Red lipsticks for day and night

When you’re not used to wearing red lips, it can seem too bright to wear them in the day. At first I was nervous but now I love wearing red lipstick anytime. I’m rarely seen without a bright lip.

When I shared my 5 easy tips for perfect red lips you asked for my faves, so here are my picks of the best red lipsticks for day and night.

Sheer Reds

If you’re just starting out with red lipstick, sheer reds are perfect for you. Sheer reds look great for day, and are soft enough to work with a smoky eye for night. My picks are:

• Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple – goes on like a balm and with a buildable colour.
• Maybelline Color Whisper Who Wore It Red-Er – moisturising formula and can be worn very sheer or layered for a stronger tone.
• NARS Manhunt – creamy and mositurising with a stronger pigment that the previous two, it can be worn sheer or layered for an opaque colour.

Sheer lipsticks don’t have great staying power so you will need to reapply them more frequently, especially after eating and drinking. On the plus side, the fade isn’t that noticeable and they’re easy to touch up on the go.

Gloss Reds

I’m not a huge fan of lip glosses but the L’Oreal Shine Caresse was the first to change my mind. It’s very long wearing and non-sticky. My picks are:

• L’Oreal Shine Caresse in #300 Juliet – long wearing and can be worn lighter, or layered for an opaque red gloss.
• Illamasqua Lip Gloss in Touch – highly pigmented and long wearing, it has a slight shimmer but it’s not too sparkly.

Gloss is fun for day or night. Adding a clear gloss over your favourite red can also make your lips appear fuller.

Cream Reds

When you’re ready to dip into a full red lip, cream lipsticks are my favourite to wear. With a full colour hit they wear well without drying out my lips.

• Tom Ford Cherry Lush – My ultimate red lip. I adore this colour and formula. Expensive, but worth it.
• Maybelline Color Sensational Are You Red-dy – A fab bargain buy, this lipstick has a great vivd colour and is easy to apply. It wears well but will need to be reapplied after eating.

My tip is to apply these with a lip brush or you can also use a pencil to fill in your lips first for a longer wearing lip.

Matte Reds

The master of all red lips. Make sure you prepare your lips first with a gentle scrub or balm as some matte lipsticks can be drying. In a way, these are one of the easiest red lips to wear as they last and last, only requiring a minimal touch up.

• Illamasqua Maneater – The perfect vampy red lip, this dark matte red has a smooth formula. Makes your teeth look extra white too.
• Makeup Store Slim Lipstick Matte #404 – Easy to apply, this has a slightly pinker tone, and is flattering with a slightly pink blush on your cheeks.
• NARS Heatwave – My favourite orange-red lip, this formula lasts for ages on my lips and the colour is fabulous.
• M.A.C Russian Red – A slightly bluer-red, which makes your teeth look great, and looks fabulous applied as a stain or as a full pout.

Here’s my red lipstick shopping guide if you’re looking for ready to go red.

What are your fave red lipsticks for day or night?