How to Pull-Off Orange Lipstick (Without Looking like a Pumpkin)
You don’t have to be a beauty guru or professional MUA to pull off an orange lipstick! Believe it or not, orange is a universally flattering lipstick shade thanks to its versatile undertones. This trend looks especially gorgeous in the spring and fall.
If you’re scared of the orange lipstick trend, just think of it like an elevated nude or cooler red. If you’re excited about a little extra color, now is the time to dive in!
From subtle to glam, we’re sharing the best orange lipstick colors on the market right now. We’ll also help you choose the best color for your complexion and give you helpful tips on how to rock an orange lipstick without looking like a pumpkin.
6 Tips to Make Orange Lipstick Look Good
1. Keep it warm.
While a stunning orange lipstick is a beauty look all on its own, you need to remember to complement it with the rest of your face products. Orange shades tend to add a lot of warmth to your skin, so you may want to opt for a more full-coverage foundation to cover up any redness or blemishes. Once your foundation is done, add bronzer and a hint of blush for a sun-kissed glow that will look great with the orange lip.
2. Layer slowly.
Unless you’re a true beauty guru, don’t jump in with three applications of a strong color like orange! Pull off this trend by keeping a light hand when applying. Mix it over or under your favorite lipstick colors to create a subtle shade that’s all your own. It may take a few rounds of trial and error before you find a look you truly love, but it’ll be worth it once you nail this beauty trend.
3. Give your lips some TLC.
Since orange is a brighter shade, it truly makes your lips stand out – kind of the whole point! To get them ready for the spotlight, prep your lips with an exfoliating lip scrub and some hydrating lip balm before applying your lip color.
4. Apply a matching lip pencil
prior to the orange lipstick application to make your lip makeup look neat and to keep the color in place for long. Take a bit more care when applying this color since the stark pigment will make mistakes or crooked lip lines stand out.
5. Make your lips the center of attention.
Since orange is such a vibrant shade, keep your eye makeup simple and subtle, opting for translucent eyeshadow colors and creating minimal eye makeup looks. Otherwise you can just wear some mascara with winged eyeliner to add drama to your look. On special occasions, going overboard and pairing orange lipstick with smokey eyes is a fantastic idea.
6. Keep your style simple.
Don’t overwhelm your orange lipstick look with crazy outfits or accessories. For a totally effortless look, pair an orange lip with a white tee and jeans or your favorite simple, casual look. Add a loose, low ponytail and you’re ready to go. For a nicer event, opt for whites or golds to pull the look together.
How to Choose the Best Orange Lipstick for Your Skin Tone
Photos via @klaudiabadura, @christinanadin, @blvckmattr
The number of orange lipsticks shades out there can be pretty overwhelming. The best way to find the perfect match for your skin tone is to experiment! Visit your local Sephora, Ulta, or other beauty store and try out a few samples to find your perfect match.
Knowing your skin tone is the first step to finding makeup that will truly enhance your natural beauty.
Not sure what skin tone you have? An easy way to tell is by looking at the veins on the inside of your wrist.
If the veins appear blue or purple in color, you have a cool skin tone. Cool skin tones also tend to have a pinkish tint.
If the veins on your wrist appear green, you have a warm skin tone. Warmer skin tones have more yellow or olive hues.
If you can’t tell whether the veins are blue or green, you may have a neutral skin tone.
Orange Lipstick Colors for Cool Skin Tones
To really make your cool skin glow, you’ll want to stick with orange lipstick shades that have peach, coral, or red undertones. Coordinate with a complementary blush to add warmth and vibrancy to your look.
The red-orange shades are especially gorgeous on anyone with blue eyes, as the orange is a great complementary color to bring out the cool blues in your eyes.
If you have especially fair skin, stick with pastel shades with pink undertones to keep things bright and light. Don’t forget a touch of blush to bring the whole look together!
Shades to avoid would be darker, warmer oranges with brown undertones, as these may wash you out or be too harsh against your features.
