Editor Tip: This classic, universal red shade is so popular amongst MAC shoppers that it’s also available in a liquid lipstick format as well.
Key Ingredients: Cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil | Finish: Matte | Available Red Shades: Nine
Best Poppy Red Lipstick: Uoma Beauty Badass Icon Matte Lipstick in Sade
Why We Love It: Uoma Beauty’s Badass Icon Matte Lipstick bears the name of one of the most iconic singers — Sade. Her signature red lip is one that we’ve been obsessed with for ages, and it’s one that makeup artist Lisa Eldridge favors on melanin-rich skin tones. “[This is] a beautiful, bright poppy red with a creamy formula that delivers a hefty dose of color in one swipe,” she says.
Editor Tip: To give your lip look a glow-up, try Uoma Beauty’s Black Magic Hypnotic Impact High Shine Lipstick
Key Ingredients: carnauba wax | Finish: Matte | Available Red Shades: Five
Frequently Asked Questions
How to choose the best red lipstick for my skin tone
Before we dive in, let’s get this out of the way: anyone can wear whatever red lipstick they like, full-stop. “The right red is the one that makes you feel good,” Los Angeles-based makeup artist Fiona Stiles, whose clients include Margot Robbie, Gabrielle Union, and Lily Collins, tells Allure.
However, you can expedite finding a red lipstick you love by considering your skin tone and your skin’s undertone. New York City-based makeup artist Diane Kendal previously told Allure that red shades with blue undertones give cool-toned, fair-to-light-medium complexions a more radiant appearance and even make teeth look whiter. For warm, medium skin tones, Kendal suggested orange-red shades — “Intense, yes, but they make olive skin glow by bringing out its golden tones,” she says. As for deeper skin tones, she recommended red hues “with a lot of pink,” which she said works beautifully against dark complexions.
How to make red lipstick last
We all love the look of freshly-applied lipstick, but after a few hours (or drinks), things can start to look messy. But, don’t fret, because there are quite a few ways to make your look last for hours on end. Back in the day (2010 to be exact), New York City-based makeup artist Peter Phillips previously gave Allure editors a few tips on ensuring any lip look stays put — and these hacks are still used by our staff to this day.