What Men Secretly Think About Bright Lipstick

Bold lips were all over the spring runways. Red, orange, fuchsia, watermelon—you name it, and that lipstick color was probably present. In fact, it was one of my favorite looks for the season. Now, I may not be taking the bright-orange lipstick leap myself, but I'm also not necessarily opposed to injecting a little bit of high fashion into my beauty routine. It's fun to work a smoldering red pout or statement deep-pink now and then, right? Well, I think so...

...but I wondered if guys would be quite as crazy about this bold beauty trend. So, I asked a few. And what did they say? In a word (or two): Not exactly.

Overall, guys weren't loving those statement smackers. Most I talked to said they liked a natural, minimally prettified, look best on female lips—I'm talkin' chapstick, light pink or clear gloss only. A couple guys even confessed to adoring absolutely nothing on a gal's pout. 6 Ways Lip Gloss *Totally* Beats Lipstick Any Day Of The Week

The reasoning? Connor, a twentysomething music-management rep from Michigan who was keen on the predominant male preference—a natural, glossy look—seemed to think a high-fashion pout would equate to a high-maintenance personality. "Bold lipstick shows that they care too much about what they look like, which is probably going to reflect in their personality," he said. "Whereas, a little gloss shows that they care but don't take it too seriously."

After all the anti-color feedback, I was starting to think this whole lipstick thing was something us women just do for ourselves, and maybe to garner a few style props from each other. But, I did find one guy who told me a bold lip works for him—but only in certain circumstances, and as long as it's not too crazy. (Guess no one's super-into that bright orange, huh?) Lay It On Me! 4 Ways To Hint You Want His Kiss

"For formal occasions, lipstick is good as long as it's nothing brighter than red," 20-year-old Adam said. "And I actually prefer a darker red, if that. Nothing outlandish. But for casual days or nights, I'd prefer nothing at all. Simple is better."

It seems guys really do appreciate our natural beauty. As for me, I may still work the occasional fresh-off-the runway bold lip this season, but it's nice to know men will love my simple cutoffs-and-tee makeup just as much, if not more.