CREDIT: ELLECANADA.COM
Number 99 from the Chanel Rouge Allure collection looks flawless on almost everyone!

One of the most daring, sexy and hard to wear colours on the lips is red. Seen on countless fashion advertisements, celebrities and timeless icons such as Marilyn Monroe, red lips are wearable by everyone — it just takes some courage and the right shade. Red may seem like a dramatic colour, but it definitely is not just for evening wear; reds can be toned down and become a gorgeous addition to your day look.

The first important thing to know about red lipsticks is that there are two tones: cool toned, which has a blue undertone, and warm toned, which has an orange undertone. When picking a red lipstick, it is best to choose the same tone as the undertone of your skin. If you are cool toned, chose a cool-toned red lipstick and vice versa as this will always look the best. That being said, some warm-toned lipsticks may look good on cool-toned people, you just have to try it on to make sure it looks right and you feel comfortable in it. There is also a lipstick from the Chanel Rouge Allure collection (number 99) that suits most people's skin undertones!

The second most important thing for wearing a red lipstick is lining the lips first! Since red is a bright colour, when it bleeds (which is often), it is very noticeable. Lining and filling in the lips with a lip liner will help hold the colour and can also alter the shade. If you line the lips with a nude liner, it will tone down the red. If you line the lips with a bright pink lip liner, the red will appear very vibrant (this is often done to achieve a 1940s look). To keep the red lipstick in its true colour, just line the lips with a red lip liner. Lastly, to create a vampy shade of red, lining the lips in a deep purple will create a perfect moody lip colour.

When choosing a lip liner, it is always best to find one that is waterproof so it will hold the colour longer. Brands such as Lise Watier, MAC and Make Up For Ever offer outstanding, affordable, waterproof lip liners.

The last and probably most important aspect to keep in mind when wearing a red lipstick is that you need to feel confident when wearing it. Even if you have the perfect shade and have your lips lined just right, if you are feeling insecure about your lip colour, it will translate through and people will notice. Red is bold, colourful and may be frightening at first, but it is an absolutely gorgeous colour to wear and can really enhance your look. Since the holiday season is just around the corner, now is the perfect time to try out one of the 50 shades of red.