What do you like about orange lipstick? What don't you like?
Tell us what you love and hate about...
Orange Lipstick
I rarely find myself reaching for true orange lipsticks; I’m more likely to go for a copper hue or a coral, so something lighter and not as neon/intense as a true orange. Though I’ve had readers compliment me when wearing orange lipsticks, I just never gravitate toward them… it might have more to do with how bold/bright/intense my eye makeup is 90% of the time, though.
— Christine
I don’t like orange lipstick at all. It clashes with my colouring and looks very unflattering on me. The “orange-est” lipstick I have is MAC Impassioned and if I wear it twice a year, that’s a lot.
I love orange lipstick, but wish it looked better on me. The only one I can truly pull off is MAC Lady Danger because it’s more of a red-orange. I get compliments when I wear it.
The more orange the shade, the worse it looks on me. And orange-coral shades, like MAC Vegas Volt, look absolutely hideous on me.
I have yet to find a true orange lipstick that works on me… I think they look beautiful on medium/deep skintones though. The most orange I can get is Harvest liquid lip from Black Moon Cosmetics. It’s orange, but has the perfect undertone.
Funny you should ask; I’m wearing MAC Vegas Volt today! I love how it makes my blue eyes pop, and I have a few outfits (either close in shade or teal/aqua) that it looks perfect with, but I find if I don’t use a dark-ish nude liner, it tends to look almost photoshopped on. I also feel like I need a warm bronzer with it unless it’s the height of summer, and that’s a step I’d just as soon skip.
I used to love a pale peachy orange lipstick or an orange-red, MAC’s Lady Danger was always my go-to. I do think its hard to pull off true orange lipstick though. I’m medium/tan skin with slight darkness around my mouth and I feel like orange lipstick emphasizes that. I either have to color correct like nobodys business or where a brown lipliner with it. I do think orange lipsticks are beautiful though, just require too much work to pull off.
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I’m so mad, I used to love orange lipsticks, I loved how bright and lively they were without being pink. Then, two things happened. First, my hunt for the perfect orange lipstick was like trying to find a good matte purple eyeshadow, i.e. they’re all mostly super finicky or deeply flawed in one way or another. Second, once I did find a good formula that I liked, my best friend told me the orange reminded him of vomit. I gave up on orange lipstick after that.
I’m of the opinion that every color can look amazing in the right context and on the right complexion. So I like orange lipsticks on others or editorial looks? Yes, I do.
But oranges don’t look good on me, a true orange makes me look sick; corals are simply unflattering; coppers… maybe… I just don’t like orange for myself. MAC Chili is the most `orange` I can get, and I do love it, but on me looks more red than coral. Always when I see MAC Chili on Christine review I’m amazed how on her the brown and coral/orange hues are stronger, while on me it’s mostly red.
I so agree with your statement that every color can look amazing on the right complexion. I can’t and don’t wear orange. It wears me. It’s like only focusing on the frame, and not the painting. Not a good look.
Someone once told me how to tell if your lip color flatters your skin tone: Look directly at your eyes in the mirror. Then look down at your lips. Where do your eyes naturally gravitate to next? If they pull up and focus back on your eyes and want to stay there, then the lip color is flattering. However, if your eyes keep bouncing downward from your eyes to your lips, then the lip color is probably not flattering (and is wearing you).
Nice tip! When trying out new colors I usually go to cosmetic counters and swatch them on my lips. I try to try new colors 2-3 times in stores before deciding, because sometimes a color might look off because I’m not used to see myself in that color. It doesn’t happen that often, some colors look plain awful on me.
That would depend on the shade of orange! I know that orange-red like YSL Scout’s Red or MAC Lady Danger look awesome on me and really brighten up my face. True orange, MAC Morange, for instance, also look really good on me during warmer months. They make me look tan and glowy. Coppery tones from copper-red MAC Chili or Bite Hot Harissa to lighter metallic Estee Lauder Tigers Eye are also super flattering!
However, lighter or yellow orange lipsticks make me look sickly and jaundiced. Orange-browns also look hideous on me, too. Not a fan of anything more neon than MAC Morange or YSL Scout’s Red, either.
