The Redhead Edit: Makeup for Red and Ginger Hair
From one redhead to another, I’m sharing my secrets to creating magical makeup for red hair!
- 15th April 2024
- By Charlotte Tilbury
10 minute read
From one redhead to another, I’m sharing my secrets to creating magical makeup for red hair!
10 minute read
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Darlings, whether you have ruby-flecked tresses, amplified auburn locks, incarnadine corkscrew curls, or a Moscow mule ginger mane, my redhead makeup edit is the perfect guide to makeup for redheads around the world!
Book a virtual consultation and discover personalised makeup for redheads tips and tricks
When choosing a lipstick that flawlessly complements your flame-red hair, I suggest choosing a warm-toned shade that matches the enigmatic energy of your locks. Redheads suit a surprising array of lip colours – pinks, peaches, corals, poppy reds and plums are all options. Choose whichever lipstick you feel suits the mood and moment, darling.
I adore my empowering, confidence-boosting shade, Walk of No Shame, as an accompaniment to red hair. Walk of No Shame is a berry-toned rosy red that’s easy to wear and looks gorgeous on everyone, and it’s particularly flattering for redheads. The warm, muted hue looks beautiful on the lips, giving them a rosy rush of red that complements your fiery red hair. You can get the Walk of No Shame look by lining the lips with Walk of No Shame Lip Cheat, then filling them in with Matte Revolution Lipstick in my beautifying berry shade.
For a bolder, brighter red lipstick look, choose a poppy-red shade with a magical matte finish like Matte Revolution in Red Carpet Red. Red lipstick looks gorgeous on redheads, darlings – ginger hair is naturally vibrant and has the same eye-catching quality of a classic red lip. Line your lips with Lip Cheat in Kiss ‘N’ Tell, then fill them in with Red Carpet Red for full-coverage, hydrating-matte lip colour. Red lips are instant makeup confidence; pair your shiny red tresses with a cinematic red lipstick look and you will feel unstoppable!
Tilbury Tip: Discover my Lip Cheat lip liner in Red Carpet Red. for a red carpet-inspired, ruby-red pout.
There are two routes you can take with pink lipstick: you can choose an understated pink to create a beautiful, nude lipstick look, or a more vivid pink that adds a pop of colour to your makeup look. Wearing a brown-toned nude lipstick can look dull alongside vibrant red hair - this is easily avoided by reaching for a light pink shade with peachy undertones. I love to wear Penelope Pink K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick as a moisturising pink lipstick that flatters my red hair; first, I use Pillow Talk Lip Cheat to define the look of my lips, then I glide on Penelope Pink to complete my dreamy, pillowy, pink pout.
You can also use pink lipstick to make the lips pop alongside ginger hair. Reaching for a more impactful shade of pink like a berry-rose or petal-pink will give your pout a vibrant finish that carries through the effervescence of red hair into your makeup look. My AIRbrush Flawless Lip Blur in Rose Blur is a pretty pink lipstick that looks gorgeous on redheads; the mid-toned rose-pink shade gives lips a magical matte kiss of colour that can be worn blurred or bold for plush, rose-blushed lips.
Looking for more lipstick for redheads inspiration, darling? Why not try Stoned Rose K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick for creamy, coral-shine lips? Or perhaps Nude Blur Airbrush Flawless Lip Blur to bathe the lips in rosy-nude lip colour. Or, of course, my iconic, award-winning and universally flattering Pillow Talk Lipstick for nude-pink pout perfection.
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What’s a makeup look without a fabulous feline flick to accentuate the look of your eyes? Redheads can follow the colour science of my Eye Colour Magic collection to accentuate the sparkle of their eye colour, but it’s worth also considering the ways that colours will interact with red hair. Your eyeliner can complement or contrast your hair, darlings – will you beautify with coppers and browns, or stun with greens and blues?
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Red hair features warm tones like reds, oranges and coppers, so choosing an eyeliner in similar shades helps to create synergy between your hair and your makeup look. I love to create a feline flick with my Pillow Talk Eyeliner; it’s the most mesmerising berry-brown shade that softly warms up your eye makeup and beautifully complements red hair. To bring the gorgeous copper colour of your locks into your eye look, choose fiery-orange Eye Colour Magic Liner Duo in Copper Charge or russet-red Walk of No Shame Eyeliner to add a flash of complementary colour to the lash line.
They say opposites attract, darlings… In colour theory, orange and blue are opposites on the colour wheel which makes them perfect partners. Redheads can make the most of the bright, ambery orange tones in their hair by adding a hint of blue eyeliner into their eye looks; a beautiful blue winged liner or a slick of blue along the lower lash line offers perfect contrast to ginger hair and can really make your look pop. My Eye Colour Magic Liner Duo in Super Blue is the answer to becoming a dream come true in blue!
Tilbury Tip: A green eyeliner like Green Lights can also be a gorgeous accent to your eye makeup, especially if you have glimmering green eyes!
Our eyebrows frame our face, darlings, so it’s important to get your eyebrow makeup shade correct. For redheads, it’s easy to choose an eyebrow pencil in a shade of brown that’s too warm or too dark; I recommend reaching for blonde and taupe brow products that help to add definition to the brows while flattering the unique combination of colours in your gorgeous ginger hair. Nobody’s eyebrow hairs are all one shade, darlings; try sketching hair-like strokes using two or three shades of brow product to create natural-looking brows with deeper dimension.
