Red lips will never go out of style.

Red lips are daring, bold, and sexy. A timeless classic that intrigues and excites. Nothing makes me feel more womanly and glamorous than a red lip.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from women that they can’t pull off red. Do me a favor and throw that belief out the window! Sure, red may not be for everyone, but anyone who wants to can wear it beautifully. Red is not just for people with fair complexions; there are red shades to flatter every skin tone. It’s all about finding a shade that’s flattering on you!

Number one, you must try it on your lips first. If you don’t try it on your lips — yes, not just on your hand — you won’t really know which color suits you best. However, there are a few tips you can take with you to help you narrow down your choices.

Here are the most flattering shades of red for each skin tone:

Dark skin: Red lipstick with a hint of violet or purple look amazing in contrast with dark skin. These include berry and plum hues. Brick red and golden reds are also great choices. For a more youthful take on red, you may want to try a color with a lot of orange in it.

Fair skin: You’ll want to use a blue-based red that really brings out your rosy complexion. This is especially true of those with fair skin and blonde hair. If you are fair with brown hair, you may opt for reds that have a lot of pink pigment in them. You’ll want to be sure to avoid orangey reds as it may make your skin tone appear dull. If you are fair with red hair, again don’t be afraid to try red! It can compliment your hair perfectly if you choose a deep cherry or wine colored red. Burgundies also look great on you.

Olive skin: Reds that suit you best come in shades with either yellow or orange undertones. Women with medium skin tones also look great in brown based hues, although this is a more subtle approach.

The most important thing to remember to do before you apply red lipstick is to exfoliate your lips. You want to be sure to have the smoothest lips possible to avoid bringing attention to the fact that your lips are dry. Dry, flaky red lips are not appealing. I use the Mary Kay Satin Lips set, however, you can simply use a mix of water and sugar as your lip scrub. It works just as well.

Another thing to remember is to apply lip liner. If you don’t normally use lip liner you want to be sure to use it before applying your red lipstick. It prevents the color from bleeding and it also gives your red more depth. Here’s where you can be creative and pick up undertones to create the most flattering shade for you! For example, I always use a rosy/brown colored lip liner to best suit the red to my skin tone. I suggest that everyone use a natural colored lip liner to avoid looking too harsh.

The best way to apply red lipstick is with a lip brush. You don’t have to be too picky here. I got mine from an arts supply store for 70 cents! You can truly use any small brush for this. It creates the most even application and you can be more precise with your line.

You can either wear your red lips matte or glossy. The choice is yours. Matte red is slightly more dramatic, while glossy red is more flirtatious. A great way to go about choosing your finish is to opt for matte red for nights and glossy reds for daytime.

Here are the items I used to create the look above:

Mary Kay satin lips mask and lip balm