Last Updated on February 10, 2026 by Eve Dawes
The prettiest universally flattering cruelty-free red lipsticks
8 best red lipsticks for all skin tones. Red lipsticks are so hit and miss but they’re so classic, iconic and instantly confidence boosting that it’s worth hunting down the right one. Whether it’s a matte or gloss, I love a festive scarlet or burgundy lipstick. I know a lot of you are looking for the best red lipstick right now to wear at holiday parties and in Winter. I’m like Goldilocks when it comes to lipstick shopping. Too orange, too pink, too drying, I took a long time to the perfect reds for me.
Red lipstick looks good on everyone and is such an easy way to add color and confidence. These cruelty free brands shades are my top picks for the best red lipsticks for all skin tones. As they check all of the boxes I look for when red lipstick shopping. Cruelty-free, long lasting, non-drying, make teeth look whiter and are universally flattering.
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What is the best red lipstick?
The best red lipstick is the one that makes you feel confident and that you love. If you don’t think you suit red, you just haven’t found the right one yet.
There’s a trick for how to find the best red lipstick for you, that will suit your coloring the most but that doesn’t mean you always have to follow the rules. I do a vein check with my clients at the lipstick lab.
If they have predominantly blue veins I recommend cool lipstick shades with blue undertones. If they have predominantly green veins I recommend warmer shades of red lipstick with more orange undertones. However, if they’re a mix of green and blue veins they’ll suit either.
However, rules are made to be broken and these are just suggestions for what’s going to be most flattering for your skin tones. If you love it, buy it, wear it regardless of your veins, skin or hair color.
Give a woman the right lipstick and she can conquer the World
The Best Red lipsticks from my favorite cruelty-free brands
Most of the best red lipstick guides are full of big makeup brand names that still test on animals. However, there really is no excuse for testing on animals. Which is why creating this cruelty-free best red lipstick guide was important to me. If you’re not sure which brands test on animals, you can quickly look up their name in this companies that test on animals directory by PETA. As sometimes even turning on the cruelty-free filter on sites isn’t always reliable e.g. on Sephora it still shows NARS who test on animals.
Shop the best cruelty-free red lipsticks
8 Best red lipsticks for all skin tones
In no particular order here are my top picks:
Fenty Beauty By Rihanna
Fenty Beauty By Rihanna Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Fluid Lip Color ‘Uncensored – perfect universal red’ $25. This has a gorgeous matte finish and was designed to be universally falttering for all skin tones. It’s also vegan and long-wearing.
Beauty Bakerie Matte Lip Whip $20.
These beautiful matte red lipsticks come in 3 shades of red. I’d recommend the cool red lipstick Mon Chéri for those with blue veins. Bowl Of Cherries for those with warm undertones and Cranberry Stiletto for those who want a crimson-raspberry dark red. Beauty Bakeries matte red lipstick is also smudge proof and waterproof as red lipstick is one of those colors that needs to be applied perfectly.
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick ‘Red Carpet Red’ $34.
I’ve collaborated a few times with Charlotte Tilbury this year, so have become really familiar with her brand. What I love about Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks is that although they’re matte, I find them non-drying and they’re also vegan. Although it’s quite a cool shade of red, I find that it’s universally flattering for all skin tones.
Rude Notorious Liquid Lip Color ‘Radical Red $6.68
This is basically tattoo for your lips as it lasts so long and the cheapest red lipstick on this list. This is the longest wearing red lipstick I’ve ever tried. It lasts me all day, though all 6 meals and a gallon of water and I still have to scrub it off at night. The trade off with a long lasting lipstick, is the longer wear it is, the more drying it will be due to the chemicals used to make it hold. You might need a lip scrub to remove this one but if you don’t like reapplying lipstick, this one’s for you.
Urban Decay
This is my go to brand for eyeshadow primers but they also have some really great shades of cruelty-free red lipstick. Color 714 is perfect for cooler undertones, The Big One has warm undertones and Elote is for those who want a bright coral red.
Dawes Custom Cosmetics starting from $29.
I created these as I was fed up of not being able to find a cruelty free luxury cosmetic brand and colors that suited me. Seduction lipstick (also as a gloss) has blue undertones to make teeth look whiter, Scarlett O’Hara (gloss version) is a universally flattering shade of red for all skin tones and Savile Row has warmer undertones. If none of those sound right for you, create your own custom red lipstick color either in person or virtually to ensure that it’s absolutely perfect for you.
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