How to wear red lipstick (at every age)
Red lipstick is chic, sexy, dramatic, empowering and the classic choice for sex bombs, supermodels and CEOs alike. My own red journey started in September 2021, when I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. It was a devastating shock, and I put on a brave face by picking up the brightest, reddest lip colour I had to hand (Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso). I wore red lipstick a lot over the following year – for everything from hospital appointments to going to the ballet. My bright lips gave me strength and confidence. Red made my pale, hollow-eyed face come to life and the simple act of putting on a slash of unapologetic scarlet felt like a defiant f***-you to cancer. Now that I’m (hopefully) better, I still wear red when I want to feel uplifted. The moral of all this? If a 58-year-old-woman going through chemo can wear red lipstick, so can you.
How-to-wear it…
Red requires smooth, dewy lips. Exfoliate if flaky; use balms or a lip treatment for dryness. Choose waxier products (not greasy balms) which will help the colour adhere, not smear. This, or a lip liner as an overall undercoat, will help prevent lipstick feathering into tiny wrinkles.
Pick your texture. Ultra-matte lipsticks can be unforgiving and drying. I prefer velvet textures, which have a slight sheen. If you find full red scary, blot your lip until the colour is barely there, or opt for a buildable balm or sheer gloss.
Find your best shade. Basically, you need a lipstick that compliments your skin’s undertones. So, blue reds (pink and mauve tones) flatter cool skin tones. Warm reds (orange and coral shades) suit skin with warm undertones. Dark, light and olive skin tones can opt for a proper pillarbox red.
Like a superstar. Christy Turlington, 54, pairs a bright, glossy red lip with glowing, peachy skin and lightly mascaraed lashes; a look that works equally well with jeans or on the red carpet. Julianne Moore, 62, recently told Vogue that (for evening) she teams brown mascara with a fresh face, dewy mauve cream blush, tapping on Hourglass’ Unlocked Satin Crème Lipstick in vibrant ‘Red 0’ for an undone look with oomph and glamour.
10 Ravishing Reds
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Certainly Red is a cool-toned, glossy ‘strawberry red’. £5.99. Revlon’s Really Red, while similar, is warmer and matte. £5.99.
Maybelline Color Sensational Made For All Lipstick in Ruby for Me is a satin-textured, classic red created to suit most skin tones and makes teeth look super-white. £7.99. Red For Me is more orange/warm-toned. £7.99.
Rouge Dior 999 is an excellent, easy-to-wear neutral red that comes in various textures. £37.
Chanel Rouge Coco in Coco is a gorgeously warm, brick red with a buttery texture and sheen. £37. And Dimitri is a lighter, blue-based, pinky-red. £37.
While Velvet Ribbon is a beautiful classic red by superstar make-up artist Lisa Eldridge. It’s velvet finish that offers a slight sheen, yet is creamily hydrating. If you prefer a warmer tone, Velvet Morning is a bright orange/red that is ‘the ultimate pick me up shade.’ Both £27.
Studio 10’s Wake Up & Glow Lip & Cheek Tint in EmpoweRED Poppy is a pink-toned red – shot through with a core of balm – that’s easy to wear. £25.
Leah Hardy is a health and beauty journalist and new That’s Not My Age contributor.
Photography: Sarah Brick. Earrings, Carousel.
Discussion (27 Comments)
Mrs Tonia says:
Welcome Leah to TNMA. Hope that you are in good health at present.
I only tend to wear red lipstick for special occasions. I am seduced at this time of year by department store special displays of festive makeup. These are the ones I have. A fancy Chanel Rouge Allure le rouge intense no. 4 ; Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel Rouge Muse. I prep lips using Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Creme in stick or tube. Brilliantly effective in hydrating dry lips. My current favour Red is a more rusty shade : MAC Lustreglass Lipstick. Chilli Popper 562. If I want a more toned down version I mix these shades with a browner or coral red lipstick. Of these current favourite is MAC lusterglass lipstick shade Pigment of Your Imagination 547.