I LOVE Orange lipsticks! It’s my favorite shade of lipstick! No matter of the season, i wear It All year long! I own dozen of Orange lipsticks. The ‘problem’ Is that on my complexion, the colour doesen’t not really appear like a true Orange, even if in the tube or are Swatch It appears Orange. For example, on my face Mac morange appears a coral with a slightly Orange undertone, but definitely not pure Orange. Mac Vegas volt shows as pinkish Coral, not Orange at all. Lady danger, Dangerous and UD bang appears like warm Reds… All the above mentioned shades suits my complexion very well and are flattening, not bold or neon at all! But comparing with photo and swatches online on me they does are not true oranges as they appese to be on other people
I have a similar problem where a lot of oranges, especially those with any hint of red, just look totally red on me. Red and orange are my favorites, so I don’t mind, but it is still annoying.
I have given up trying to find an orange that looks good on me. Hard pass.
I appreciate how bright oranges can be, but they’re tough to wear. They tend to make my teeth look yellower and my skin look greener!
Red oranges of the Lady Danger hue are definitely among my favorite lip colors. They brighten my fair sallow skin and I get compliments. Corals on the other hand make me look green. Go figure. I have a few from Bite lipstick– Scorpio is probably the one I wear most. Reds that lean orange and warm reds are also good. I also love coppery- oranges. The Pat McGrath Electra and the Tom Ford Wild Ginger are my most worn warm-toned lipsticks. The only problem is that these lip colors are very statement-y and require a simpler eye look, like a gold or taupe. So if I am doing a more complex or vibrant look, say with greens, it’s too much, and I will go for a mid-toned nude.
I LOVE orange reds (MAC lipstick in Habanero – discontinued boo! -, Maybelline’s liquid lipstick in Dancer and such are really pretty) but I can’t pull off any true orange lippies like MAC Morange as it looks too weird, like I had duck face or something haha. Not a look I am going for!
I am a bit of a fan of orangey lipstick fan myself, but like you Christine, I tend to prefer the orange tones with a bronzey kind of hues rather than a straight up neon orange shade.
I have a few of them, with Foolish by Colour Pop my absolute favourite.
Genevieve, you have the perfect coloring , Beauty , for bronzey coppers , I admire it!
I love really bright oranges and red-oranges. I think they’re flattering on me and fun. I like that there is more variety of oranges available, so it’s easier than ever to find flattering ones.
I don’t like that they can accentuate the yellowness of my teeth, so I have to be careful, especially with lighter or more matte oranges. (I have clear enamel which shows the yellow dentin underneath, so whitening products won’t help.)
Yup, I have enamel issues myself or that’s what a dentist said. I had something done by that dentist long ago that might’ve weakened my enamel rather than strengthening it. I used to use brutal whitening products that felt like they were eating away at it. Sorry for your orange lip product struggles!
Sorry you have enamel issues, too, V. That’s awful that the dentist’s treatment made it worse.
Mine is from taking tetracycline a lot as a kid, for chronic kidney infections. I’d love to get veneers on front teeth, but the cost is prohibitive.
On my skin tone , orange , true orange brings up a muddy sallow tone . However. Admire it on someone with golden tan skin .i’m more inclined to reach for a coral that is more neutral or a golden rosy copper.
Interesting! “Do you like orange lipstick?” yet shade shown looks red and orange to me. Pumpkins, athletic uniforms, that’s orange. What’s light orange? A popsicle? These are trend colors like blue and green, the purvey of the young and the bold.
Ford’s Wild Ginger is my favorite ‘stick of all time on my dark/medium, super yellow-based, Caucasion skin. Not a face-hogger at all. My lips are highly pigmented, a factor that should be included in lipstick selection.
I never even look at orange lipstick. I have red hair and freckles and was always told growing up to wear orange lipsticks. They look horrible on me.
I don’t wear orange lipstick so I have no insight to offer. I do love them on other people and always wish I could pull it off but they just don’t work for me. I can get away with peach, some very light coral’s and that is about it.
Orange lipstick looks great on me, but I find that it can bring out the yellow in teeth which is why I don’t wear it as often.
I HATED orange lipstick with a passion for years because I thought it made me look like a clown. Then I started seeing it on other people and I gave it a try. I think I can only wear it with a brown lipliner.
Love orange lip colors! I’m obsessed with anything from peach to coral, to vibrant oranges or deeper orange-brown-nude tones. I’ve just always been drawn to them and find them flattering.