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When you’re creating an enchanting eyeshadow look, consider which colours are going to accentuate the look of your eye colour, flatter your complexion, and look gorgeous alongside your hair colour. For redheads, experiment with these classic colours that beautifully enhance the look of red hair:
Rose Gold is a glimmering cream eyeshadow that beautifies the look of the eyes with understated, pinkened-gold pigment. Rose-golds are warmer than classic yellow-golds and champagnes which are extremely flattering when paired with red hair. With your finger, swipe Eyes to Mesmerise onto the lid to create a gorgeous, one-eyeshadow eye makeup look that looks radiant on redheads.
To create a rosy eyeshadow look for red hair and blue eyes, choose Pillow Talk Dreams Luxury Palette. The Pillow Talk-inspired shades in this eyeshadow palette look sensational on redheads; they add the perfect amount of warmth to the eyes and create romantic eye looks that are effortlessly dialled up from sweet to sultry.
Pillow Talk looks fabulous on everyone, darlings! Pillow Talk Eyes to Mesmerise is a perfect shade for making your brown eyes shine bright! I created my signature nude-pink shade as a shimmering, fuss-free cream eyeshadow formula that glides onto the lids and illuminates the look of your eyes with a radiant pink glow that’s always flattering alongside flame-red hair.
Do you love a grungy makeup look, darling? My Luxury Palette in The Rebel is the perfect way to channel your rebellious spirit into your makeup! This eye-enhancing eyeshadow palette features captivating khaki shades that create a gorgeous green smokey eye. Green shades offer head-turning contrast to red hair, and they are a fabulous way to highlight the look of the colourful flecks in your brown eyes.
Shop eye makeup for brown eyes
Red and green are colour opposites, so redheads with green eyes are blessed with this colour synergy. To emphasise the contrast of your hair and eyes with eye makeup, choose a red eyeshadow that mirrors the warm tones in your red hair while helping green eyes to look even greener! I recommend Eyes to Mesmerise in Walk of No Shame – it’s a rose-toned red eyeshadow that helps to boost beauty confidence!
Embrace earthy, burnished bronze tones to enliven and add spark to the look of emerald-green eyes. My Bella Sofia look is a perfect way to accentuate the look of green eyes, adding shimmering bronze hues that define and light up the look of gorgeous, green eyes. Use the Bella Sofia Luxury Palette to create an effortless bronze makeup look that looks beautiful with ginger hair and add one of my electrifying Eye Colour Magic Liner Duos to give your look a magical pop of colour.
Shop eye makeup for green eyes
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The world has fallen in love with blush, darlings, but some shades of blush like punchy pinks can sometimes look unflattering against the brightness of red hair. I often reach for shades like peaches, apricots, and corals instead to give the complexion a flattering flush. If you prefer a powder blush, I suggest applying [Cheek to Chic] in Ecstasy for the perfect peach blush look, or First Love for a soft kiss of peach pink. For lovers of my Beauty Light Wands and Matte Beauty Blush Wands, reach for Peachgasm or Peach Pop to flawlessly complement your red hair.
Many redheads have fair complexions and are often blessed with fabulous freckles. Makeup is all about enhancing the look of your natural features, so I like to celebrate freckles rather than covering them up by reaching for a more light-coverage foundation. Embrace your freckles, darlings… I recommend applying my sheer-coverage glow booster, Hollywood Flawless Filter, to give your complexion a Hollywood-inspired glow that lets freckles peek through.
Tilbury Tip: If you love the look of freckles, darling, my Lip Cheat in Foxy Brown is perfect for drawing on faux freckles.
The world fell in love with Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes! mascara, so I created a berry-brown shade for everyone that loves to wear a universally flattering brown mascara. Dream Pop is my berry-brown shade that makes wearing coloured mascara a breeze! This dreamy, lash-enhancing shade beautifully complements green eyes, and it’s perfect for creating an understated makeup look for redheads!
Should redheads wear bronzer? Yes, darling! I created the Fair shade of Airbrush Bronzer to look fabulous on even the fairest of complexions, so if you’re a redhead that’s hesitant to apply bronzer that might look too orange or too red-toned, this is the shade for you. This silky-smooth, modern-matte formula swishes onto the skin to deliver sun-soaked pigment that effortlessly warms up the look of a fair complexion. If you are looking to apply bronzer that looks natural on lighter skin, Airbrush Bronzer is the beauty secret you need in your makeup bag!
Tilbury Tip: To create a more sculpted makeup look, discover my Hollywood Contour Wand for red carpet-ready, Hollywood-inspired contouring.
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Darlings, it’s true… redheads have more fun! I’ve had plenty of experience applying makeup for redheads both on set and in the mirror! It’s only fair to share my tips and tricks with you all… Rock the red, darlings, and mesmerise the world with my magical makeup for redheads!
With over 30 years experience, Charlotte Tilbury MBE is the world's number 1 makeup artist and British beauty entrepreneur. Charlotte established Charlotte Tilbury Beauty in 2013, which is now a record-breaking beauty brand that has won over 400 awards.
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