You can’t go wrong with red lipstick. No other beauty trend is quite as timeless, versatile, and influential as your go-to red tube, which has put its power on display for over a century. It previously served as a symbol of women’s rights and an entertainment industry essential, but today, the best red lipstick plays a role of a powerful shape shifter for all. One swipe of this bold hue provides the confidence and prowess you need to become anything you desire, and we couldn’t ask for anything more for our Urban Decay fam.
The color red exudes passion, love, power, and most of all, action, and you’ll be ready for anything with bright red lipstick. Urban Decay products are made to reinvent even the most timeless beauty trends, even one as iconic as red lips, and you can escalate any look with the proper tools. Spoiler alert: we’re not just talking about eyeshadow and foundation, but also your attitude. Glide your way toward instant confidence and undeniable glam with this quintessential product; which is made to accompany any style. Here’s everything you need to know about the best red lipstick looks for any occasion or skin tone….
Makeup We Mention
Hydromaniac Hydrating Dewy Foundation
Vice Lip Bond Glossy Longwear Liquid Lipstick
French girl makeup
While it was Beyonce who said “I woke up like this,” we’re pretty sure that she was singing about French girl makeup. It’s hard not to be envious of the lit-from-within skin, mesmerizing eyes, and scarlet lips that the Parisians have made their own. They’re effortlessly gorgeous and glamorous in the most subdued way, somehow looking like they both rolled out of bed and off the runway at Paris Fashion Week at the same time. You may be wondering, what is this sorcery and how exactly am I supposed to achieve it? Unsurprisingly, it all starts with a swipe of the best red lipstick.
Red lipstick is a staple of French girl makeup, which plays into a bigger theme for the trend — focusing primarily on one feature. Your lips get all the attention when you swipe on a sexy matte red, like our Vice Lipstick in the shade 714, while the rest of your makeup is kept minimal. Our suggestion? Pair your bright red lipstick with the Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Hydrator, providing a 24-hour dewy finish and nonstop hydration to perfect the French girl makeup glow. As for your eyes, you can leave your eyelids mostly bare, instead opting for a coat or two of our Perversion Mascara. This blacker-than-black hue delivers buildable lash volume and length to beautify your eyes in a subdued way, taking a backseat to the best matte red lipstick and topping off your French girl makeup looks with ease.
Rockstar approved
Urban Decay was born in Southern California in the 1990s, a time and place associated with many things. We’re not just talking about the best summer bops and beach weather, but also the rock and roll landscape that helped shape an entire generation of bold makeup looks. There were plenty of female rock stars fronting this movement, but we’re thinking about one in particular…our SoCal queen, and onetime Urban Decay collaborator, Gwen Stefani. She’s owned the best red matte lipstick for decades, and added her own edgy twist with the addition of a killer smokey eye and bold brows.
It’s undoubtedly an intense makeup look that may seem intimidating at first, but we’re here to remind you that you’re a total rockstar. Even the most iconic musicians (or in this case, beauty looks) are nothing without the support of their bandmates (AKA, fellow makeup products). Anybody can work up the courage to take center stage with this rockstar-approved look every once in a while. After all, taking risks is precisely what red lipstick is all about.
You can use the same Vice Lipstick shade in “714” from our French girl makeup look, in true SoCal style. However, there are a few modifications. In this case, you should outline your lips with the matching shade of our 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil for a more precise and poppin’ red lip. You can also create your most edgy smokey eye with shades from your favorite Naked eyeshadow palette, whether you’re in the mood for black and gray, emerald green or anything in between. When it comes to picking your favorite eyeliner to top off your smokey eye and red lip combo, that’s when things get really in tune. Will you opt for the matte black shade, Perversion, from our 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil collection like the No Doubt frontwoman herself? Or will you take center stage in the aptly-named Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner to give your rockstar red lip and smokey eye a little glow? It’s all you, babe, and we can’t wait to see what you do.
