Looking for a HG Red Lipstick for everyday use...olive skin.
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

free skin care · Mon Jan 08, 2007 2:10 pm

I have really pale skin and dark brown hair...warm undertones (yellow)...and brown eyes. I am looking for a great all around red lipstick....any brand...any finish but I'd like it to be something that I can wear everyday. I love that...french...just rolled out of bed and all I managed to put on was this red lipstick look. Its so french and so pretty. Most reds do no look right on me though....too blue or too gothic looking. HELP!

free skin care · Mon Jan 08, 2007 2:15 pm

I will be following hoping for some good suggestions. Prescriptives used to have a red that I loved called Athena. I haven't found one that works for me since.

free skin care · Mon Jan 08, 2007 2:31 pm

Hi Olivia,

I have dark skin so I may be off here but Clinique's Black Honey suits a lot of people.

Prescriptives has a nice red called Vixen and MAC has one called Dubonnet.

HTH.

Cat

free skin care · Mon Jan 08, 2007 2:49 pm

Hi Olivia,

Its true that Black Honey from Clinique is a nice choice.You sould look at Benetint from Benefit for that red bitten french look. Laura Mercier also have a nice collection of sheers like healthy lips or sexy lips.They are really natural red.Suits a lot of people. Good luck !

free skin care · Mon Jan 08, 2007 3:10 pm

oh! oh! oh!

I have SO many recommendations, being that I'm a light-olive-skinned red lipstick aficionado myself!

First off,

JULIE HEWITT (www.juliehewitt.net) makes some of the most beautiful lipsticks I've ever encountered in my life. she is a makeup artist who needed reds for a movie she was doing, and she developed a whole line of reds as a result--that's how she got started. I ADORE "coco noir" and "femme noir," the first of which is a brick red, very nice either applied dark or sort of patted in as a stain, the second which is a perfectly balanced red--not too orange, not too blue. All of her lipsticks are blended with camellia oil, which is another major plus. And they come in gorgeous gold packaging. I cannot say enough about all of her products--I especially adore her eye pots and her 'cheekies.' and her eyeliners are the BEST! And I'm obsessed with another one of her lipcolors, kiki. ok.

Another standby is Vincent Longo's AMERICANA. It is a sheer, true red, not too light, a little on the blue side, but with enough pigmentation to make it perfect for our skin tone. It is highly moisturizing and extremely easy to wear for daytime.

Clinique's black honey is like a blackberry stain, and it's nice, but a little muddy.

Another one that is very similar to Julie Hewitt's femme noir is Delux's "vinnie." this is VERY pigmented, however,

Three custom color specialists have a lovely deep red moisturizing gloss called "Sofia," named after sofia coppola, which is quite nice--I'm not sure if it is still around, as I received it gratis at a party years ago. But it is fab.

Lastly, Lorac makes some lip colors that are great for olive skin, notably "naturally demi" (sheer, earthy darker red) and "red" (a well-balanced, earth-toned red).

I hope that helps, let me know what you try!!!

--avalange

p.s. i find that the most flattering blush to wear with red lipsticks is benefit's dandelion--it is a lilac mauve that brightens the skin, and offsets the olive/dark contrast nicely w/o being too noticeable.

free skin care · Mon Jan 08, 2007 3:13 pm

p.s. brick red is so underrated these days, and so flattering on many skins. it is also a gorgeous nail color (Essie's phot-op)...

--avalange

free skin care · Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:25 pm

I have medium to light skin with yellow undertones. Red lipstick can be tricky, as it can emphasize yellow teeth. Even if your teeth aren't yellow, red lipstick will bring out whatever yellow shades in teeth so be careful. Don't go for red lipsticks with orange/coral undertones as they bring out the yellow in teeth. Red lipsticks with blue undertones are best for avoiding this, so try MAC Russian Red. I prefer the Russian Red lipgloss to the lipstick, as I can blot it to control the color. I have thick lips and risk looking like a clown with blaring red lips. I also find Nars Dolce Vita a subdued red which is very flattering to most skintones and quite natural. It's definitely a red you can wear to work. Good luck!

free skin care · Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:44 pm

I also love a rich red. Very french, somewhat matte and dollbird is so right about the cool/warm and teeth.

One that I think of, that hasn't been d/c'd is Lorac Explore...it is matte, dense pigment, may need a lip balm under it.

