Wear Red Lipstick! Nothing looks more festive than red lipstick, but so many women say they can’t wear red! This is so untrue – you just have to wear the right shade of red for YOU!
Years ago I worked at a Merle Norman Cosmetics. They are still around, yet hard to find. This company has fabulous cosmetics and skin care and still does – and focuses on truly personalized care. At that time franchisees had their own shops and if you had one that really trained their staff as mine did – you really learned. That’s where I learned about red lipstick.
There’s always been this thing about beauty called color analysis – figuring out your best colors whether for clothing or makeup. Four season color analysis was huge in the 80’s, due to Carole Jackson’s successful book “Color Me Beautiful”. There’s all sorts of versions of this today, but the basics remain the same.
Generally there are four classifications. Sometimes people are grouped by season – Winter/Summer/Autumn/Spring. To figure out your “season” first figure out the undertones of your skin. Most people are pinkish or yellow. Pinkish (or even “blue”) means you are “cool” and if you have lighter hair, eyes and the like you’ll be a “summer”; darker and you’ll be a “winter”. Yellowish tones make you a “warm” season - either autumn” or “spring”. Darker means "autumn"; lighter eyes and hair and you’re a “spring”. There’s a lot more to it, and many exceptions, but this gives you the basics and even if you’re a little bit wrong, you’ll at least be in the right “zone”!
What does this mean for red lipstick? Well, if you have those pinkish tones and lighter skin and eyes, you're a "Summer" and you need a lighter red, with no yellow in it. If you’re a “Winter” go for a blue-ish red – a darker red with no yellow in it. "Spring" – wear a peachy red. "Autumn" – go for a dark yellowy red. Here’s some color names to give you a better idea:
Summer: True red, rose, apple, strawberry
Winter: Cherry, scarlet, berry, cranberry
Spring: grenadine, light tomato, coral red, salmon red
Autumn: mahogany, blood, sangria, wine, currant, tomato, brick, paprika
Red lipstick really gets you noticed! The right red also makes you’re teeth look whiter! So put on that smile and try red lipstick this season!
