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Let's talk about red

Keix

Veteran

I realized today, on the first wear of my new J.Crew sleeveless tunic sweater, that there's a particular shade of red I really love. I never expect to love it, but when I put it on my body it seems to make my face glow.

The two Finds linked below were purchased 2 years apart from J.Crew, both on a whim, and I only discovered thanks to detailed wardrobe records that they're the same "color code" (dark poppy)--years apart, one from Factory and the other at retail, no less.

I know there are many shades of red and I'm not entirely sure how to determine the undertone (orange-based or blue-based, like lipstick, right?). I have a classic red lipstick from Make Up For Ever that I pull out for evening parties, and it was described to me by the Sephora SA as neither orange nor blue-based... so maybe I'm looking for the elusive balanced, true red.

Tell me about your experiences with red!

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Sleeveless tunic sweater

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Factory merino Charley sweater

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Dressing

20 replies

Latest reply was from Style Fan

always trying

Veteran

i think burgandy is a blue red, brick red is sort of a brown red, some reds are orangy, and then there are the more purpley that have more blue than burgundy and lean towards more wine. and there are the more true reds ilke your sweater. This is probably what Angie calls tomato red. I sometimes call it Christmas red.

I have very little red in my wardrobe. Best one is a big sparkly red asymetrical sweater I bought last year for holiday party. like you, I had not been a red fan, but now am liking it on me a lot. Also loving red shoes, and am hunting now for just the right ones.

Miss Eleanor

Well, why the Sephora makeup artist suggested you go for a not-blue and not-orange lipstick is probably because you have more of a neutral undertone! However, you can always test this yourself.

If you look in the mirror, what looks best - gold or silver jewellry? It's usually pretty obvious what makes you look "better". Silver is obviously more cool toned and gold warm. You can also look at the veins on your underarm, are they very obvious blue or are they more of a green tone? Again. Blue is cool - a slight green hue is warm toned.

Reds are always SO difficult and I feel like a lot of items are usually quite warm toned. I know that I have a blouse that just looks awful on me when pale, but when I put on self tan - it makes me glow, just like you described! If you compare two reds next to each other it will be quite obvious which is which. I think try these two techniques to determine your undertone, and if you can't really figure it out - you probably have a very neutral tone to your skin which means, you will either look good in both (usually neutral toned people can pull it off) but maybe also look at your hair if you find that you are neutral. Is it warm or cool? That might help you decide which shade of red to chose

Staysfit

Veteran

I have struggled with red. I do better with pink toned reds, maybe that would be bluish reds? I have purchased many red items that end up unworn. It's the hardest color for me to get right and feel fab wearing. Fuschia on the other hand, and coral tend to be spot on every time.

Diana

Veteran

So this may sound odd, but I have a friend who calls this color the "kitchen aid mixer red" (which the kitchenaid website tells me is "candy apple red"). I agree it is basically the ideal true red. (Wikipedia says candy apple red has the RGB coordinates: 255 8 0 which is pretty darn close to a "pure" 255 0 0 red.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.....ed_(color)

Anyway, geekiness aside, I also love this color red (unsurprising as I think we've already determined that we have similar coloring) and find it surprisingly hard to find, at least in clothing (it seems popular for appliances and sports cars!). I also like a more blue-toned red, like a cherry color, and I can wear tomato fine but it doesn't make my heart sing the way true reds or bluer reds do. I do not like brick reds (red with brown undertones) as I find them too muddy, although weirdly they work on me for lip color (but this could just be my weird child-of-the-90s love for brown lipstick, lol).

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Keix

Veteran

I love burgundy and really struggle with brick red--I have a blouse in the latter color, actually, which I've only worn once in a year despite adoring the fabric and cut.

Miss Eleanor: Do warm undertones look best with warm colors, and cool with cool? Or do opposites attract? I can identify obviously warm and cool colors but with skintone I am more confused. I have always thought that I have a warm undertone because I was color-matched to MAC NC30 (yellow base) and, well, I have a classic, non-porcelain, easily tanned Asian complexion. My veins are greenish and the skin of my underarm is quite yellow compared to my pasty Caucasian SO.

BUT--I have always gravitated towards silver over gold. I added a few gold and brass jewelry pieces in recent years and like how most all metals look on me. In the mirror, it's not at all obvious which metal color is more "flattering." Does that mean I'm neutral-toned?

My hair is quite black. I also haven't figured out the trick of identifying "warm" black vs. "cool" black, please help if you know!

Amei Sleeveless Top

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Keix

Veteran

Diana, you are cracking me up and are so right. It is definitely a more popular color for stand mixers and sports cars

I like my one brick-red blouse as a standalone piece against my face, which makes me think it must be rescueable. But it may be that the rest of my wardrobe is built around different tones--since I so rarely buy brownish colors--so nothing much besides black, white, or denim seems to "go."

Tanya

Veteran

This strikes me as a true red, neither cool nor warm, and maybe just a tad darker and more muted in your photo than on the Kitchen Aid. As a cool toned person I have to stick to blue based reds, and can occasionally get away with true red if there is some skin shown too.

Cococat

Veteran

I have recently become very excited about red and I'm trying to add a few pieces to my wardrobe. I call the red that is neither cool nor warm, clear red. We used that term when I trained as a makeup artist years ago. Clear red lipstick was a beautiful rich red lipstick that suited most people. If you google clear red, the colour comes up.

So far I've found red pants in clear red, but I'm also after a dress.

