Seeing Red!

Tis the season for some bold reds in the makeup world. I love a red lip and every one can wear one! The key is to even out your skin tone before applying the lipstick. You don’t want any red in your skin to be “highlighted” by the lipstick. We want a perfect canvas from which to contrast the lipstick. Fair complexion? Go with blue undertones, and keep it bright if you are alabaster. More on the ivory side should sidle up to raspberry and cranberry colors. Both can try the wine tones but be careful not to go too goth (that was October!). For medium complexions, go for fiery reds and oranges! Plums can work too. Dark complexions look great with lots of pigment /contrast from orange/red to blood colors to even dark plum reds. 

Lip products come in so many formats now days that there is just no excuse not to try a red lip this season. You’ve got your traditional lipsticks, your lip pencils, the versatile lip crayons, and your lip glosses. All stand alone or can be layered to enhance the look and to make it longer lasting. 

Reds can look great when they are super carefully applied. To get that perfect red pout look, use a lip pencil in a matching shade to ensure longevity and be generous with it…that will prevent those “McDonald’s arches” on our lips that we sometimes see when red lipstick fades (ugh!). Several layers of red lipstick applied with a lip brush and blotted in-between applications will help the red last longer. Don’t blot the last layer unless you are adding a gloss. Use fine powder on a small concealer brush to “erase” any “coloring outside the lines” and to prevent feathering of the red if you have lip wrinkles!

Another red lip look has also come into vogue and that is one that is less precise and more blurred. To get this look, skip the pencil and the lip brush. Apply the red lipstick from the tube and still blot in-between applications. You will find that this technique gives a very different look than the first. 

If red lipstick just seems too much for you, try out the red lip glosses out there! It’s less of a contrast with our skin and less of a bold statement. 

Happy holidaze!