Get typed by me: merriamstyle.c... merriamstyle.c... merriamstyle.c... Why you should never dress for your hourglass: • Why you should NEVER d... Find your bone structure: • What's Your Bone Struc... • THE BONE STRUCTURE TES...
I just tried a red lip once (68) and it overwhelmed my coloring so much - it entered the room an hour before I did, so I never tried red again. Soft and light coloring here.
It is about contrast. If you are muted you will have a harder time pulling off red ♥️ classic bright red or true red. Burgundy is better. It's because she is muted, and less to do with bone structure.the reason Kiera looks best with a red lip if her brows and eyes are both more bold is because it evenly distributes the high contrast on her face.
I think this is very much me! I do have a cool and delicate olive undertone which is the primary influence, but I think because I have slightly structured features, I can do a red lip with the right brow and eye makeup. That said, it is still a very bold look that doesn't really make sense in my everyday life. When I finally leaned into more of a burgundy shade for a wedding I went to recently, I was floored by how effortlessly sensual it looked!
BRILLIANT! I have almond shaped eyes, a strong square jawline, and less full lips. I've never looked my best in red lips 🚫💋 and I never knew why! Thank you for solving this mystery!
@@jiitkha Good to know, thank you! I am very fair and cool and so will be careful. A few of the lip shades appear to have a lot of blue in them but I’ll make sure it’s extra blued out before ordering.
Oh thank you!! Been looking for something exactly like that!! Warm & delicate coloring here so most things look “okay, but off” 😂 I just wanna find my colors.
Try doing a darker liner. So like, step by step: 1.) Line with brown or black 2.) Blend inward 3.) Add red on to the blank parts of your lips 4.) Blend 5.) Finish with gloss or setting powder or whatever you prefer, just set whatever finish you prefer.
@@divinityomine6935 I don't like the red-black or red-dark brown combination but I love using lipliner with pink. Is it possible to lipline with a darker red?
Also once I tried to get a more muted lipstick, and I looked like a corpse. It also could have been that it was too cool for me, even though I thought it was warm.
I have never felt good in a bright red lip. Now I know why. I have the same face shape as the woman you showed first. My 40 something year old daughter, who rarely ever wears makeup, but when she she wears red lipstick she looks shockingly beautiful. She has a heart shaped face with rounder big eyes, where I have more of an almond shape. 😍
I also think Keira pulled off the last red lip because her lips don't look as angular, thus not bringing more attention to her sharp features. The lips are overdrawn and the red lip is glossy... to me it makes a world of a difference
YES! exactly this. SC looks great with some fresh colors. I had a client who was told to wear darker colors but in the end, her body type opened up pastels and brighter colors for her and she looks lovely in them.
I finally understand why I don't suit a smoky eye. I'm a bevelled soft with typical features of my type. But I can wear a red lip in my coral red, which is my usual look with the soft eye makeup you recommend. Thanks!
I like the red lip style because I look at it as the effortless way to instantly look good and feel good, and I think everyone kind of thinks the same, like they know it's not as hard as doing a very complicated hairstyle or wearing uncomfortable high heels.
I'd like to point out that the last photo of Keira i.e. with great red lips is also the only one where she wears her hair up. It ads to a ballance Merriam was talking about, which is actually tricky: bolder brows and eyes removing weight from the the upper part + hair up adding some weight around the face or removing weight from the bottom. I see the problem with hair down as a huge thing for the rest of the photos cause it does several things at once: 1) elongates her face, 2) adds weight to the lower part, 3) adds break to her shoulders and thus alters shoulder proportions. But I totally aggree that freezy hair and being not put together are of great importance. I wish i could see Keira with the bold eyes and brows plus sleek waves moved to one side to help the bone structure and frizz, to be a test if her hair down red lip look improves that way. Thank you Merriam, I've been enjoying your unique content and your voice, and tone a lot!