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LaPed

Veteran

I have found that JCrew is one of the few places that regularly offers items in true reds and cool reds. I bought their mid-weight striped boatneck top last spring because I've been looking for *ages* for a red and white breton top that doesn't skew towards orange and ivory, which are not good colors on me. Finding a striped top in real "winter" red and white was such a HEWI for me, I would've paid full price and then some.

I'd say the dark poppy color you show above has a good deal less yellow/orange than the tomato red that Angie loves, but a smidge less blue than the Kitchenaid Candy Apple Diana linked above (I *love* that color, and actually have a bunch of Kitchenaid accessories in it!).

celia

Veteran

I find that for me red works best on the extremes, either brick red or cherry red ( a blue based red). It is very difficult to find your perfect red no matter what it is.

Miss Eleanor

Miss Eleanor: Do warm undertones look best with warm colors, and cool with cool? Or do opposites attract? I can identify obviously warm and cool colors but with skintone I am more confused. I have always thought that I have a warm undertone because I was color-matched to MAC NC30 (yellow base) and, well, I have a classic, non-porcelain, easily tanned Asian complexion. My veins are greenish and the skin of my underarm is quite yellow compared to my pasty Caucasian SO. BUT--I have always gravitated towards silver over gold. I added a few gold and brass jewelry pieces in recent years and like how most all metals look on me. In the mirror, it's not at all obvious which metal color is more "flattering." Does that mean I'm neutral-toned?My hair is quite black. I also haven't figured out the trick of identifying "warm" black vs. "cool" black, please help if you know!

YES, Warm goes with warm. For instance it usually looks better with golden locks on a tanned complexion, than for instance a platinum blonde - because it is a cool tone so it doesn't really mix "seamlessly"
I Use NC25 actually and I am kind of neutral but leaning more towards the yellow so I usually tend to go for warmer tones as I also do fake tan which brings out even more "warmth" in my skin.
I used to have very pale complexion with a brown "cool hair", so usually opted for silver as everyone just said it was flattering. Back then I didn't really know about all of the tricks. Now I opt for gold, I don't know why, to me it just looks better now that I am a blonde. I have tried the cool toned blonde hair and it just looks odd compared to my tanned complexion.

SEE DIFFERENCE HERE http://ghk.h-cdn.co/assets/15/.....se-withers

https://www.google.se/search?q.....h&

I would lie if I told you that I knew if there is such a thing as "cool" or "warm" black hair. I would however think from the description you are quite neutral. My brothers girlfriend sound very similar to your description look wise, and she is quite neutral, with slight hints of yellow. I think it's much easier to determine whether you are warm or cool toned hair if you are blonde or brunette but if you feel like you can wear either colors and it looks good - you are probably more neutral.
I would actually go and find a true red. Something that is not obvious and work from there, compare it all and whatever you feel makes you "pop" - is your calling!

Keix

Veteran

Ah, that's so interesting, Miss Eleanor. I was struck by this particular cool vs. warm photo comparison, both women of color: http://ghk.h-cdn.co/assets/15/.....longoria.j

I totally wouldn't have pegged the left photo as "cool"!

Separately, I started reading about color analysis and I think I'm closest to a Deep Winter. Many of the Deep Autumn colors are just terrible on me and conversely I can wear really saturated colors like magenta or true red.

Thistle

Veteran

I love red.

Red hates me.

Very sad, really. But there it is. I can wear pinks, but not red. I think it's just too bright for my pale coloring.

Keix

Veteran

Aww Thistle! Have you tried darker reds too, like burgundy or brick? But pink is just as much of a red as brick is, in my book--just a lighter version of the color.

unfrumped

Veteran

I also think of that as a kind of " true red", though even that varies. Agree it it is not really tomato red, which is warmer. Beautiful classic color for those who can wear it. I like to see it with maybe less common color combos, for a fresh look.

Diana

Veteran

FWIW, I think I'm fairly neutral toned and I can wear pretty much all shades of red (even brick - to clarify my earlier statement, it's not so much that the color looks bad on me, but more that I just don't like brown). Two things that skew this for me are tanning and hair color. In the summer when I'm more tan, warmer tomato reds look better, and in the winter, when I'm paler, the cooler cherry reds look better. I also freckle when I tan and the freckles are definitely warm/brown, which probably contributes to this effect.

Similarly, my current hair color (a violet/burgundy tone) is a lot cooler than the auburn red I used to do a long time ago. And when I switched to the violet I definitely noticed that deep winter colors suddenly started looking better than deep autumn colors although there is still a good deal of crossover.

The true red works for both warm and cool IMO as long as you are not super warm or super cool.

Keix

Veteran

Thanks Diana! I agree that we have pretty similar coloring so your insights are extra helpful. I am planning to dye my hair partially teal in a month or so, which may also alter my color perceptions (probably further towards cool as my summer tan fades too).

Gigi

Veteran

Finding the right shade of red for me is very hard. When I had my makeup done by a makeup artist, she put me in a neutral foundation with the possibility of wearing one step warmer. I find that both silver and gold look good on me, though gold looks a touch better. When it comes to reds, I feel like I often look either sick or overpowered; it's very difficult to find the right shade. I finally found a red lipstick that seems to be neutral and not tipped toward either end of the spectrum, and that is the only red lippie I've found that looks good on me. Reds are tough!

Joy

Veteran

Best reds (or any color) can change as you get older. I was a neutral red, then deep red, now red-orange tomato or a coral red. It's a journey.

Style Fan

Veteran

The best red for me is one that has an orange or warm base. I don't wear a lot of red but I do like it. My wedding dress was red. I have a warm skin tone. (Warm Autumn in the Colour Analysis System)