Orange Lipstick Colors for Warm Skin Tones
Naturally tanned, olive skin looks absolutely amazing with a bright pop of orange. Can you say Rihanna? This is a great beauty trend for all complexions, and warmer skin tones will find the true oranges and tangerines especially flattering.
Darker red-oranges can really add dimension to warm skin tones! These shades will brighten and warm your appearance. If your skin leans more towards olive or yellow, opt for a richer tangerine shade in order to bring a bit of glow to your complexion.
Shades to avoid include anything with too much of a pink undertone, as this may clash with the natural yellow/ olive hue of your skin.
Top 20 Orange Lipstick Shades for Every Skin Tone
From fiery tangerine to delicate coral, you can never go wrong with any of these orange lipstick colors that are the hottest in the beauty industry.
1. Kat Von D Liquid Lipstick in A-Go-Go
Kat Von D’s Everlasting liquid lipstick is a cult favorite for good reason. It truly lasts all day without drying out your lips. It goes on wet and dries to a gorgeous matte within seconds. For a little extra hydration, layer your favorite lip gloss or chapstick on top.
This bright orange lipstick shade is our pick for fall and is available in stores and online here.
2. YSL Tatouage Couture Liquid Matte Lip Stain in Unconventional Coral
Luxury beauty brand Yves Saint Laurent has created an incredible liquid matte lip stain w/ ultra-high pigmentation.
The applicator is shaped almost like a lip liner to make sure that your application is flawless. We love this vibrant tangerine color.
You can get it online here.
3. NARS Orange Lipstick in Catherine
This creamy lipstick from NARS adds a coral touch to the orange trend that’s super romantic and feminine. It’s also flattering on all skin tones. The semi-matte formula is extremely nourishing and hydrating.
Pick up a tube here!
4. MAC Orange Lipstick in Cb-96
We love MAC, and this shimmery orange lipstick shade from the iconic brand is the perfect introduction to orange lipsticks. This high-pearl lipstick formula glides on smoothly and offers full coverage with a semi-lustrous finish. The Cb-96 shade is a bright pink-toned orange with pearl.
Get it here!
5. Too Faced Liquid Matte Lipstick in Mrs. Roper
If you’re ready for a truer orange lipstick, this tangerine shade from Too Faced might do the trick. It’s a long-wear matte formula with a gloss-like applicator and high pigmentation. It also has hydrating ingredients like vitamin E and avocado oil. It looks especially stunning on olive skin tones.
Shop Mrs. Roper here!
6. Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Lipstick in Saw-C (Exotic Tangerine)
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna is making a big splash right now thanks to their inclusive shade ranges and stunning formulas. This plush matte lipstick from the new beauty line offers lightweight wear with major color. Besides, who doesn’t want to rock the same orange lipstick as Rihanna? Saw-C is an exotic tangerine shade that looks especially great on darker skin tones.
Get it online!
7. Urban Decay Vice Orange Lipstick in First Sin
For a softer take on the orange lipstick trend, go for the shade First Sin from Urban Decay. From their Vice lipstick line, this shade is a creamy formula with hydrating ingredients and a vibrant color.
It’s not as long-lasting as a stain or matte, but it won’t dry out your lips and it offers full coverage.
You can shop this shade at Nordstrom!
8. Givenchy Orange Lipstick in Wanted Coral No. 16
This satin orange lipstick from luxury brand Givenchy is an absolute classic. It comes in a sophisticated black tube and features the signature Givenchy bullet.
The shade Wanted Coral is a gorgeous orange lip color that doesn’t feel overdone. It’s a brighter shade that will warm up your features and make you look like your brightest self, even on your most tired days.
Shop this Givenchy shade at Net-a-Porter!
9. Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Orange Lipstick in Elson 2
If you tend to gravitate toward a red lip, this fiery red-orange shade from Pat McGrath Labs will be a great orange lipstick color choice for you.
It has just a hint of orange undertones, while delivering a stunning high-pigment red. This shade looks absolutely beautiful on all skin tones.
Shop the shade Elson 2 at Sephora!