That's a very cool analysis... thank you 💛 Funny because at some point in the fashion trends it was popular to have a bold lip and almost no eye makeup, or a bold eye makeup and no lip, but it really seems that success is always about balance ! The eye area and the lips sustain each other and create more harmony in the overall look...
Thank you, thank you!! Just to hear a stylist say it’s ok to NOT wear a red lip is so freeing. I just knew something was wrong with me b/c I could never pull it off. I’m a TR (so I figured I had to find a way to wear a red lip) but a dark autumn and a brown lip suits me so much better. ❤
Interesting. Certainly true for me. I'm a flamboyant natural with a very yang dominant face. I'm attractive, but there's nothing round/fleshy or delicate/pretty about me. I have never worn full on red lipstick, because I always felt it looked odly out of place on me. Well, also because almost no one wears a red lip in Germany, so you do really stand out. What does suit me, are semi transparent shades. The options are very limited, because I'm also a winter, so cool toned shades are a must. Clinique used to make my 'holy grail', the 'sheer lip colour + primer' in the color 'licorice'. A beautiful dark, but not too dark berry tone, that was slightly transparent and had a nice, subtle sheen. Sadly, they discontinued that one and I haven't been able, to find an adequate replacement yet.
I’m blended soft/soft classic and also cool & delicate. I have been looking in vain for a cool red vegan lipstick that is also SOFT red (clear red is too much for me) and also not too dark! If anyone has any recommendations I would be so grateful! Also, thank you Merriam for the work you put into your videos and for sharing your wisdom!
I am also cool and delicate and found a couple of shades from Saie (Modern and Dada) that are very close to my best color to date, which was Sephora lip stories Labyrinth. I don't know if it's vegan specifically, but it has clean ingredients and good ratings on Sephora's site. Haven't tried it myself yet, but again, compared it with my old favorite and they are very close :) Edit: These are closer to burgundy, but when I wore Labyrinth to a wedding wearing a delicate gold necklace and a cocoa-brown dress, it all looked quite elegant and alluring!
Thank you - I really appreciate your recommendations, and Modern looks very promising! Even if it’s a bit closer to burgundy it MAY still look reddish on me. Failing that, it’s still a great new lipstick shade vetted by a fellow cool & delicate! :)
I have almond eyes and a lot of sharp features. I love the idea of the Persian red lip look. But i also kind of like making other people a little uncomfort with my style. Trying to break that sort of childish habit 🤦♀️ I look forward one day to purchasing your services so i can make more visual sense and break rules more intentionally. Gonna keep finding reasons to wear my fav red lipstick and "make it work" anyway in the meantime 😊
well, i feel like i really can't pull off either. I'm a "beveled" body type, with eyes and lips on the smaller side and i have already gave up on the more traditional "glam" looks, they make me look old.
Check out "Style me Jenn". She has a video on the third type, who cannot do either bold eyes or bold lips. Best glam look for them is to focus on the skin. So contouring, bronzing, rosy cheeks etc. Renee Zellweger is an example!
Exactly the same for me, I cannot do bold eye or bold lip, I also cannot do matte or glossy lips or skin, it has to be right in between. I'm also more beveled.
You have to have the right red for your skin tone. My red has to be dark and brown-based, not blue-based, as a deep fall. After I figured that out, the red lip is one of my go to looks. (I'm a romantic Kibbie body type.) It does feel very Parisian. And it makes me look and feel put together. The rest of my makeup is pretty minimal, esp. the eyes since I have hooded lids and do not know how to put on proper makeup in that area.
The only shade of red lipstick that was recommended for me when I was looking for red lipstick was a true red shade that goes on wet and dries matt. I look younger than my age, my face might be a round shape with soft features and small bow shaped lips. I have very long slightly wavy dark hair too.
Thank you for this video. I think we consider red bc historically there weren't a lot of mainstream cosmetics so we replicated our mothers and think it is classic. After I saw the visual comparison I saw why it doesn't do me any favors. I thought it was the value of the color that I couldn't get right. Now I feel confident to move onto a different color.
