Jenna Lyons Has Me Convinced the Viral Red Lipstick Theory Is Real

Jenna Lyons might be a fashion icon, but her latest makeup look is going on my mood board immediately. On March 3, the Real Housewives of New York City star was spotted outside the Today Show, wearing her signature corporate-chic, menswear-inspired uniform: a button-up shirt and tie under a sweater vest, all of which were tucked into white jeans, and finished off with an oversized blazer and a puffer coat. The masterclass in layering aside, Lyon’s simple but striking makeup look proves a timely hypothesis, aptly known as the red lipstick theory.

“If you are wearing nothing on your face but a red lipstick, your skin will look more even,” content creator Alexis Androulakis, said in her now viral video on the theory. In a chic street style moment, Lyons paired a warm-toned version of the shade with oversized sunglasses, and her lightly-curled hair bounced in the wind as she walked.

While the theory is somewhat universal (everyone can rock a red), not all red lipstick is created equally. Lyons found her signature shade to be a yellow-toned hue that almost looks orange, but if you have a similar skin tone to mine (think NC47 in MAC), then you likely will find that a shade like that washes you out. That being said, there are numerous red lipsticks with varying undertones.

If you have darker skin, you may need an extra step before fully committing to this confidence-boosting hack. “A lot of us have a little bit of hyperpigmentation around the mouth,” says makeup artist and content creator Ehlie Luna on her Instagram account. “As soon as you put on red lipstick, it makes it jump out.” The solve? Color corrector. “You want to color correct around the mouth and maybe put a tinted moisturizer on top or all over the face,” Luna says. “If the tinted moisturizer isn’t enough, take a skin-tone concealer and lightly go over the area.”

I consider myself a lipstick connoisseur, and red is one of my favorite shades to play with, so if you want to channel Jenna Lyons’s latest look, you’re in luck. I’ve curated an elite list of red lipsticks to suit all skin tones and one of my favorite color correctors to consider if you have a deeper skin tone. Keep reading to shop my favorites.