how to rock | orange lips

March 8, 2010

Orange lips are everywhere right now, and though I was a little skeptical at first, I kind of love this one. The thing is – it’s a bit tricky to pull off. Fortunately, I got to try an orange glaze for a site that I review for, so it was kind of a risk-free experiment in trend-chasing. The shade is fairly subtle on me (please excuse my scary-giant eyes), but it’s nice and shiny. Here are a few tips for the not-so-faint of heart:
  • If you’re pale (à la yours truly), stick with a sheer, glossy orange – maybe a coral or peachier shade.
  • If you’re olive or dark-complected, you can go all out and sport an intense, rich true orange, even in a more matte shade.
  • Stick with shades that match your skin’s undertones. A good tip I read somewhere – look at the underside of your forearm. If your veins appear bluish, you have cool undertones. If they appear greenish, you have warm undertones.
  • An orange with a hint of red is more universally flattering, and it’s a bit less ‘shocking.’
  • Just like with a red lip, keep the rest of your makeup fairly neutral. I just did a smudge of liner and mascara with a pale peach blush.

What do you guys think of this spring trend? Is orange the new bold red lip? Is it too much? Are you willing to give it a try?

28 comments

  3. this is great! I definitely went on the search last week for orange lipstick the one I wanted is called vegas volt. Of course mac was sold out so I got a Chanel one Palma 72 just as good kind of dull for my complexion though… If I would’ve read your blog post first, I would’ve opted for the bright, bright color!

  5. I’m a little skiddish to try orange, which is ironic because I love wearing bold red.

    Hmm, should I give it a whirl? It does look like a sweet shade, especially for spring.

  6. i do bold red and bright neon lips all of the time and now i can’t wait to rock super-duper orange for spring! thanks for the tips!

  7. I’m searching for the proper orangy shade, already covered on the hot pink and red fronts, would like it glossy as the Prada ads

  8. after seeing erin wasson sporting the look on the cover of the j. crew catalog, i ran right out and bought the nars shade that jenna lyons recommended: heat wave. it’s a kind of orangey-red that looks so fresh for spring. thanks for the ideas on how to wear it…you’re inspiring me to go wash off my purple eyeshadow and re-do my look right now 🙂

  9. I was actually considering doing this the other day, I had no idea it was going to be “in”. I think its cute and needs to be experimented with!

  11. I’m not so sure about orange lips on myself, but, you rock the orange lips!

  12. it looks beautiful on you, but you probably make everything look beautiful;}
    i have red hair and don’t think that it would all work out, so i don’t think that i will try it, but i love the look;}

  13. Beautiful for spring I think! I’d like to try it in a gloss first… possibly because I have a lipgloss addiction! It looks gorgeous on you x

  14. I like Fyrinnae in Meloncholy for a more coral orange (shimmery but opaque) and I love Lipstick Queen China Town Gloss Pencil in Genre for sheer but very intense tangerine orange. Also surprisingly wearable is Clinique Butter Shine in Nectar, which is in between the other two in terms of color intensity and coverage. Can you tell I’m a long time fan of orange lipstick?

  17. Last Halloween I tested around 5 red colors to find the perfect one for my costume, and I ended up with one that I thought I would never wear. But now, after seeing this post, I might change my mind. It’s a bit orange-y, and I’m not sure about it. I think I’ll give it a try though!

  19. I like the trend, I actually started looking for the perfect orange a couple of months ago so now I’m glad it’s in style!

  20. thanks for sharing. what an interesting post, very acknowledging, too. i have olive skin, so i think the orange worn by rihanna would be perfect for me.
    you look pretty in that picture, Lindsay. orange is for you!

  21. I’m not a huge makeup trend gal…in fact I probably get stuck in a rut when it comes to makeup but I’m kind of digging this one…I may need to try this

  22. I pretty much have no idea about makeup trends…but I really like this one! The gentle orange tint to yours is very becoming. Orange happens to be one of my favorite colors in general, so why shouldn’t we put it on out lips!

    Beautiful photo by the way. Your eyes look positively gorgeous.

  23. I’ve done coral. I admit I’m not sure I’m balls-y enough to do full on orange, but… we shall see. I’m trying to get bolder with my fashion, so I hate to rule anything out. heh

  24. I’m pretty sure I’m ready to say that I LOVE it! Every single girl in every picture looks so great. Especially the girl at the very top! 😀 Beautifully fresh and young look. I’m ready to give it a try!

  25. honestly, i think your pic is the best example of orange lipstick in this whole post! these are great tips, thanks for sharing 8) orange is my fave color, tho i am not a lipstick wearer. i do follow fashion quite a lot tho, i might actually have to try it!

  26. Not loving the matte orange on the models. But I do love the orange gloss that you are sporting! Can you give us the color and brand or link to your review???

  27. I don’t wear lipstick, but I would try it if I did.

    Another thought, who would have known that some people have green veins? ew!

  28. That’s such a neat trick to figure out if you’re cool or warm tones. I’ve always loved orange lipstick!!

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