I like a red lip, my body shape has changed since becoming paraplegic but I'm aiming to get kind of sharpish again. Actually I've mo idea what my type is now :( but yes I love a red lip I've full lips...it takes work to make it right and other makeup is played down. I like the contrast of say a black outfit, neutral barely there cheeks and eyes and red lip, is modern and sharp.
Girl I love you. This is the most wonderful info about my lip issues. Omg. Dramatic smokey eyes are perfect on me. Red anything on my lips are horrible on me. I never knew why. I discovered lip liners and natural shades of gloss and that has been working wonders for me. I can even use a concealer on my lips and that looks better than any red I've ever tried. Actually, a plum/purplish eyeliner I got works wonders as a lip liner for me. Gosh, I knew there was science behind why I could never go to the lipstick aisle and grab traditional colors. I wear glasses, so the more dramatic my eye makeup is, the better I feel. I love the why!
Keira looks to me like a Summer in 12 season system that s why that doll like aesthetic with pastels looks absolute gorg on her rather than the heavy make up. Honestly I am not so sure if she should opt for a bold lip or a bold make up in general in order to really achieve an okay look but at the other side of the spectrum she could just slap some muted pink/ purplish pink lip and call it a day very easily.
I am the very opposite, love how a red lip looks with my features, but can’t pull off a smokey eye or a nude lip. I would love to see a video about that. Especially with tips on how to make a version of that 60s all about eyes, cute neutral lip look work better on a soft (red lip wanting) face.
Wow. Very interesting and seems pretty spot on too. I can slay a red lip, but I’ve never thought I looked that great in a smoky eye, despite my almond eyes. Overall, my features are soft.
A super interesting video 😊! As a Sharpenned Soft, I think i can pull off a red lip well, but i need some bolder eye makeup with it. I really cant do a red lip with minimal makeup elsewhere.
I agree! In addition, contrast, saturation and value plays a huge role. I am a soft classic. My essence is primarily ingenue with romance being my secondary essence. Basically, I have all of the features that would make me an ideal candidate for red lips, yet red lips are a hit or miss for me. There are 4 reasons why. 1) I am classic. Even though classics look good in red, classics don't always do well with things that pop. A lot of red colors pop against my skin. 2) I am warm and muted. Most red shades aren't muted enough for my skin, so it pops on me. 3) I am dark. My darker skin makes it so that red lips pop more, and since I am muted and a classic it clashes with me. 4) I am low/medium contrast. I have dark skin similar to Gabrielle Union. My hair and eyes are dark brown, but light enough you can see the brown. They are similar to my skin color. Anything bright can clash against my lower contrast levels. Don't get me wrong. I can pull off red lips very well, but I need a specific type of red. I need it to be warm, dark and muted. Something like a maroon, or brick red color. They look amazing on me.
I’ve ALWAYS wanted to wear a red lip, but have never had the courage. Thinking maybe I can pull it off, from what I’m hearing. Now I have to figure out - warm or cool red? The struggle is real.
I will say I have a soft looking face with round eyes, and what I think looks good on me are de blotted, warm reds. I just can't pull out a strong, define red at all 😅
Great video! I have Audrey Tantou's olive coloring & bolder brow but Kiera Knightly's bone structure (very flat planar forehead and cheeks, almond deepset eyes, almost no cheek apple even when smiling, stronger jawline and chin). IMO I can wear a smoky eye with no other makeup and look just fine, but if I attempt to wear a red lip and no other makeup, I look like I forgot to wear the rest of my makeup lol. Somehow a red or bold lip calls attention to imperfections of the face ( it makes my dark circles and lip corner pigmentation look 10x darker) but a bold eye pulls focus from imperfections in other areas of the face, at least on me.
I had the suspicion that Yang = all out on the eyes Yin = lips cause when I've done eye makeup my lips seem underdressed or like the visual weight is off. I guess large eyes are the makeup so to speak.
