I’m going to resist beginning this article with “orange you glad…” and assume you’ve heard it before. You’ve peeped orange lips on the runway and they’ve been touted as one of spring’s hottest trends. And if you weren’t convinced at first, maybe the fact that our favorite celebrities have been adopting the color on red carpets in droves has you wondering whether you can pull off an orange lip.
Our answer is, of course! Fashion is meant to be fun, and while we’ll always love our pinks and reds, this is one lip color that will add a totally fresh spin to whatever you put on this spring (even if it’s your favorite sundress from five years ago). The key is to wear orange in a way that works for you, your skin tone and ultimately your comfort level. Just because you saw a neon version on the runway doesn’t mean you can’t use it as inspiration for a more subtle version. Or vice versa.
Check out the best lip colors in our runway-celeb mashup below, along with our advice to help you make your choice.
Orange for Every Girl: The Perfect Shade for Your Lips
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Barely There
Fendi image: IMAXtree
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Jouer Sheer Lipstick SPF 15 St. Barth's
A sheer lipstick is the way forward for anyone of any skin tone who wants to dip their toes in these orange waters. This one is perfect for beginners.
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Light Bright
Christina Hendricks image: WENN
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Lancôme Paris Rouge in Love Miss Coquelicot
Calling all red heads—bright orange is a color that goes splendidly with vibrant red locks. Plus, it brings out warm undertones in fair skin, regardless of hair color.
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Positively Electric
Rag & Bone image: IMAXtree
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Bobbi Brown Lip Color Orange
This looks sensational for a night out when you're sporting an Ibiza-like bronze. For women with naturally bronzed-looking warm skin, this one's a must have. For the rest of us, we may want to wait until after our spray tan appointments to apply.
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Orange Juice
Lupita Nyong'o image: Joseph Marzullo/WENN.com
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Tarte Lipsurgance Lip Tint Spirited
A glossy, juicy orange stain may be just the thing to add a punch of color to dark skin. No bronzer required, adding a dewy highlight to your cheeks is all you need to wear this color to perfection.
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True Orange
Jessica Alba image: LJT Images/WENN.com
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NARS Satin Lip Pencil Timanfaya
Jessica Alba is quickly becoming the celeb poster girl for orange lips, wearing them on multiple outings. True orange is somewhere between a darker, cooler shade and those bright, neon styles. There's no hiding it, yet it's not screaming in your face either. If you've got a cocktail party or an evening wedding reception, this could be the one...in terms of lip color, that is. If your skin is on the cool side, apply bronzing powder to your face to help even out the warmth emanating from your kisser.
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Blood Orange
Keri Russel image: Joseph Marzullo/WENN.com
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M.A.C Lipstick Lady Danger
A little bit red, a little bit orange, this is perfect for warm, fair skin like Keri's. If you're not sporting a tan, (real or faux) this is your orange.
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Dark Horse
Dennis Basso image: IMAXtree
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YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis A Levres Glossy Stain, Orange De Chine
This is an orange you can wear to a Monday morning meeting. It's slightly more serious than other shades. This one works for cooler-toned women as well. Feel free to punch up the look with a cat eye like Dennis Basso's model; it's a chic addition to a trendy lip.
