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Here are 17 top coral makeup products for lips, cheeks and even eyes
We love fuchsias, reds and nudes, but on sunny summer days, the only colour we want on our lips is coral—it flatters every skin tone, looks brilliant with a tan and is just so pretty.
According to Julie Cusson, makeup artist for Chanel, coral is really a range of shades, not a single hue. It can be a sort of salmon shade, or smoky, with a hint of grey or strawberry, she explains.
And while we mostly think of it as a colour for lips and cheeks, it can also work on the eyes. My trick is to warm the cheeks with a warm coral beige and sweep the same shade on the eyes. Because you transpose the same shade on the cheeks and the eyelid, your makeup will naturally fit your features, she says. It’s important to slightly define your eyebrows and add black mascara to keep your look refined.
Those with fair and cool complexions might feel that coral is too yellow toned for them, but according to Cusson, there’s an option for everyone. Follow your complexion colour: if you are fair, choose a light coral, if you are warm-toned, choose a medium coral shade, and if your complexion is dark, choose a deep coral colour. You can’t go wrong! she says.
There’s a lot of coral out there, in every texture and tone, subtle and bold, from brands big and small, luxurious and everyday, for lips, cheeks and eyes.
Here are 17 of our favourites to choose from…
Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush in 410 Corail Naturel ($37, at Chanel counters) is a genius product for an easy summer look. You can use it on both lips and cheeks, you can build it from a sheer tint to an intense stain, and it has moisturizing ingredients too.
For a teensy hint of colour, go for a tinted balm. One swipe of Ilia Beauty Lip Conditioner in Dizzy ($34, at Ilia) gives you a subtle melon-toned pout, but you can easily build it up to more intensity. The lip conditioners were the first product created by North Van-native Sasha Plavsic when she started Ilia as a clean, organic line in 2011.
If you’re not really sure of your ideal shade, go for Dior Lip Glow Hydrating Color Reviver Lip Balm in Sheer Coral ($41, at Dior counters). It’s a subtle stick that adjusts on application to your natural lip colour. We don’t know how it works, but it does.
Vancouver brand Lippy Girl specializes in organic, earth-friendly and animal-friendly makeup. Founder Darcey Diehl makes a ton of professional-standard coral makeup, but we dig the Vegotastic Lipgloss in Pookie ($22, at Lippygirl and independent stores). A nude pale peachy coral gloss, it’s vegan, organic and has jojoba oil, castor seed oil and shea butter to moisturize.
If you’re keen to try a strawberry-toned coral, go for Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur in 18, Rose Shocking ($43, limited edition at Chanel counters). It gives a satin finish and comes in a twist-up crayon so you can easily apply it on the go.
Beautycounter leads the way in clean beauty—the American brand’s consultants have lobbied the Canadian Parliament and US Congress for more regulation on cosmetic ingredients. Its Colour Intense Lipstick in First Date ($42, at Beautycounter) is long-wearing, with a satin finish and contains peppermint oil for a subtle tingle.
Who says coral has to be subtle? NYX Soft Matte Metallic Lip Cream in Manila ($9, at drugstores) gives intense colour in a matte texture with a metallic finish for maximum impact.
Is there anything that ultimate multi-hyphenate Padma Lakshmi can’t do? Her latest project is a capsule collection of makeup for M.A.C, including M.A.C x Padma Lipstick in Mittai Pink ($23, online and at M.A.C counters), a fuchsia-leaning coral in a gilded tube.
For a poppy-toned coral, there’s Kosas Lip Color in Thrillist ($37, online and at Kiss and Makeup). It’s bold and statement-making, and packed with antioxidants and moisturizing ingredients.
Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color in Coral Crush ($9.99, at select drugstores and mass-market retailers) is creamy, pigmented and gives an expensive-looking satin finish.
Ultra-matte lipsticks give a touch of drama for an evening look, but it’s hard to find one that doesn’t make lips look dry. Laura Mercier Velour Extreme Matte Lipstick in On Point ($34, at Sephora) does the trick and is a beautiful orange-toned shade.
Who doesn’t love a product with multiple uses? Better still if it’s clean, vegan and cruelty free. Elate Clean Cosmetics Universal Crème in Bliss ($29, online and at independent stores and salons) gives coral colour to lips and cheeks, lasts all day, has a dewy finish, is moisturizing, and is made in B.C.
An easy, chic way of getting a monochromatic coral look is with Bite Beauty Multistick in Papaya ($28, at Sephora and Bite Beauty). Made in Toronto, it goes on like a cream and finishes like a powder, and can be used on lips, cheeks and eyes.
Light, but super-pigmented, we like that Nudestix Nudies All Over Face Color Matte in In the Nude ($33, at Sephora) is shimmer-free, so gives a natural boho look to lips, cheeks and eyes, and comes with a brush for easy blending.
The perfect product to give darker skin tones a coral flush is Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Luminous Multi-Colour in Deep ($75, limited edition at Chanel counters). You can use it two ways. For a subtle highlight, sweep the half-moon brush across all shades and apply to areas of the face that catch the light. To accentuate the cheeks, use the tip of the brush to apply just the brightest shade to cheekbones.
When hip NYC brand Glossier landed in Canada last year, its Cloud Paint blush ($18) was at the top of everyone’s wish list. It comes in a tube and you dab it on with your fingers for a lit-from-within flush. Beam is the perfect coral peach for medium skin tones.
