It would be wrong to say that the iconic red lip has ever gone out of fashion. Sure, a statement red lip has certainly fallen out of favour in recent times – the no makeup ‘clean girl’ aesthetic has pushed statement lip colours off the shelves and into the very back of our makeup bags. 2025, however, has seen the comeback of a few classic icons, a somewhat refreshing occurrence after a year of bunny-hopping from Barbie-core to brat summer.

I know a red lip is not quite everyone’s cup of tea to wear, but hear me out here. There is something absurdly glamorous about a slick of red lipstick, holding a certain je ne sais quoi, an effortlessly stylish laziness, even. A red lip has that magical power to pull together any outfit. And yes, I assure you, it does work with joggers, crocs and a college puffer.

“A red lip has that magical power to pull together any outfit”

The signature red lip has a rather long history, being a staple of many an ancient ruler as a vibrant symbol of power, strength and beauty. Ancient Egyptian royalty in the first century BCE had a soft spot for carmine-red lips, made from crushed cochineal bugs – Cleopatra VII was a notable fan. Whilst a ruby lip colour was a popular makeup product in Ancient Greece and Rome, it was less so into the Middle Ages, until Elizabeth I developed a taste for the bright reddish lip colouring used by aristocracy in the Ottoman Empire. The trend fell out of favour completely after her death, with the use of cosmetics instead associated with witchcraft and sorcery. Red lips remained relatively inconspicuous for the next few hundred years, really only appearing on theatre stages and the faces of prostitutes.

Women’s suffrage and feminist movements of the 1920s were quick to adopt red lipstick as a statement to attract attention, an iconic symbol of liberty and power. Bright lip colours remained popular well throughout the 1930s and 40s. Post World War II saw Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe immortalise the colour in fashion history, with her glossy red pout captivating millions across the globe.

The allure of a smudged blush pink or nude pout through the 90s pushed the red lip out of the limelight yet again… Kate Moss, I’m looking at you. A tentative growth in popularity throughout the 2000s collapsed completely when the pandemic hit. In our age of housebound lockdowns and Zoom meetings, a statement lip wasn’t exactly a top-priority.

“At last, away with minimal ‘clean girl’ makeup”

The glamour of a red lip is hard to stay away from for long. Taylor Swift has forever been a fan, sporting everything from a sharp swipe of pillar-box red, to a softer, blurred crimson during her Eras Tour last year. Paris Fashion Week in late January saw models with perfect scarlet pouts prowl down the runway, accented by minimal makeup and slicked back hair. So, a red lip is distinctively back, and for the better. At last, away with minimal ‘clean girl’ makeup. Vibrant lip colours are back to spice up your makeup game.

A red lip can, admittedly, be a little fussy to apply. I have lost count of the number of times I have been told that red ‘washes out one’s complexion’ or ‘is far too high maintenance’. My best advice would be to steer clear of intense, matte pillar box reds, especially if you are a newcomer to more pigmented lipsticks, and instead head for a glossier, more sheer colour. Generally, warmer skin tones will suit a more orangey-red lipstick, whilst blue-purple toned reds will work best with a cooler skin tone. I am aware that bold, statement makeup is very subjective to individual taste – I personally prefer to wear a red lip in relative makeup isolation as to avoid looking too overdone, but it is really down to personal preference, so take that with a pinch of salt.

A note on application: prep is everything here. If you find your lip colour vanishes throughout the day until you’re left with an odd squiggle of colour around the edge of your lips, go right back to the basics with a decent, moisturising lip balm (I use Vaseline for this) twenty minutes or so before applying. A lip liner in a similar (ish) colour is very much worth the investment if you want your lip colour to actually stay on your lips throughout the day, believe me. Wipe off any excess lip balm, roughly trace the natural line of your lips with your lip liner, and apply your lipstick, ideally with a little more care than your usual lip gloss. If you’re feeling fancy, press a tissue onto your lips and reapply another layer of lipstick for max staying power. Job done.

The red lip never did really go away in the world of makeup and fashion. Rather, it got a little forgotten about post-pandemic, as the fashion world got carried away on a tsunami of bold trends. Momentarily fun to create and wear, yes, but the thick, panda eyeliner of brat summer has not aged as well in six months as the red lip has in nearly six millenia. The reappearance of the red lip is not a fleeting attempt of a comeback. This classic icon is very much back, and this time, it’s here to stay.

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