This is so true for me. Smoky eyes look like someone punched me in the face 😂 on the other hand, i can easily wear a red lip, and often wear red lipstick to work. Only other makeup i add is 2 coats of mascara and some powder to control my shiny-ass face! And am good to go. It makes me look polished with minimal effort, the red lip makes it look like i put in some effort but not too overpowering either.
Thank you for this explanation! Red lips have never worked for me and this makes perfect sense as to why it does not! And I’m not feeling badly about it either!
Interesting! Im romantic and bright and I can wear any red lipstick under the sun, so I always wondered what temperature do I really have, specially if no other make up I still look like fully make up, is my trick when I have an important video call and feel lazy, red lips, clean face, and sleek bun (with water😅) , I have all the characteristics you mentioned..
I like to wear red lipstick when I wear red or a full-black outfit that kinda takes away from my face otherwise. I have a roundish face and soft features with not a very strong jawline, so it's not a daily look for me, I prefer to just wear a small cat eye and light nude eyeshadows on the regular.
Did anyone else notice that in many of these photos, Kiera Knightly's mouth is a similar size and shape as one of her eyes? Maybe that's another reason a red lip doesn't work on her. Her mouth looks like a third eye, and competes visually with her real eyes. Maybe a red lip looks better on someone whose mouth/ lip shape is more differentiated from the shape and size of their eyes? For example, Taylor Swift and Gwen Stefani are known for looking great with red lipstick, and the shape and proportions of their eyes to their mouth seem more differentiated.
I think the issue with Kiera is also that she's a muted color type, typical autumn in the seasonal colors system, and has a lot of "weight" in her lower face, her midface is quite short, which a red lip brings attention to. I'm also bottom heavy in my face, but in the very softer end of the spectrum and I can't pull of red or bolder lip colors either. I do best with something muted, with makeup that emphasize my eyes and brows, to add visual weight and bring attention to the upper half of my face instead.
Holy schnitzels. I do have sharp features. And I do always find it weird when I have a red lip (although I tried one for my profile pic). It always looks harsh and too intense on me. I know why now.
I'm a winter and am told to wear bright gold lips. But I honestly they don't suit me at all. I look like a clown. Much prefer mauves and burgundies. My favorite is rose. I'm told I resemble Anne Hathaway but have gotten Kierra Knightly before too. Also every red lipstick in existence looks hot pink on me I never get a true red.
Ah! I'm only just over a minute in but you're articulating something important! I am a more sharp type too: strong cheekbones, upturned eyes, small lips and no cheeks... the lack of roundness and softness makes it hard for me to pull this off as well.
Red lips are both classic and sexy. It's a beautiful look. That's why I like to wear it (or close to it) at times. I also think I'm a soft classic, but I'm new to Kibbe, so that's just my best guess. I do know I'm a true summer/cool summer with medium contrast blues and pinks being my best look. I tend to like bright rose lips as opposed to a true, deep red.
what about red lipstick for the soft color seaons? my facial features are very soft but due to being a soft summer i feel easily overwhelmed by a red lip..
I like to wear a red lip because it's the fastest way to brighten up my face. I don't have any softness on my face. I like matte warm reds. The worst possible red for me is a cool red glossy lip. I'm a light-medium olive.
This is so true! I know that a red lip doesn't suit me and have been thinking it is because my mouth is small with narrow lips. Emphasize on my eyes look good, though. I'm yang dominant fir sure, probably DC or D, and your explanations make a lot of sense.
The major difference between a woman's natural face and a male face is contrast. Women have contrast. A red lip is a strong signal to be female. Older women loose contrast which makes them look more and more masculine.
