Is wearing red lipstick tacky?

[Anonymous]

How come Kate Middleton or the other royals don't wear it? They mostly seem to wear nude/pink hues.

[Anonymous]

It's distracting essentially. If you have subtle beauty, you let that shine. If you don't, then you seek to distract or highlight whatever you think is the best feature - bright red lipstick is a popular option at the moment. Big eyebrows is another.

[Anonymous]

Oh god not another tacky thread

[Anonymous]

Asking if things are tacky is tacky.

[Anonymous]

What time of day/event are we talking about?

I think it's lovely for night time or a fancy event. I would not wear it to work or to the playground.

[Anonymous]

Alternate definition of "tacky" - "retaining a slightly sticky feel; not fully dry"

I have some red lipstick that meets that definition, but I also have some that feels non-existent and stays put for hours.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's per se tacky but...

It can be very aging, if you're not 22 and flawless.
It's very hard to get the right shade of red and the choices are overwhelming.
It can compete with clothes.
It can leave an unsightly stain on people you kiss or on your drinks.
It can rub off on teeth and ruin photos.
It can look like you're trying too hard and is hard to pull off.

[Anonymous]

Your premise is ridiculous. I don't base my style choices on the British royal family because 1) I am not British; 2) I am not royal; and 3) I am under the age of 80.

Kate Middleton and the other members of the royal family are basing their style choices on the Queen's preferences. The Queen is an old lady who was raised to be a princess in the 1940s.

[Anonymous]

Most reds contain lead (look it up).
Not worth it to me.
The above poster had a lot of really good points- except for the Holidays- it just seems overwhelming. Plus, as a mom in my 40's, it is not an attractive look. Something a little softer is much more attractive at this point in my life.

[Anonymous]

Red lipstick is a classic. It is not, however, a look that everyone would want to wear every day. It's a more glamorous look, which, frankly, is not the forte of the British royal family. It's often too much for daytime events.

Also, the British royal family are not the arbiters of what's tacky or not.

[Anonymous]

You have to have the confidence for it. Pick a good quality red and apply it carefully. There's nothing worse than a highly visible shade of lipstick running in to lip cracks, smudged, etc.

[Anonymous]

I think its really aging on mostly everyone...even if you are fairly young. Taylor Swift is even getting too old to pull it off.

[Anonymous]

Not tacky but it usually looks trashy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most reds contain lead (look it up).
Not worth it to me.
The above poster had a lot of really good points- except for the Holidays- it just seems overwhelming. Plus, as a mom in my 40's, it is not an attractive look. Something a little softer is much more attractive at this point in my life.

yeah, maybe in the 1870s sweetheart, but not any more.

[Anonymous]

I know someone who wears it flawlessly, all the time and in different shades. Def has the confidence/glamour thing going for her.