3 Ways To Wear Red Lips This Valentine's Day

3 Ways To Wear Red Lips This Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is best served with a bold red lip.
A red lip is sexy, it can be fierce, it demands attention, and it is the calling card of the vixen.
But if you are a girl who doesn't normally wear red the mere thought of that can be overwhelming! 
If a red lip seems scary, or feels like too much work, here are 3 easy ways  to slip into a sexy Valentine's rouged moue.

lipliner and gloss

1.   Ease your way in to red by lightly coloring your entire lip with a red lipliner, then adding a clear gloss.

lipliner and lipstick patted in with your finger

2.   Want something a little more substantial but still keeping it muted? Shape your lip with a red liner then pat a soft red lipstick on with your finger. You can control the intensity by tapping on a little more or a little less depending on your mood.
In the picture above we kept it super soft and subtle.

3.   Feeling a little more emboldened? 

bold, matte, red lip

Try out a velvety matte red lip. Shiny red lips can slip and slide, and often men cringe at the thought of kissing them and getting it all over their face.
Matte is the easiest way to wear red as it doesn’t move or bleed and stays on your lip rather than your glass. Or your man.
And it's sexy.

Looking for a new red lipstick?
Check out How To Choose Your Perfect Lip Color here

and The Best Red Lipsticks post here
I am also crazy about the new Temptu Color True red lipstick. Check it out in the link above.

The model in this story is my assistant Whitney, and all images were photographed by Jessica Savidge (www.SavidgePhotography.com)

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Also I would love to hear about your favorite red lipsticks! Drop me a line in the comments section below and tell me all about them!

Christmas Red - The Best Red Lips For The Season

I am all about a bold red lip at Christmas time.

Actually, I am all about a bold red lip most of the time.

I wear Julie Hewett Rouge Noir - the perfect true red - almost every day at the moment, and it has been my go to red lip since it first came out back in the 90's. I wonder how many tubes of it I have gone through over the years?? It's either scary to think about, or glorious. Not sure which!

If you are shopping for a new red, or looking for a great stocking stuffer, here are my all time favorite red lipsticks. (with online shopping links)

1.MAC Ruby Woo

This has got to be one of the greatest red lipsticks ever. Period.

It has a blue base, so if you are a blue-red girl don't even question it, just get it. It's fabulous.

Order online here

Ruby Woo

2. This next one is my personal red lipstick  

Julie Hewett Rouge Noir.

A perfect true red lip.

Order online here

Julie Hewett Rouge Noir

3. Lime Crime Red Velvet

I'm pretty obsessed with this velvet finish, deep red lip. It's a cult classic, and there's nothing quite like it out there.

Order online here

4. Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Intense M8
Another really fantastic red lip. Intensely pigmented, this one gives color with a punch, and it lasts and lasts.
Order online here

5. Not a blue-red girl? Well if you are an orange-red girl then this is a fantastic, vibrant lipstick for you.

MAC Lady Danger

Order online here

Lady Danger

6. Nars Jungle Red 

This one is a 1950s, silver screen movie star red lip. Muah.

Order online here

7. Inglot Perfect Red Lips Number 126
Order online here

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Quote Of The Day ~ Francois Nars

How To Choose Your Perfect Lip Color

Finding your perfect lip color is like finding your perfect pair of jeans.
You can dress it up or dress it down, what ever the occasion it will make you look fabulous.

But standing in front of the lipstick stands at the MAC store or Sephora can be overwhelming, with an endless array of shades, hues and textures to choose from, so here is a guide to choosing your perfect lip color, and building your lipstick wardrobe. 

Firstly some lipstick rules. 

*The darker the shade, the smaller your lips will look.

*Need the lip to look bigger and more luscious? Gloss it up

*Older/more mature skins should avoid deep, dull shades and matte finishes.

Now, building your lipstick wardrobe.

Start with a good neutral lip. 

Jennifer Lopez in a perfect neutral lip

Look for a shade that is a little brighter than your natural lip color. Some people look better in a pinky based neutral, others in a more peachy/brown based neutral. African American women look stunning in eggplant, I love coral based neutrals on Asian women.

*Avoid neutrals that are paler than your natural lip color. 

They may look stunning in magazine photo spreads and on the runway, but in real life it looks like you put concealer on your lips. It looks far too opaque. 
*A matte lip that is paler than your natural lip color will totally wash you out.

Try it right.
I like to test lip shades on the middle of the lower lip. Don't be fooled by the lighting in stores either - check out a color in natural light before you commit to it.

Mix It Up
Once you have a really great neutral, you can use it to modify almost any color that is happening in fashion, whether you apply it as a base and then add a coat of the fashion shade over top, or whether you apply the hot new trend in lips first, and then tap a little of your neutral into the center of the lip to tone it down. 

How To Choose Your Perfect Color

Pale Skins: 




If your complexion is pale, look for soft peachy nudes.
For a pop of color look at cool toned fuschias, and for some super-glam look at bold reds.

Avoid muddy chocolate tones and deep burgundies. The contrast will generally be unflattering, and those tones will suck the life and the light out of your skin.

Dark Skin

Almost everything looks gorgeous on dark skin! Make sure you work with your undertones though - if you have deeper blue/purple undertones some oranges may not work, if you have very olive undertones some of the blue based colors may not be ideal.
The big thing to avoid milky pale tones, or colors with a lot of white in them, as this can be too much contrast and not look so flattering.
Look for a texture with a nice sheen or a gloss.