A really easy one to wear that you can still get on ebay(d/ced) is Chanel red #5

those julie hewitt ones sound great, I think they are also sold in my softsurroundings cata log with a website of the same name.

free skin care · Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:03 pm

The only one that looks good on my skin (LLL) -warm complexion is Bourjois Tomette Exotic 3D Effect Lipstick.

It can be put on lighter or layer for a deeper look.

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 2:07 am

Hi,

Actually, for olive skins, blue-toned reds look positively garish...

Don't look for aomething with orange tones per se, but something well balanced--but ever just so on the orange side. It won't make your teeth look yellow--in fact all shades of red lipstick make your teeth look whiter.

--avalange

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:52 am

I bought Clinique Black Honey and I love it, but I don't really consider it a red... more of a berry sheer gloss type product on me. However, my HG red is Clinique Ginger Flower. It's not a bright red, which is why I love it -- I can wear this red without ever worrying that it's too much. I also am fair-skinned with yellow undertones, brown eyes, brown hair.

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 7:40 am

avalange!!! WOW! I took some serious notes and I'll let you know what I buy. I tried clinique black honey and didnt like it...once it started to wear off I ended up with bright pink lips...not a nice flush but a 1980's "going to the dance" crazy bright pink. I guess I should mention that my lips are naturally really pink or red...I have learned to put foundation on my lips and then lipstick to tone them down.

Yippie! Thank you for all the recommendations...Cant wait to check them out.

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 9:35 am

I've been eyeballing the Julie Hewett lippies as well (thanks to Avalange!) and found this site really helpful with deciding on which red to choose. Unfortunately this was done before some of her other reds came out (i.e. Annette). This time of year my skin looks pretty identical to the pic of Rose McGowen here, so I'm going to aim for that one or the one with Angelina. Hope this helps everyone!

http://www.girlynation.com/beauty_redlipshade.html

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 10:25 am

Wow TAMgirl99, this is SOOOO useful. Thank you!

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:06 am

Thanks for posting that link TAMgirl99. Now the only problem I have is that I don't know if I'm "warm" or "olive" for purposes of choosing the correct lip shade. I know that my skin has warm tones - I did a color print at prescriptives years ago & I think they said that I'm red/orange - gentle peach??, but I think my skin tone looks more like the photos of the olive girls b/c I know I don't have the same "warm" skin as Lindsay Lohan, but more like the "olive" skin of Aishwarya Rai. I've noticed that "olive" is usually used for women who are naturally tan or ethnic, but I don't think I have olive in my skin tone. How can you tell?

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:27 am

leidon...I'm confused too...when I go to buy makeup they tell me I have a "lot of yellow" in my skin but then I've always been told that I have an olive skin tone too...can anyone tell me my skin tone by looking at a picture? Here is one of me...not a good one but I think you can see my hair and skin pretty good. Dont judge...I know its a stupid picture.

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:16 pm

Wow Olivia! You are absolutely gorgeous. Now I think your MIL is even crazier than ever AND totally jealous! Laughing

I personally think you look very olive toned. I think olive and yellow tones go hand in hand most of the time, but I could be completely wrong.
By the way, what blush are you wearing? I love that on you!

leidon - Again I think warm and olive toned are pretty similar, with warm being more of a bronzy/tanned look and olive being more of an exotic look. I personally think you could be both so you probably have a choice among these colors.

I'm a combination of Rose M. and Angelina in these pics, so I am going to take a closer look at both of these. However, I just saw Avalange's pic in the other thread and coco noir looks nothing like the color they post on this site. So now I'm even more confused!

If anyone orders more of these colors please post your pics! I'd LOVE to see these other colors on actual people. I tried to find some on the net and couldn't.

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:29 pm

I want to second Avalange's suggestion of Julie Hewett. Ms. Hewett developed the line to have red available to every complexion.

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:45 pm

TAMgirl99...you are too sweet! This photo was taken after tooooo much porter (went for a girls weekend in NYC). I have always thought I was olive too...I'm going to use that as a guide.

Oh...the blush is bobbi brown in pale pink...it looks really bright in the pot but it gives a really natural flush to my skin tone.

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 2:33 pm

c4ward wrote:

I want to second Avalange's suggestion of Julie Hewett. Ms. Hewett developed the line to have red available to every complexion.

Have you tried any of these lippies? Can you elaborate on anything you have tried? Thanks!