I prep lips then use a lip brush to apply. Then blot. Then reapply directly from tube.I started wearing red lipstick when I let my pixie-cut hair go gray and find it completes the look I am going for—vibrant and fun! I have naturally pale eyes and brows so don’t go overboard there (just some gray shadow and mascara). When I could no longer find Boots’ “Pillar Box”, I switched to L’Oreal “British Red”.
Goddessinthedetails says:
You look amazing. My first appointment at the breast clinic to see the consultant and I was cheered by the number of women in the waiting room wearing bright scarves (to hide hair loss) or bright jackets and jumpers – it felt like a little show of defiance through fashion. Good luck!
Susanna Singer says:
Such a helpful article, thank you! I’m always a bit reluctant about red (the “is it too much?” syndrome) but the inexpensive brands highlighted here and the tips for application make me determined to give red a go for these holidays!
Maureen says:
I find that the older I get the more dependent I’ve become more on my lipstick to give my face definition. I have to be careful with some brands as they make my lips prickle so I always try before I buy. It’s also important to have a look at the lipstick in daylight as there can be a huge the difference in the appearance of a red that’s been applied in the store and how it looks once you’ve gone outside!
Demelza Hayward says:
I do love a red lip. My favourite is DIOR Addict Shine Refillable Lipstick #976. It woks with everything.
Lucy says:
I LOVE a good red lipstick, but they’re hard to find! My favourite has just been discontinued – Stella Addict Dior 639. Worn and loved for years (why do they do this?). They’ve issued another one 659, which is coral pink red. It will have to do!
Jane says:
Great topic and Leah, you look lovely with that shade of red.
The day this was posted I was in search of a replacement for my ancient (don’t judge!) Shiseido P13 red. It prob has another name too, but the label is too tiny and faded. I’ve been scraping the last bits out for some time and it won’t last much longer. Does anyone know if this still exists and what it might be called??
I like a sheer, def not matt or heavy texture.. and this red really suits my complexion & grey hair now.. it’s quite subtle for a red and is fine for day & night. Despite all the reds out there, it’s so hard to find the right one!
Gill says:
That’s a good look you’ve got going on there. I experimented with a red lip after seeing a feature in Company magazine (remember that?!) when I was about 15 that also included a smoky eye and a fair bit of blusher – well, it was the eighties!
I had no confidence to wear this look any further than my bedroom door but maybe now, 42 years later I might give it another go, without the eye and cheeks.
Thanks for recommending a range of different priced lipsticks, some of these are more affordable and more likely to have me experimenting again.Amanda Sebestyen says:
What hasn’t been mentioned is that blue-reds do indeed suit people like me (Winter skin-types) but they don’t suit our teeth if they are anything less than pearly white! I have had my teeth bleached/lasered a couple of times but the effect wears off very easily as I still like herbal teas and fresh juices. I now can’t be bothered with the faff and expense of treatments and just keep my teeth clean without expecting flashing gnashers. But this definitely means less vibrant lipstick or none. Blue-reds and shocking pinks are unforgiving to older teeth shades and I’m not going to spend the rest of my life smiling with my mouth shut…
Judith Taylor says:
Thanks for this- it has inspired me to try a red. And thank you for recommending some affordable lipsticks. Sometimes posts seem to be only for people with shed loads of money to spare!
Anoushka says:
I’m a big fan of red lipstick myself — a berry ish Chantecaille lip chic every day and a MAC Matt red for now and then.
I’d like to ask where Leah got her lovely green earrings! I have green eyes mysel and love how they make her eye colour pop.
Elaine says:
Carousel. There is a link at end of article. I love them too and also have greenish eyes.
Jane Blewden says:
Welcome Leah! You may possibly remember me as Issymum from Mumsnet!
I do hope you’re now fully recovered. And yes, I am the dullest of dressers, but a confident dash of red lipstick does elevate an outfit.
And very best wishes for staying well in your glorious Red lipstick. You look wonderful.
Thank you for this article. It’s inspired me to try again with a red lip. I’ve tried a number of times with a bright red – love the idea but often feel a little too ‘look at me’ when I wear it – also have the same scenario mentioned by Amanda with choosing a colour that will look ok with less than bright white teeth. .. any suggestions for older & as a result yellowish teeth would be most welcome!
