverage, add your favorite concealer to create a full-coverage look.
TIP: I recommend using a beauty blender to seamlessly blend in your concealer!
Step 2- Contour: If you want to make your cheekbones look a little more lifted, you can also contour! Line your jaw, the bridge of your nose, and the top half of your cheekbones to create a classic and subtle contour look. Make sure to blend in circular motions to create an even look.
Step 3- Bake: You can also use your favorite powder to bake your eyes. This will create a cleaner base for your shadow!
Step 4- Add Shadow: For the classic red lip look, you want to go with more neutral colors for your shadow.
I suggest adding a light brown in your crease, and then adding a darker brown towards the end of your eye.
Finally, grab a darker brown and add it to the crease of your eye and work it toward the center of your lid. This will give your eye a little more dimension. Finally, blend these colors together to create a seamless look.
TIP: If you want a more eyecatching look, add a bit of sparkle or shimmer to your lids.
Step 5- Style your Brows: If your brows are not naturally shaped, take this time to style them in place, and add a bit of liner, if necessary.
Step 6- Curl and Style Lashes: Always make sure to curl your lashes, as this is a quick and easy way to make your eyes pop.
I recommend light mascara for this look, just enough to add a splash of color, but not too much. Since you are going for a natural eye, I suggest keeping your mascara subtle as well.
Step 7-Lip liner: Lip liner is ESSENTIAL when you are doing a red lip. Try to follow your natural lip line as possible. You can check my guide on how to overline lips to make them look naturally bigger.
Overline your lips is a great way to make them appear juicier and bigger but you need to do this technique carefully because it tends to look so notorious and fake. I share my best tips to make it look naturally on this big lips tutorial.
Step 8- Rock Those Lips: It’s finally time to add that pop of color! Grab your favorite red lipstick, and let’s get started. Start with the outside of your lips and work your way in to create an even and sharp lip look.
Step-9 Set in Place: Finally, use your favorite setting spray to keep your makeup in place!
FInal thoughts on the best Makeup for Red lips
Red lipstick is a gorgeous, and easy way to really make your face pop.
One of the reasons why I love a red lip is because it is not just limited to a natural look. You can create a gorgeous smokey eye, rock some bronze lids, create a stunning cat eye, and so much more with red lips.
I hope this tutorial and all of these makeup ideas gave you some inspiration and confidence for your next red lipstick look. No matter which direction to go, I can’t wait for you to rock those red lips!
What’s Next? Related Makeup Posts:
- Best Makeup to wear with a Green Dress (Complete Makeup guide for your green dress)
- Best Eyeshadow Palettes for Brown Eyes (Pro tips + Reviews)
- How to make your Eyes look Bigger Naturally (Instant hacks to try!)
- How to Apply Inner Eye Highlighter like a pro! (Complete tutorial)
- The Best Lip Glosses that won’t leave your lips sticky!
