Best Red Lipstick Shade

$14; available at maccosmetics.com

Noelle's beauty stats: 23; long curly chestnut brown hair; brown eyes; combination skin; part African-American, part Irish and German. Keeps skin clear by exfoliating and moisturizing daily.

"I always thought that red lipstick only looked appropriate with a fancy dress, but after seeing it with my everyday clothes, I feel like I can wear it with just about anything."

Colleen's beauty stats: 34; brown-black hair; green eyes; fair skin; extremely low-maintenance beauty routine.

"I love dark colors so I was extremely excited to try out a new red. This is the type of vibrant color that I would wear on a big night out or to a formal event."

Judy's beauty stats: 30; colored and highlighted hair that's naturally black; combination skin; dark brown eyes. Always moisturizes at night and wears sunscreen during the day.

"I never thought that I could pull off red. It's such a loud color, but I absolutely love it!"

Erin's beauty stats: 40; medium-length, curly hair (sometimes flat-ironed when it's not raining); bright red hair not showing any gray (yet); blue eyes; highly pale white skin with freckles; mostly Irish with some French-Canadian thrown in. Uses a heavy moisturizer at night and a lighter one during the day. Seriously cranky without eight hours of sleep every night.

"There's an unwritten rule that redheads should never wear red lipstick. Well, I'm here to thumb my nose at that rule. Redheads CAN wear red lipstick as long as it's not too orange. I would totally wear this out, preferably with a pair of high-heeled black boots and a leather jacket."

Wendy's beauty stats: 40-ish; naturally wavy highlighted hair with a mind of its own; blue/green eyes; dry skin with some visible laugh lines; dark circles not at all helped by a horrendous commute each day!

"I've never tried red lipstick, thinking you had to have coloring like Colleen's to wear it well. Although I would reserve it for a night out, I am definitely adding it to my makeup collection!"

Elizabeth's beauty stats: 24; very thick, wavy brown hair (never color-treated) either worn natural or flat-ironed, combination skin that can get very dry in the winter, dark brown eyes, part Italian/Syrian/German.

"I loved the texture of this lipstick, it was very light and comfortable and lasted for hours — not to mention the color was phenomenal."

Nina's beauty stats: 32; Filipino-American; dark thick curly hair worn naturally; dark eyes; combination skin.

"The brightness of this red was pretty shocking at first, but after I got used to it, I grew to like the boldness with my coloring."

Pro Tip: A precise application is key when wearing red lipstick. Use a lip brush to paint on the color, starting at the middle of your lips and working to the outer edges, says NYC makeup artist Agata Smentek.

Camille's beauty stats: mid-30s; African-American; brown eyes; dry skin; coarse, chemically processed hair.

"Some of the best songs are about a lady wearing red because the color just demands attention. I'll wear this when I want to stand out."