Ellie Cockerill says:
I too wore red listick for every clinic and chemo appointment when I had colon cancer-the clinic nurses all asked me what it was (a Maybelline Babylips high pigment balm).Red is my go to for meetings and any tricky situation-or just on miserable wet days! Favourite now my hair is getting grayer is Mac Ruby Woo,or any dark reds fom Italian brand Kiko.In the second world war women were asked to wear red lipstickfor victory! So lets keep on doing just that!
Cindy from Canada says:
Leah, I admire you as you went through your cancer journey. Mine is starting as I was recently diagnosed with Stage 0 breast cancer in early November. My treatments will be starting in early January with a day surgical procedure, followed (maybe) by radiation treatments and medication. I have wonderful support from family and close friends. I don’t want a “pity party”. I like to wear a lip gloss (red is not my color) , it makes me feel and look amazing. All the best to you.
Sara says:
A lovely uplifting post. The best part is your recovery, Leah, but the red lippie is such a great way of helping to deal with everything that life throws at us. Continuing and increasing eye problems have led to me having to relinquish every scrap of eye make up I used to wear and it looks as if this is doing the same to powder and probably foundation, so I’m left solely with the lipstick. My trials are nothing in the region of yours, but it feels good to have even a little something left in the make up department when age related health problems interfere in such an unwelcome way. I have been carefully hoarding my stash of my favourite, now discontinued, Mac orangey red lippie that is the only one I have ever found that doesn’t turn colour on me. I haven’t yet thought what I ‘ll do when it eventually runs out.
Anything that brightens our days and does nobody any harm is how I see it.Deedee says:
Welcome, Leah! I agree. An uplifting post during the darkest month of the year. And a confirmation of an advice I read a long time ago. It went something like this: If you are not feeling well for some reason and it shows on your face, wear bright red lipstick as it distracts from the dark begs under your eyes and the dull complexion.
I was in the finishing stages of my PhD, looked and felt a mess, but the red lipstick did it job brilliantly!
Ciclochick says:
I love a red lipstick. But…and perhaps you can help. Lipsticks…all of them, red or nude…always disappear to that dreaded halo around the lips. The paler the colour, the more you can just about get away with it, but with stronger colours it just looks so awful. I think I have tried every tip under the sun to make your lipstick stay on, but that dreaded lip halo always returns. Lip tattooing might be the only solution!
Janet says:
Writing this from a hospital bed after a lumpectomy, wearing no make up at all, but will be putting on a red lipstick when I get home, probably tomorrow. My favourite red from way back was Clinique Red-y-to-wear
I tried to replace it recently but the colour has changed. I have a few others, a Look Fabulous Forever Monroe red and a Marks and Spencer one from their Autograph make-up range, which has a nice texture on the lips. Bravo red lips!Hi Janet, I hope things went well for you and I wish you all the best as you recover.
Frankie says:
I like Trinny London products for lips. They also do a lip to cheek. Many shades including reds.
Helen Long says:
I’ve just tried the Studio 10 Wake Up & Glow lip tint in EmpoweRED Poppy and it’s fantastic!
Have never been able to wear red lipstick before – skin too pale; cheeks too pink – but this is perfect and so comfortable – more like a balm. Thanks for the recommendation.Maggie Vita says:
Inspiring as I’ve always wanted to wear a red lipstick but I always feel like it doesn’t work for me. Probably just not used to it…I tend to stick with neutrals with just a little color but a bolder shade might be in my near future.
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Totally agree that red lipstick is uplifting and can give a boost through medical treatment – especially for things that in some way touch on womanliness (even stereotypes thereof). I’m a huge fan of Maybelline Superstay 24 https://www.maybelline.co.uk/all-products/lip-makeup/lip-color/super-stay-24-liquid-lipstick?variant=Keep+Up+The+Flame which has enough staying power to survive going out for dinner. I find that other red lipsticks need liner and even then tend to come off.