I'm still stumped on which lippie to order. I don't even know why I'm wanting to get my hands on these so bad when I'm on the L2K system and can't use anything else for another few months. Confused

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 4:40 pm

Forgive me if i'm wrong, but I think red lipstick with orange/coral tones really does nothing but to accent the yellow in teeth...it took me forever to find the right shade, and after talking to friends and makeup artists alike, the general consensus seems to be blue-undertoned lipstick which makes teeth look whiter. For more reference:

http://beautybrief.com/members/content/view/41/26/
"Stay away from orange-reds as they tend to be the least flattering for most women, and can make your teeth look yellow. As a general rule, some dark-skinned women are able to wear them, but fair-skinned women with pink undertones should definitely steer clear of them.
# Reds with blue undertones are the most universally flattering, since both warm and cool skin tones can wear them. They also make teeth look whiter, and brighten your complexion. Warm skin tones can also use brownish reds."

http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/bright_smile.htm
"Wear red lipstick. Wear red on your lips for a whiter smile Avoid coral and orange lipsticks which can make your teeth look yellow. Also choose dark lipstick colors with blue undertones to make your teeth appear whiter."

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:08 pm

Dollbird,

You are right, anything with major orange or coral tones will indeed make your teeth look yellow. But we are talking red lipstick here--and the difference between a red on the orange side and one on the blue side can be huge with regards to skin tone, but it is still red lipstick against white teeth--the best! for instance, look on JH's site--would you think that 'rouge noir,' which is a more balanced, orangier red, would make your teeth look more yellow than femme noir, which has a bit more blue? That's all I'm saying. On that note, I have a JI color called 'nicole' and it is a bright orangey red and you are right, my teeth do not pop' like with other reds, but it is ORANGE.

olivia--you are positively gorgeous! I really think just the perfect, balanced RED would look amazing on you, such as rouge noir or femme noir. I would lean more towards rouge noir in your case (or delux's 'vinnie'), which would just make your eyes (are they like an amber brown?) stand out. Like Catherine Zeta-Jones!
Also, I just remembered, stila makes a nice perfectly balanced glossy red called sophia, which is very moisturizing.
Also, coco noir would look very good on you as well, here's a close-up (and perhaps a better rendering of the color) of me wearing it again... Please note this does NOT represent my lipcolor application skills, it was a hasty job:

And Tamgirl99, I don't apply her lipsticks like a lip balm, I pat them into the lips, stopping when I think the color is intense enough. These are highly pigmented, so yes, if you just slathered it on, it would be really dark. But the photo I took is true to the color I wear it for--a nice earthy red, but not overtly so, just wearable. And thanks so much for the link you posted--my thoughts exactly on the brick red!!! As I get older, I really feel like I cannot wear lipsticks anymore, I feel like they make me look garish and old. But not with JH, for some reason!

--avalange

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:15 pm

Yes Avalange, I do mean red lipstick. In my experience, ones with orange undertones i.e. MAC's Ladybug make my teeth look yellow and ones with subtle blue undertones i.e. MAC's Russian Red doesn't make my teeth look yellow. I don't know about JH lipsticks as I haven't tried them, and you can't really tell lipsticks by the swatches online because how they look on your lips depend on your own lip pigmentation interacting with the red hue. Anyway, this is just my experience and $0.02.

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:17 pm

Avalange - if you look on the link I posted and compare their "swatch" to your lips, they look nothing alike which was my concern. The swatch almost looks like it has some burgandy in it to me, while the lip color on your lips, from what I can tell, would be extremely orange on me. Have you seen most of these colors in person? If so, I'll paste another pic of me here so you can help me pick one out as well. I'm horrible at picking out colors since they all seem to turn orange or make me look like a corpse. Laughing

As I mentioned my skin right now looks basically like Rose McGowen's in that link, so initially I figured I'd go with that one. However, that one looks really dark and almost goth to me, so I'd prefer one of the other red lippies. I'm almost definitely planning to purchase the Film Noir (sheer) one and probably the nude lip pencil, since I see that JH uses that one a lot as a base. There is a pic of Kate Beckinsale wearing just the nude lip pencil with lip balm over it and it looks wonderful! Very Happy

free skin care · Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:48 pm

oh yeah, tamgirl99, i have sin noir and it is dark, very blackberry-esque. it will definitely be a statement. if you want a gorgeous even red, try rouge noir or femme noir. i have that one too. if i have enough energy tonight, i can post pics of both for you... i personally do not find the coco noir to be that orange, but it is on the warm side. in other words, perfect for olive/yellow tones, and nice for everyday. but it seems like you are in the cool tone category, which means you can wear more blue-heavy reds.

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.