Here's The Best Way To Wear Green Lipstick

Like the clothes you choose and the hairstyles you prefer, the makeup you wear is an expression of your personal style. Not only can cosmetics help to enhance your personal aesthetic, but they're especially fun to play with when it comes to testing out a new look or trying out a trend. Traditionally, light pink and neutral lipsticks work well for the office, while a bright red pout signals that you're headed out for a night on the town. Red lips can also be a sign of strength. Allure reported that Elizabeth Arden distributed red lipstick to the women at the 1912 New York City Suffragette March to symbolize their powerful feminine energy.

Some women prefer to go even darker than a sexy pop of red. In this case, purple lipstick can be a fun, retro choice, and black lipstick can be an equally bold move. (Be warned however, that too much black lipstick can give off major goth vibes!) That said, there hasn't been much buzz around green lipstick ... until now. Here's why you might want to incorporate the shade into your makeup routine.

Donning green lipstick can be tricky, mostly because it's a shade that not many people are used to wearing. Therefore, it's important to make sure the look doesn't come off as jarring. One way to do that is to let the lipstick enhance your face, without overtaking it. If you're on the fence, you can try incorporating green lipstick into your go-to shade of red or pink. Because green lips are not a one-size-fits-all, blending with a regular color lipstick can tone down the bold vibes, according to makeup artist Pat McGrath.

"For me, I would basically put it on the center of a red mouth to make it more brown," McGrath told Glamour. "Mix it with a red, and then you do the whole ombré thing so it makes the mouth a little darker." Dolce & Gabbana's creative advisor also explained that there are multiple ways to ease into the daring shade. In fact, you can dab a little green lipstick on your eyelids when creating smoky eyes, if you're not ready to put it on your lips.

If you're up for diving right into the green lip, then it's vital to pick a shade that matches your skin tone for a complimentary look. For example, makeup expert Sophia Porter told Brit + Co that emeralds work on pale and cool skin tones. Those with warmer skin tones should opt for more of an army green. Of course, when it comes to makeup, there's that tried-and-true rule that less is more — meaning you should tread extra carefully with green lipstick. That said, the level of shock value you want to create is up to you. While green probably isn't suitable for your day job, no one is stopping you from heading to a club or concert in bright green lipstick. 

Though you can find green lipstick everywhere from your local pharmacy to the shelves of Sephora, plenty of celebrities have jumped on the bandwagon. Unsurprisingly, Refinery29 reported that Rihanna first turned heads with green lipstick at the iHeart Radio Music Awards back in 2014. (Looks like the "Diamonds" singer had her finger on the pulse of the beauty industry even then!) Since those days, the "Fenty Beauty" mogul has added a matte green lipstick to her beauty line. Likewise, "Kylie Cosmetics" creator Kylie Jenner added a khaki green lipstick to her collection, according to Hello!.