Evening affair
There’s always room for a deep red lipstick in your clutch during a night out, especially when it’s paired with a champagne smokey eye and matte foundation to celebrate in style. This evening makeup look has it all — elegance, longevity, and a luxurious swipe of your deep red lipstick to make a statement. Speaking of which, let’s talk about your go-to shade for a glam night out. You need one that photographs well, because we all know it wouldn’t be a night at the bar without a group shot, and maintains its red vibrancy through all the night’s activities. From sipping your favorite drinks to gossiping to the occasional kiss, anything can happen when you’re having fun… and Vice Lipstick will keep your redder-than-red lips looking lit all night.
While you can’t go wrong with a classic cherry red, your little black dress gives you a lot of leeway to enter the dark side with more diverse red lipstick shades. You can opt for cranberry, brick, wine, and crimson to give your best red lipstick a bit of edge, all of which will upgrade your evening attire like never before. Our top picks include our Vice Lipstick in the shades Vice Lipstick (Callback), a deep brick red, the deep blue-red No Parking, plus the bright red orange Drive-In for the most eye-catching red lipstick ever. Like, nobody will be able to miss it even under the bright lights of the club. Once you’ve topped off your look with our Stay Naked Weightless Liquid Foundation and Moondust Eyeshadow in the sheer pale nude-silver shade Space Cowboy, you’ll be ready to head out the door and onto the dance floor.
Daytime chic
A bombshell red lip is known for turning heads, but what if you’d rather fly under the radar? It’s totally possible to rock the best red lipstick in the most casual settings…achieving an effortlessly chic daytime makeup look in five minutes or less. Don’t let its bold color and unimaginable legacy fool you, as red lipstick is actually the ultimate quick makeup hack in one iconic package. Even with a nearly-perfect application of lip liner and your favorite Vice Lipstick shade, like Vice Lipstick (Drive In) or Vice Lipstick (The Big One), the color red can trick people into thinking that you spent hours on your makeup instead of a single swipe. It’s the dream, we know. Feel free to utilize any shade you’d like, as both deep red lipstick and bright red lipstick are socially acceptable for the daytime, and you should totally pair it with a bold brow for an edgy AM makeup look.
Impeccable arches have a similar vibe as red lipstick — relatively quick and easy to achieve while turning the elegance up to 100. What happens when you wear them together, you may wonder? Flawless daytime makeup looks that blur the lines between understated and dramatic. You can’t beat our Brow Beater Micro Fine Brow Pencil and Brush when shading, defining, and shaping your brows for the best daytime makeup looks, and a natural yet strong brow look will round out your red lipstick looks for daytime chic that’s daring and dreamy.
Lunar New Year
Let’s talk about how you can incorporate bright red lipstick into your Lunar New Year makeup. Here’s a hint: it’s unbelievably easy. This Chinese holiday occurs in late January 2023 and serves as a celebration of new beginnings and never-ending glow, and you can reach for the stars with its signature colors of red and gold. Especially when a whole lot of shine is involved. Let us introduce you to our Vice Lip Bond Glossy Liquid Lipstick in the shade Unbreakable, a power red that pays tribute to Lunar New Year makeup in a stunning way.
Red is the signature shade in your favorite Lunar New Year makeup looks, and Vice Lip Bond doesn’t disappoint. “Unbreakable” isn’t just the power red that enhances your pout during January and beyond, but also our favorite word to describe the entire collection of liquid lipsticks. They deliver intense color and instant shine for up to 16 hours, keeping your lips as glossy and vibrant as ever through any seasonal activity. Between Chinese food feasts, January showers, and all the other nuisances that come at the beginning of an otherwise beautiful year, you’ll need a supportive red lip that puts you in the spirit for lunar and luxurious looks. And that’s exactly what you’ll get with a glossy red lip from Vice Lip Bond.
You can’t beat the classics, and you’ll never go wrong with an edgy and oh-so-hot red lipstick. Which one is your fave? Visit @UrbanDecay on Instagram or Twitter to let us know!
In This Article
Hydromaniac Hydrating Dewy Foundation
Vice Lip Bond Glossy Longwear Liquid Lipstick
Hydromaniac Hydrating Dewy Foundation
24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Lip Liner
24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Lip Liner
24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil
Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner
Stay Naked Weightless Liquid Foundation
