Lipstick is one of the fastest and easiest ways to refresh your look. But the colour you choose can make an even bigger difference than you might expect. Certain lipstick shades brighten the complexion, make lips appear fuller, and create a fresh, youthful look, while others can unintentionally emphasise fine lines or make the face appear tired. Editor Trudi Brewer recommends the shades worth adding to your makeup bag.
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The power of lipstick can completely transform the way you look—but more importantly, how you feel. It draws attention to your smile, brightens your complexion, and, with the right shade, can make your skin look more radiant, your teeth appear whiter, and your lips look fuller. But its real power goes beyond appearance. It’s an instant confidence boost, can lift your mood and make you feel polished and ready to take on whatever comes next. Regardless of the shade of lipstick, it’s more than makeup—it's confidence in a tube. Here are the universally flattering, easy-to-wear colours that promise to add a youthful glow.
Pink Nude
Not all nude lipsticks are created equal. The key to looking younger is choosing a nude with pink or peach undertones rather than beige, grey or brown. A pink-based nude enhances your natural lip colour, making your lips appear fuller and healthier without washing out your complexion.
Morphe Liplock Glossy Lipstick in Caught Rose, $30
Often, glossy lipstick is a compromise between colour payoff and shine, but this lippy offers both. Brilliant pigment with a layer of clear gloss in the perfect shade of beige pink. It’s also lightweight, but doesn’t get into fine lines, and the meadowfoam and sunflower seed oils in the formula make it so nourishing. There are 10 shades in total.
Revlon Super Lustrous Glass Shine Balm in Honey Shine, $30
Revlon is famous for affordable lip innovations. This viral gloss balm was a sensation from day one and was created to give lips nourishing shine thanks to hyaluronic acid, aloe and a dash of rose quartz for shimmer. It visibly smooths lines and gives lips a fuller, plumper look, while offering sheer, glass-like colour in a lipstick bullet. There are 20 shades.
Rose Pink
These hues are the most universally flattering because they closely resemble the natural flush of healthy-looking lips. It instantly adds life to the face without looking overdone. Rosy pink shades are particularly flattering for fair to medium skin tones and work as an everyday shade. They effortlessly create a fresh, polished appearance that never goes out of style. When it comes to finish, a sheer sheen or satin is way more flattering than matte.
Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath, In Walk of No Shame, $64
Rather than being too pink or too red, this sheer berry rose enhances your natural lip tone, inspired by the bestselling Walk of No Shame Matte Revolution Lipstick. But unlike traditional lip glosses, this formulation creates the illusion of plumper lips. It contains ingredients such as peptides, marine collagen, mustard sprout extract and light-reflecting pigments, along with peppermint and menthol oils that add an instant cooling sensation, contributing to the plumping effect. Finally, it gets high praise for its finish too. Most complaints about lip gloss are its stickiness, which gets caught in hair. Not this gloss. There are eight shades in the collection.
Bobbi Brown Luxe Shine Intense Lipstick in Bare Truth, $78
A makeup artist-founded brand, famous for creating natural, wearable makeup that enhances your features rather than concealing them. Since its launch in 1991, the brand has built a loyal following by focusing on skin-like finishes, flattering neutral shades, and easy-to-use products. I was swayed not only by the rosy colour but also by the luxe-y finish of this lipstick. Known for its creamy glide, the skincare-inspired formula includes hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, ideal for dry mature lips, and rather than being a trendy shade, it's one of those "your lips, but better" colours that I am reaching for again and again. There are seven shades in the range.
Peach Pink
Peachy pink lipsticks bring warmth to the complexion and help brighten dull or tired-looking skin. They're especially flattering on warm and neutral skin tones and pair perfectly with a natural makeup look. If you want your makeup to look effortless while still giving your face a healthy glow, this is the shade to choose.
NARS Afterglow Lip Balm in orgasm, $59
One of NARS’ most recognisable shades, a sheer peachy pink with a subtle golden shimmer, that was created to mimic the natural flush of healthy, youthful lips. It works across many skin tones and adds instant warmth and brightness to the face. Stacked with Monoi oil from tropical Tiaré flowers to offer long-lasting moisture. The shade is another “your lips but better” colour that appeals to people who prefer a fresh, youthful makeup style at any age. There are seven shades in the collection.
Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain, in Forever Pink, $76
Not only do you get a lip and cheek stain in one stick, but this clean beauty buy is also packed with nourishing plant extracts. Like olive, avocado, pumpkin seed, jojoba, and pomegranate seed oils, as well as blackberry, blueberry, and cranberry, white tea, rose flower wax, and vitamins C and E. But it’s the colour that will get you addicted. The formula adjusts to your own skin’s chemistry to reveal a shade that flatters your skin's natural undertone. This pink peach shade suits everyone; there are four shades in total.
Coral orange
Coral is the most uplifting colour, sitting somewhere between pink and orange; it energises the skin and makes your teeth appear whiter. This cheerful shade of red-orange has a naturally youthful effect and suits all skin tones from ivory to deep dark. Nothing says holiday skin like a buff of bronze shimmer on the cheeks, a strong, bold brow shape, and coral lips - summer or winter.
MAC Cosmetics Macximal Sleek Satin Lipstick, In Morange, $46
From a stain to a bold satin sheen, it’s the perfect true-to-shade orange colour on everyone, in my humble opinion. Although this orange can look intimidating in the tube, Morange is flattering in any finish; its golden undertones make it a timeless shade for anyone who wants their lipstick to make a statement, while the rest of thier makeup is barely there. There are 26 shades in this range.
Glossier Ultralip High Shine Lipstick with Hyaluronic Acid, In coupe, $44
A hybrid balm, tint and gloss all-in-one that comes in a convenient lipstick form.
This is also a multi-benefit beauty buy formulated with four different hyaluronic acid molecules, jojoba seed and meadowfoam seed oils to drench lips in moisture all day.
There are also nine shades to choose from.
Red
Red is one of the hardest lipstick shades to wear because it can bleed into fine lines, but when you find the right red and the right finish, it is incredibly flattering. Blue-based reds are especially flattering if your skin has cool or neutral undertones. A rose red (berry rose or muted cherry) is a softer alternative to a bright blue-based red, while a tomato and orange red adds warmth to the skin, instantly brightens the face, and helps teeth appear whiter. The right red hue on your lips will not age you; rather, it will become a timeless, elegant addition to your makeup bag. One tip: be wary of a matte red finish; it can make thin lips look even thinner. Opt for satin, cream, or a sheer gloss finish (these finishes reflect light and soften lines).
Pixi +Hydra LipTreat Tinted Chubby Stick Scarlet, $17
This is much more than a lip balm; it has epic staying power and great colour payoff: in a dense, opaque red with a sheer, warm cherry-red finish. The waxy formula stays put, and this shade can be applied sheer to let your natural lip colour show through. Or in layers to be a full-on red. And it fades away evenly rather than leaving a harsh outline. It’s also stacked with good-for-lips Shea and Mango seed butters, jojoba esters and vitamin E. All that for under $20. There are five shades in total.
Clarins Water Lip Stain 03 Red Water, $64
Lip stain is the perfect way to wear a bright colour with low commitment. As we age, lips thin and visible lines are inevitable, but it doesn’t mean you can’t wear a bright lip colour. This hydrating lip stain leaves a thin layer of colour that doesn’t bleed. It works well under a lip balm or with clear gloss on top. Apply two thin layers rather than one thick layer with this rich red to achieve a flushed lip look that lasts for hours. And did I mention, like all Clarins makeup, it is stacked with plant extracts like aloe vera, sea asparagus extracts and glycerin to soothe and hydrate. This Lip Stain is available in six gorgeous shades.
The take-home For Lip Colour
There are no rules with makeup, but certain lipstick shades are more likely to age your face if they're not balanced with the rest of your makeup. These include: Very dark brown, a frosted purple or frosted hot pink, a yellow-toned nude, and pale beige lipstick that is lighter than your natural lip colour. These colours can make lips appear smaller and the complexion less vibrant. With that in mind, the easiest way to choose a flattering lipstick is to find a shade that's one or two tones deeper than your natural lip colour. This enhances your lips without looking dramatic and creates the illusion of a fuller, more youthful smile.
For on-the-go coverage.