Olive Skin

Penelope Cruz Red Lip

Again almost everything will look stunning on an olive complexion. Look at oranges and corals, and orange based reds, beautiful warm shades that don't wash you out.






Avoid browns - it can be too monochromatic and strip the life out of your skin. Also avoid purples. They will make the skin look yellow and sallow.

Yellow Undertones

If your complexion has a more yellow tone to it, look for bronzes, flesh tones and blue based reds. Cranberries and raspberries can be gorgeous on a yellow undertoned skin, but you may need to play with them a bit to find the perfect shade.
Avoid purples, as they will make you look jaundiced.

Pink Undertones

If you have a pink undertone to your complexion, look for lip shades with a pink or peachy undertone. The best reds for a pink undertoned skin tend to be coral or orange based reds.
Be careful with blue based shades as they can clash with your skin tone and make your lips and face look cold and lifeless.

Tip: The Best Way To Wear Red Lipstick

Every woman should own a powerhouse red lipstick.

The key to pulling it off is to let it be the star of the show, and pull all of the rest of your makeup back. 
I love a bold brow to offset a bold red lip, with pared down cheeks and eyes, but tons of mascara.

Red lips are fabulous with a power suit, an L.B.D, a black pencil skirt paired with a white blouse, as they are so commanding.

But don't forget about reds when you are dressing less formally.
A red lip with a white t-shirt and jeans = perfection!

How To Wear The New Season's Bold Lip Colors

Bright, bold, commanding lip colors can be overwhelming to wear.

Dior Rouge Lipstick via Harpers Bazaar.com

If you normally wear nudes/neutrals/soft hued lip colors

a bold lip can be downright scary.

But bold, bright colors can be super flattering.

They give you an instant "wow" factor,

turn a tired girl into a vibrant girl,

are youthful and fun,

they make you sparkle,

and are a super quick way to look totally pulled together.

If you're wearing a bright lip the rest of your makeup can be dialed down, so they also make getting ready a speedy assignment. 

Michelle Williams spectacular red lip in the new Louis Vuitton campaign

With a new breed of luscious saturated and not too shiny shades of red, fuchsia and pink hitting the market, now is a great time to venture out of your comfort zone and take a walk on the bright side.

There are a few tricks to nailing this look though,

so let's take a look at how to wear the new season's bold lip colors.

Beautiful, bold lip

1. Know Your Undertone

Try on some different shades at the cosmetic counter. See if you look better with a blue undertone or a more coral undertone.

Most of us look good in pink, so find your perfect pink and then look at other shades with that same undertone.

Smelling a good sale, the girls behind the counter will fall all over themselves to help you!

2.Condition Your Lips

Dry, chapped, flaky lips don't look particularly enticing at the best of times, and look especially bad with a bold lip color.

Gently exfoliate your lips and hydrate with a good lip balm a decent amount of time before doing your lips.

Immediately prior to applying your lipstick, gently blot your lips to remove any surface slipperiness.

3. Bounce The Light

If you have a smaller or thinner upper lip you can make it look more fleshy by popping a tiny amount of luminizer or highlighter just into the top of the cupid's bow, and then blending it in with your finger. Light will hit it and bounce off, making your lip look fuller and slightly bitten.

4. Line Your Lips

With a bold lip statement you need a defined lip shape. Either use a pencil that matches your lipstick, or use a nude pencil that matches your skin.

If you are going to build the lip by going outside the natural lip line, trace the liner back inside the lip prior to reaching the corners of your mouth - otherwise you look like you have food stuck there.

5. Use A Lipbrush

A lip brush presses the lipstick into your lip, and allows for precision when defining your lip shape.

Apply the first coat, blot, and apply a second coat.

6. Minimize The Rest Of Your Makeup

With a bold lip you generally want to soften the rest of your look.

Let the bright lip color make the statement for you. Keep your eye makeup neutral but defined, give the cheeks a soft bronzy glow and define the brow to keep your look balanced.

7. Whiten Your Teeth

A bright lip needs white teeth. Keep your teeth polished up and gleaming white to get the maximum out of your look.  

How To Find Your Perfect Shade Of Red Lipstick

Ever notice how some girls can just own it in red lipstick, and others really don't?

image via I'm Not A Barbie

Red can be overwhelming, but there are a few tricks to mastering it.

First up, if you don't normally wear red, ease into it. Sometimes a red gloss can be a good stepping stone to get you used to such a strong color - you don't need to launch straight into red in its boldest form.

Next, know which undertone is right for your skin.

image courtesy of en.paperblog.com

If you are fair skinned, try a blue based red.
If you have an olive complexion you will look better in an orange based fire engine red or a brick red.
If you are dark complected a deeper more burgundy based red will look amazing.

A true, movie star red (like Julie Hewett Rouge Noir) looks amazing on pretty much everyone.

The key to owning it in a red lip is to keep everything else simple.
Keep your foundation clean, accent your brows and keep your eye almost bare.

Be a little bit more specific with your application - red needs more definition. A messily applied beige is neither here nor there, but a messily applied red lust looks awful.

Cameron Diaz, jeans, white shirt and red lips

A final note: don't save red lipstick for when you're dressing up. It looks killer with jeans or cutoffs and a white shirt.

image from blondeambition07