Because red lipstick is considered as classic....just as black and white for clothes...and that doesn t suit me either ...I am a TR with a cool, dark summer-winter mix as far as colours go
I know that Audrey Tautou is a cool, pale olive radiant skintone and she might have a problem with certain colours looking dull on her, like the picture you showed of her. And I know this because I have the same skintone. Wouldn't she need more vibrant bright makeup colours, like a red or fuschia on her lips & cheeks? I really would like to know because I struggle with more toned-down colours making me look dull. Thanks, Merriam. I really enjoy all of your videos.
she's some kind of mixed/gamine so in that sense she does need some more dynamic colors to her make up. she also could do a brighter lip tint, as well as brighter cheeks, but the focus should still be on her eyes and brows in terms of her make up for the most effortless look. it's not that she can't do a bright red lip Audrey Hepburn of course often did, but she did it with a bold brow and bold eye make up. So in short, if you feel you need brighter colors, then go for it. Just avoid sparkle or an overly dewy look. A natural finish will work well, as well as slightly matte (doesn't have to be completely matte, just avoid an overuse of sparkle). Some brighter colors if you look dull will also work well (probably a cool and radiant thing in that case). What's your body type? If you are even soft gamine, you may need brighter colors to not look dull or weighed down. Anyone with softness needs some brighter colors or softer colors or dewiness and really struggles with an all neutral and matte make up look regardless of skin undertone.
@@merriamstyleThanks for explaining, Merriam. I'm a theatrical romantic which I think is a romantic/mixed and I do have softer features with some sharpness. I have the same skintone like Audrey and I find if I don't use brighter, fresher colours in my makeup, I would look dull and fade away. If I wore NO makeup, people definitely would ask me if I was feeling ok or if I was sick.
To be quite honest I don't think that any woman wears a red lip to look natural. She wears it to make a statement. That's my personal opinion, of course. I am a woman who wears deep and bright colored lipsticks almost every day, because I have dark hair and eyes and comparatively pale skin, so if I wear a nude lipstick I just look washed out and I'll.
maybe. as SN you will look good with a red lip, although if you are a dynamic contrast level, and your lips are naturally not as red, it may look disconnected to wear a red lip from another perspective that I didn't cover in this video (maybe I should make a follow up!)
@@merriamstyle for people ( asking for myself) who have done the full report and want to go deeper are you offering additional styling assistance options? I was going to look into a fuschia lip instead of a red lip because it’s my cool color palette
I'm a light spring with a soft classic face. I can't seem to pull off a classic red lip (in my color season) or a smokey eye. I want to do both, but nothing seems to work. It's frustrating.
TBH, l wear a bold red rarely. But magenta, of all colors, works well in its place. Oh, BTW, for some, a bold red lip, like a white pantsuit, has political meaning.
Hi Merriam- I clicked so fast (as I always do on your videos). Great topic and viewpoint! Question for you: I am FG with an ethereal essence. A bold red lip does look pretty harmonious on me, at least I think, though it definitely stands out. (I do have a sharp nose but soft bow lips and slightly almond eyes). Does an ethereal essence preclude a bold red lip? Thank you !
Hi Merriam! I have a very wide nose, is this a yang feature? I have a very hard time wearing bold lipsticks even if they are matte, I always thought I was on the rounded type because I have very round prominent eyes but Im reconsidering it.
she has soft features as well. soft features generally means you can do a red lip. it's not generally the presence of sharp features alone, but rather the absence of soft features.
You voice was so whisper low in volume that I had to turn it up all the way but then could hear the hum of the room and the thump when you hit the laptop. Couldn't get through more than a couple of minutes. (and I'm wearing headphones which usually hear voices great)
Wow Merriam, you're genius I have a question I'm bright winter romantic and red looks great on me colorweis but it seems like it doesnt look completely right on me because my lips are small/moderate and maybe my jaw looks kind of saggy (?) Can wearing red lip not work for me because of the size of my lips and the shape of my jaw?
I would have to see. what you may try is going for a softer red lip, and also to not go for very severe and precisely lined lips, but more of a red lip tint. I would also recommend watching some of Lisa Eldridge's videos (she has a video about how to avoid 'sad lips'), and also watch some videos in general on how to apply red lip color. Sometimes you can line the slight outer lip line instead of the inner lip line which gives a completely natural look with slightly bigger lips but without that overlined look.
