Red is fire. Let’s just start with that. Everyone looks sexy in a red dress. It’s bold, it’s honest, it can even be vulgar. When you have a red dress on, the rest of you fades into the background. All anyone can see is that red dress. This makes preparing makeup for a red dress a bit challenging. You're basically left with two choices: to match or to complement. Matching your makeup with that red dress would include a red lipstick, just as bold, just as fire. But for some that’s just too hot. Either option provides beautiful makeup looks for that red dress.
Lipstick for a Red Dress
You may feel stifled, but you actually have quite a few choices for pairing your lipstick with a red dress. A red lipstick with a red dress can come across cheap or even vulgar. If you prefer to wear a red lip shade, opt for a shade slightly darker than your dress with a little burgundy in it or crimson. These red lip shades will provide just enough contrast so it doesn’t match your dress completely, and your lips don’t overpower your outfit. Go light with the rest of your makeup look. Your eyeshadow and blush should look barely there. Let your lips and dress do all the talking.
Medium skin tone and darker skin beauties will look striking with a nude lip color with that red dress. That nude color adds just a pop of succulence to the mouth without overwhelming or detracting from the dress. Nude lipsticks with a red dress on fairer skin beauties might make them look a little too pale.
Pink and Peach lip shades also pair quite nicely with a red dress. This is an especially good choice for fair skin beauties that prefer to complement rather than match their red dress. You can jazz that more mute peach tone up with clear gloss or a gloss with just a little shimmering effect.
Eyeshadow for a Red Dress
Whatever you do, don’t apply red eyeshadow with your red dress. There are much more attractive, complementary eyeshadow colors that work well with both your lipstick and red dress without making you look cheap.
Nude shades are the easiest red dress eyeshadow choice. Nude includes brown-tone, pink-tone and mauve shades. Any of these shades will give your eyes just a little bit of pop without adding a distraction.
Ultimately, choose an eyeshadow color that works well with your selected lip color. If your lip color is light or nude, you have the option to get a bit bolder with your eyes. A darker pink, with a hint of red, or purple eyeshadows will look great. If you are a bold beauty that has chosen a bold red lip, barely there eyeshadow is your friend. Nude, whites applied to your eyelid surrounded by just a little color above the lid line will work just fine.
