If there’s one thing in life I can tell you with 100% certainty, that is that you need at least one red dress in your wardrobe. Why? Because red is good for you; It lifts your spirit, makes you feel fierce, and boosts your confidence. Don’t try to tell me that you and your beautiful blond hair or dark waves don’t go together with that red dress you bought ages ago – and therefore never worn – because I’m sure it’s just a matter of finding “the right shade or red”. Maybe you just didn’t find it yet, and you need some guidance in finding it! So let’s do a little crash course on red dresses and how to wear them, because there’s a burgundy, or a fire-red – or 500 other tones in the middle – for everyone…
I usually look at it four different ways: hair color – blond or brunette, including strawberry red and auburn in that spectrum – and someone’s skin tone. No matter how light or dark your skin is, there’s always a cold or more warm undertone to it. In identifying a color for myself or someone else, I first look at that skin undertone. With a more warm undertone it’s possible to go for a more bright red, or even an orange-red. However, when your skin tone leans more towards a colder undertone, you should maybe stay away from those, and go for the more full, round, and darker reds. Good examples of those shades are Burgundy and cherry-red. And when I’m thinking about it, it truly doesn’t really matter what hair color you have when it comes to a red, as long as you stay in those two spectrums I just mentioned – the colder and warmer skin undertones, and the reds that go with that. It all comes down to trying a few different shades. However, something that is key though, in making that shade or red look fierce on you, is your makeup.
I’m generally all for natural and less is more when it comes to doing my makeup, and when I’m talking about makeup that goes with a red dress in general, I think the best way to do it is: keep the rest simple. A super light coverage foundation to just “erase” spots or red blemish on your skin – I have that always in the morning after taking a shower – and maybe the discolorations we build up here and there over the years. Not even think of covering those dark circles completely, it’s not necessary when the rest of your skin looks healthy. I’m speaking from experience! For the longest time I would start by covering those puffy dark eye bags, but I recently stepped away from it, because I didn’t like to wear a thick layer of makeup on that delicate part of my skin. I would always “feel” it. Just a simple thin layer of foundation over my complete face already makes that those parts I don’t like, are less visible, without looking less “natural”. Then I would say a good mascara, brushed eyebrows with a little extra color, and some bronzer when your undertone is warm. The more cooler undertones should go for some pink blush on the cheeks, but other than that, keep it simple with the mascara and eyebrows.
A red lip with a red dress can look divine, too. I truly wish I loved myself with lipstick on, but I simply don’t, so it’s not my thing. I envy women with full lips who look so good with a red lip! Key, again, is to make sure the rest of the makeup is super simple, but just flawless and light. That red dress, is already making a statement, and the rest doesn’t need to be full-on.
For this post I’m wearing a beautiful Valentino Pre-Fall 2018 dress in “Valentino-red”. Which is a pretty iconic kind of red that has been around since the start of the brand, and looks good on literally everyone. Obviously! I must admit that when we shot this in Verona, I came of from the plane straight, so my skin does lack a little bit of life, but the makeup is pretty much as how I envision it for my hair and skin tone. It’s super subtile, with the right amount of coverage. I don’t need to make a point about the styling of the dress, because we all know I like my gowns with sneakers! So below a selection of dresses, high and low-end, that all look good with sneakers, and hopefully help you to determine the shade or red for you!
Valentino Pre-Fall 2018 dress | Valentino sneakers | Valentino bag with strap | Jewelry by Dior, Roxanne Assoulin.
Photos by Jeff Thibodeau
