20 Makeup Looks to Pair With a Red Dress

Tomato Girl

The "tomato girl" trend grew like wild, well, tomato plants in the summer of 2023. Let the fruity look last all year with an orangey-red dress, and pair it with a sultry eye look that channels the ultimate tomato girls, Sophia Loren and Monica Bellucci. Go heavy on the winged black eyeliner, and let a swipe of clear balm take care of the lip.

A Touch of Sparkle

"I love a bit of glitter, it’s an opportunity to create a look that will catch light and [bring] attention to the eyes," says celebrity makeup artist Kenneth Soh.

A glittery eye combined with flushed rosy cheeks and a glossy lip is key when wanting to keep makeup natural, but dimensional. "Just make sure when you use glitter to choose products that don’t smudge or have terrible fallout," adds Soh, who is a fan of Lemonhead LA's glitter products, which are suspended in a gel that won't smudge when dried.

While the color on Taylor Swift's lids is more of a champagne tone, feel free to play with any soft-hued sparkle when wanting to play up your eyes while wearing a red dress. We like Hourglass Cosmetics Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow in "Reflect."

Soft Smoky Eye

A soft smoky eye, like Kerry Washington's, will let the red dress do the talking. "A softly-smudged smoky eye in gray is always striking and modern without looking overly severe and vampish," says Soh. "Smoky eyes in shades of gunmetal, pewter, black, or dark browns pair nicely with bright red dresses," adds celebrity makeup artist Gilbert Soliz. "Sisley Phyto-Eye Twist No 4 Steel and Trish McEvoy Lash Curling Mascara in Jet Black can help you achieve this look. As for a nude lip, Soh's pick is CTZN Nudiversal Lip Duo.

Metallic and Dewy

"A clear sparkling complexion that’s fresh and slightly dewy, [with] strong boyish brows gives an edge to a red dress that can sometimes be too girly," says Soh. To achieve a look like Zendaya's, use a waterproof eyeliner like L'Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Last Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner and smudge it all around the eyes, bringing in metallic eyeshadow on top.

For the perfect dewy face, apply Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer and a liquid highlighter like Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid Highlighter. Be sure to use a great moisturizer daily under makeup as a primer. All that dew enhances the sequins and crystals in a sparkly dress.

Raising Brows

Minimalists, keep on scrolling. When Cardi B pulled sparkly, feathery red fashion for this platinum-blonde moment, she didn't dare keep her makeup subdued. Instead, the rapper paired a dewy, lightly contoured complexion with a glossy nude lip and—wait for it—jewel-crusted red eyebrows. This may not be the tamest look on our list, but if you're in the mood to be dipped in rubies, this is for you.

Halftime Homage

Rihanna famously wore red for her halftime performance at the 2023 Super Bowl, and her cherry-hued looked matched the color of the set. “That red stage called for the ultimate Rihanna red lip," Priscilla Ono, Fenty Beauty Global Makeup Artist, previously told Byrdie. "To me, there’s nothing more iconic to Rihanna than her soft matte skin and a bold red lip.” Ono used the Fenty Icon Velvet Liquid Lipstick for a smudge-free red lip that stayed in place throughout Rihanna's entire performance.

Fierce and Fresh

Gabrielle Union's fierce black eyeliner paired with a nude lip is a perfect look to wear in a red dress. "If you’re going to focus on the eyes and do them dramatic and strong, I would keep the lips natural, like a lip balm or tint to make it modern," says Soh.

In the photo above, Union's eyes are lined on the top and bottom, meeting at the outer edges in a sharp wing. Kat Von D's Tattoo Liner is precision perfect. Add a lash-multiplying swipe of Grande Cosmetics GrandeDRAMA Intense Thickening Mascara as your finishing touch.

Bronze and Peachy

J.Lo's warm peach and bronze undertones, which are carried throughout the eyes, cheeks, and lips in the photo above, pair perfectly with a red dress—particularly a dress that has an orange-red hue. To replicate J.Lo's peachy glow, swap out your traditional blush for bronzer. Try Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer and use a slightly deeper bronze eyeshadow to rim the eyes. Charlotte Tilbury's Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in "Bella Sofia" offers a good mix of copper-toned shades to create your look.

Clean Skin and Bitten Lips

Jamie Chung's berry-red lip, paired with a softer berry blush and thick, voluminous eyelashes would complement any red dress. Soh's pick for a Bordeaux stain is Rouge Dior Forever Liquid in 943 Forever Shock. Alternatively, you can use a cream lip and cheek combo, like Tata Harper's Vitamin-Infused Cream Blush in "Very Naughty."