10. Chantecaille Orange Lipstick in Mandarin
This creamy soft coral shade from Chantecaille is so sophisticated and romantic that we kind of don’t know how to live without it. It’s paraben-free, and the rich, smooth formula is really hydrating.
The shade Mandarin looks especially good on warmer skin tones.
You can buy it online here.
11. Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Spicy
When you need a killer color, you can always turn to Anastasia Beverly Hills. It’s no surprise that their shade Spicy is the perfect orange lipstick for everyone who wants a true color match. It’s a liquid lipstick with intense pigmentation and long-lasting matte wear.
Shop this true orange shade here!
12. Lipstick Queen Orange Lipstick in Jungle Queen
The first thing you’ll fall in love with when you pick up this shade from Lipstick Queen is the super fun packaging – crown and all. The shade Jungle Queen has an orange tint and is a semi-sheer formula that you can build up as desired.
This is a great option for anyone who wants just a hint of color without committing to full coverage. Nourishing ingredients like vitamin E also keep your lips hydrated and smooth.
Shop Jungle Queen here!
13. Bite Beauty Liquified Orange Lipstick in Arrowroot
The highly anticipated launch of Bite Beauty’s Amuse Bouche liquid lipstick is finally upon us. Our favorite orange lipstick color from the collection is Arrowroot – an earthy orange tone with red undertones.
It has a satin finish, so you can enjoy a little bit of shine all day long. We love the natural ingredients and the fact that these are handmade in small batches.
Get yours while they last here!
14. Tom Ford Orange Lipstick in Connor 97
Tom Ford Beauty has done it again with this incredibly creamy, hydrating formula. The shade Connor 97 from this collection is our pick for an orange lipstick color that won’t take you out of your comfort zone. It’s light, delicate and incredibly flattering on all skin tones.
It’s available for sale here.
15. Charlotte Tilbury Orange Lipstick in Tell Laura
Tell Laura we found her perfect shade of orange lipstick. Okay, now that the obvious pun is out of the way, we can gush over this stunning coral shade from beauty guru Charlotte Tilbury. We love the soft red and pink undertones.
Shop this shade at Nordstrom, and good luck resisting the rest of the collection while you’re at it.
16. NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Orange County
It doesn’t get more orange than this Orange County shade from NYX. Honestly, for less than $10 this shade is worth it just for the fun of it. The waterproof matte formula packs in a ton of color – and we mean a ton.
So if you’re really ready to say yes to orange lipstick, this is for you.
Get it here!
17. Lancôme Orange Lipstick in 197 Rouge Cherie
For a luxurious take on the orange lipstick trend, pick up this shade from Lancôme. It’s their same classic formula now in new packaging.
Shade 197 Rouge Cherie has a satin finish for an all-day glow. Apply one layer for light coverage or build for a more full-coverage look.
Get it here!
18. Chanel Orange Lipstick in 802 Living Orange
Since my lips can tend to be on the dry side, I love a good hydrating gloss. This formula by Chanel is one of my absolute favorites.
For a fun orange lip, go for shade 802 Living Orange. You can wear it alone for a pop of color or layer it over your favorite lipstick to create a look that’s totally your own!
It’s available here.
19. Givenchy Orange Lipstick in Bold Orange N11
This Givenchy gloss is a great option to pair with any of the other orange lipsticks on this list or to wear alone.
True to its name, this bold orange shade is definitely a bold color statement that’s especially flattering on olive skin tones. Hello, J. Lo vibes. This shade is also infused with a touch of sparkle and comes with an angled applicator.
Pick it up here!
20. YSL Vinyl Cream Lip Stain in 414 Rave Orange
Finishing out our list is this absolutely gorgeous cream lip stain from luxury beauty brand Yves Saint Laurent.
It provides up to 10 hours of wear and has a creamy, satin finish that will leave your lips with just a hint of shine. This is a great option for anyone who wants a subtler look while still dipping your toes into the world of orange lipstick.
Shop it at Sephora!