It’s actually tough to find lip liners without pink in it to match them. If you’ve ever tried to find a true orange or even just a peach liner you’d be surprised how many lean pink.
I’ve been drawn to oranges and orangey reds since the Lady Danger campaign. I had a long commitment to orange hair around then. When I found Melt Cosmetics I couldn’t stop wearing Bang Bang w/ MAC High Energy liner… Until my cat stole a new liner again. I haven’t solved that mystery yet. I‘m still drawn to corals and orangey glosses but I don’t feel confident wearing gorgeous bold orange lips anymore because I hate how aged (not white) my natural teeth look in pics. Whitening on my own always hurts like hell so thaaaanks orange lipsticks for tipping me off that I need a cosmetic dentist.
I love orange lipsticks! My typing teacher in 9th grade always wore bright orange lipstick, and it has always been something that I have loved. Red lips make me feel powerful, but orange lips just make me feel completely energized in a different way. That said, it can be a difficult color to pull off. Orange is probably the only shade of lipstick that I would say that one really needs a ton of confidence to pull off easily.
I absolutely love orange lips and have found a few that compliment my light skin. L’Oreal Orange Envy is my HG orange but I also like the MUFE orange acrylip. Peaches just do not work for me and reddish oranges always pull more red so a true orange is what works best. It took a long time to find the right one though but once you do, anyone can pull it off.
I love orange lipstick…It is one of my favorite colors and I probably own every shade there is and then some, lol. I have lipsticks in coral orange, bright neon/true orange, red-orange, and earthy brownish-orange or terracotta. I think it is a flattering color on me and really brightens up my face. The only oranges I don’t like are yellow-oranges, which don’t look very flattering on me. :/
I love orange, but I’m pretty critical (in the bad sense) about it. No pink in there (No timanfaya, blood orange, but yes to clementine, a redder orange.). Most importantly, cannot lean coral, as that looks wretched. Coppery oranges, yes. Pale oranges, yes, in a mono summer look, with that great yellow orange blush from Ofra. Mai Tai? There was a KVD metallic orange (halo or a go go) that looked garish. Must be satin, sometimes matte. All pumpkins or brown oranges are fine. I think it’s the red u/ts that make the pinkish/coral ones clash. Being an SLP, especially for artic clients, I always wanted people to focus on the lips, not eyes.
I love seeing it on other people! It inspires me to enjoy bolder lip colors.
I don’t go for true orange, but orange-reds and corals are the only type of red I can wear without feeling frumpy! There is something about the added brightness that elevates my look, especially a more natural one.
I’m neutral in undertone but prefer cooler looks for myself. Orange and anything leaning orange is thus the exact opposite of that. I do have some copper and orangey reds but I reach for them less often (I only own those because they were included in sets). Otherwise I do like a bright lip, just I prefer cool reds and raspberries and the like.
I like the idea of orange lipsticks, but they don’t work for me. I have very yellow/gold skin which actually has a nice “glow” to it and can sometimes almost seem lit from within because of the undertone, but something about orange pushes my undertone into the realm of sallow. Not a good look.
I agree, Christine. Orange lippies are a bit tough to wear, plus I think they tend to make the teeth look a bit yellow, unless one luckily has really white teeth.
I like everything about orange lipstick when it is opaque!
My favorites are:
Pat McGrath Obsessed! MatteTrance Lipstick
MAC Ravishly Rich Ultimate Lipstick
Urban Decay Bang Revolution and Vice Lipstick
Urban Decay Crash Revolution and Vice Lipstick
NARS Tatiana Audacious Lipstick
NARS Dominique Audacious Lipstick
Pat McGrath Apricult LuxeTrance Lipstick
MAC Augmented Reality Lipstick
NARS Timanfaya Satin Lip Pencil
NARS Iberico Velvet Matte Lip Pencil
And of all course the orange-reds!
I have big curly brunette hair, a pale, very pink cheeked face, and light green eyes with a ring of orange in them. Everyone always assumes I can’t wear warm colors, but I love them, and I always get compliments when I wear them on my face.
I do not like it when an orange lipstick is not quite opaque, or separates , or falls into lip lines and disappears with a short wear-time.
If a brand’s gonna go orange, Go Unapologetically ORANGE!!