Sparkling Silver

Known for wearing some of the most shocking, jaw-dropping makeup looks of all time, Lady Gaga shows us just how well silver and red go together. When recreating this chic-but-edgy look, try swiping Stila's Glitter and Glow Liquid Eyeshadow ($ in "Diamond Dust" to the brow. Or, you can use a silver eyeliner around the eyes for something a tad more delicate. Pair it with an embellished red gown (instead of Gaga's silver), and invert the look with a silver lip, if you dare.

Monochromatic Moment

The monochromatic nude of Rose Huntington-Whiteley's makeup makes for a perfectly natural makeup look. Our pick for a subtle shadow is the Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette by Makeup by Mario which has a mix of soft brown shades. Since nude colors are different for everyone, you don't have to mimic the exact tones shown here. Instead, simply select more earthy tones in the colors that suit your skin—and make your red dress pop—the best.

Pretty in Pink

Variations of pink look beautiful next to a red dress—and not only on Valentine's Day. Since pink is a softer, less-saturated red, a pink lip and cheek have a beautifully balancing effect on a red dress. Clé de Peau Beauté's Cream Blush in "2 Pale Fig" is buildable and perfect for a soft wash of color.

The Feline Flick

"I always appreciate classic takes on beauty when it comes to red dresses, so I often create soft neutral eyes and ground the look with black eyeliner," says Soliz. As you can see here on Emily Ratajkowski, this tiny flick of eyeliner with soft and natural skin looks incredible with a red dress. To get this gently feline look, use the tip of a liquid liner like Neutrogena's Precision Liquid Eyeliner and extend it outside of the lash line ever so slightly. Since it's a bit different than a traditional winged eyeliner, you don't need to focus so much on getting the perfect shape. Follow up with some tinted moisturizer, liquid highlighter, and a natural lipgloss or lip color of your choice.

Bold and Beautiful

"If you’re going to wear a strong lip shade, keep eyes bare or just with mascara and maybe a dab of sheen from a balm or gloss to catch the light," says Soh. "For me, it’s about looking authentic and striking a balance of making an effort and nonchalant sensuality."

Embrace the “redness” of a dress and go for a strong lip paired with brushed-up brows, a light slick of liner to intensify the eyes, and mascara. We like Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution Lipstick in Scarlet Spell. For a bold brow like Kravitz's, Soh recommends Glossier Boy Brow.

Arch Support

Gather round, boys and girls: This is how a Queen Bey does it. Beyoncé paired a sparkling, cherry-red dress with tri-color curls and a muted brown beauty look. The icon let her eyes shine with perfectly groomed, high-arched brows, fluttering lashes, and a subtle cat-eye flick. She accented her lids with mocha shadows, and painted her pout with a brownish-pink gloss.

My Fair Lady

A sculpted face with red lips is very flattering on fairer skin, as seen here on Kate Bosworth. "Using neutral shadows like the Makeup By Mario Master Mattes Palette makes the eye-look easy. Start by applying a lighter shade to the lid, then sweep a medium shade through the crease," says Soliz. Add definition with black eyeliner like Pat McGrath's Perma Precision, and pull the liner out at the corners for a feline effect. "Add two coats of Charlotte Tilbury’s mascara in Pillow Talk for added drama," adds Soliz. And of course, don't hold back on the red lipstick.

Off the Vine

No one said a red dress had to be bright. "Pair the rich wine and burgundy of a deep red dress with another part of the grape, the vine. I love green and think it will make a comeback soon," says Soh. "Not bright lucid fluorescent greens but a green that’s murkier, dirtier, mossy, and sexier." His pick for an inspirational eye like Lily Collins' is Viseart Petit Fours in Peridot. For lips, try Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Pillow Talk.

Purple Rain

Kerry Washington paired a leathery, red look with the softest beauty beat. The Scandal star dusted shimmery, lilac shadows onto her eyes and swiped a shimmering pink gloss onto her lips. Her glimmering beauty look provided a perfect canvas for her red style statement to pop.

Strawberry Fields Forever

Hailey Bieber's "Strawberry Girl" makeup lends a berry-ripe flush to cheeks and lips—and would pair beautifully with a bright red dress. In a GRWM video from the summer of 2023, the Rhode founder revealed that she melded two pink cream blushes together before blending the colors onto the high points of her cheekbones. Afterwards, she used a peachy highlighter to add a gentle gleam to her complexion.

Winged Victory

In August 2023, Keke Palmer painted the town red in a chili-pepper-colored ensemble. For her makeup, she baked her skin to matte perfection, and appears to be wearing a dash of banana powder. Winged liner enhanced her muted smoky eye, and dark liner made her glossy lips pop.