I look terrible in dark lipsticks. I have always wanted to wear a deep red, but everytime I try I look like a 6-year-old playing with mommy’s makeup. Ridiculous.

I’ve been trying to figure out why some women can wear deep reds and the rest of us have to stay with light pink or peach.

Folks who ascribe to colour draping will tell you that certain colours look better on certain people. I’m not convinced that it’s the only determination when it comes to lip colour.

I think the depth of shade depends on your contrast. Let me explain.

Contrast is the difference between your skin tone and hair colour. Women with ivory skin and black hair have high contrast. There’s a striking difference between hair and skin tone. Platinum blonds with light skin tone have low contrast – it’s hard to differentiate between hair and skin tones. Brunettes with medium skin have medium contrast – neither high nor low.

I think that women at either extreme – high or low contrast – can wear deep shades of lipstick. It’s the rest of us with medium contrast that struggle.

Here are two examples:

Marilyn Monroe, with her fair skin and platinum blonde hair, has low contrast. She looks divine in a deep red lipstick. It works because the lipstick adds a dramatic focal point to her look.

It also works on Julianne Moore, a striking redhead with ivory skin. Her high contrast allows the red lipstick to provide balance to her face.

I guess I will just have to live with the idea of medium tones in corals and pinks that align with my medium hair and skintone. Sigh.