Guide to Coral Lips

Coral lips have been very majorly popular in the past couple of years. I think in the spring and summer coral can be really flattering, and a nice change from deeper plum toned colours. If I'm honest, I do like coral lips but they have never been a go-to look for me. I think pinks look a little better on my skintone, and I think orange-toned lip colours look better on darker skintones. Here is my coral lip colour collection and my thoughts on each product.

 First up is Elizabeth Arden's lipstick in a shade that has unfortunately rubbed off of the sticker. I don't think this lipstick is widely available as it's in a red rube and not a gold one. Its a warm coral-brown, with some gold flecks. It's a very warm-toned shade (and a bit of a classic grandma lip) but I think it looks lovely with tanned skin for an evening look.

 Next is Rimmel London's lipstick from the Kate Moss range in the colour 109. It's a matte warm coral which lasts forever on the lips and looks quite classy for such a bright shade. It can make dryness on the lips stand out a bit- but I think for a night out it looks really pretty.

 Maybelline's Colour Whisper in the shade "Coral Ambition" is a balm-formula and is actually quite a light coral shade. It makes wearing a coral colour a bit more wearable and the formula is really moisturizing. I like this shade in the summer months, perfect for day-to-day wear.

 NYX's Mega Shine lipgloss in the shade 162 Nude Peach is a very natural looking coral shade. The gloss formula is very shiny, smells nice, and wears for quite a long time for a lipgloss. It's a subtle coral but would look lovely layered over a more intense coral lipstick or lipstain.

 Benefit's lipgloss in Juicy Coral is a shade I got in a limited-edition palette years ago. This formula has some sparkle in it and is quite pigmented for a lipgloss. The palette actually paired it with navy blue eyes with I think is a really nice evening look, especially in the summer months.

 L'Oreal's Colour Caresse Shine Stain in the shade Coral Tattoo is a really nice, long wearing shade with buildable coverage. You can go for a more sheer coral look to a really deep, almost red shade. It's a versatile product and I did a full review if you want to see here.

Swatches from left to right: L'Oreal's Coral Tattoo, Benefit's Juicy Coral, NYX's Nude Peach, Maybelline's Coral Ambition, Rimmel's 109 and Elizabeth Ardens no-name lipsick.

Do you think the coral lip trend will continue to Summer 2014? Let me know!