The perfect red lips
My whole life I have been fascinated by the perfect red lip. My fascination stems back to when I was a child and I used to watch classic films from the 40s and 50s.
The perfect red lip conjures different memories for everyone. For me, it is my first memory of beauty, having seen it as a child in old school Revlon print ads and Marilyn Monroe movies. But beauty’s most classic and gorgeous trend can also be the most intimidating to achieve, it doesn’t have to be.
There are a few simple steps that you can take to avoid red lipstick mistakes – such as the dreaded lipstick on teeth (my personal pet peeve) or bleeding of color outside the lip line – and make sure you look as fabulous as Gwen Stefani does (pictured left).
For ensuring the durability and lasting of your perfect red lip, I have a few Lipstick 101 tips:
1. Make sure to use a lip pencil matching the natural color of your lips, and use this color to fill in your entire lip. This will provide a base for your lip color, while adding balance and symmetry to your look. My favorites include Kevyn Aucoin’s The Flesh Tone Lip Pencil, which I’ve tried at Sephora and can vouch for its beautiful and creamy color, as well as the Serge Lutens Lip Pencil.
2. Depending on how comfortable you feel with red lipstick, you can either apply it using a lip brush for a more precise look or straight from the tube. For a less committal look for an amateur, you can also dab it on with your finger for less dense color.
Insider Secret: To give the lipstick more lasting power, after performing steps 1 and 2 noted above, I recommend using a sheet of oil blotting paper and press it against the lips to remove all oil. He then applies another layer of color, which adds a whole other layers of indestructibility to the color.
For those of you intimidated by the thought of such a bold lip color, I also had a few tips for making sure that you choose right color to suit your coloring:
Fair to Medium skintones: Try a true Blue Red shade, classic Red, which also acts beautifully as a teeth brightener. My favorites include Dior Celebrity Red.
Medium to Darker skintones: Try a warmer Red, with deeper russet/brown. My favorite is Kevyn Aucoin’s Bloodroses.
Lastly, if you want to wear red lipstick for day as well as night, make sure that you differentiate your look. For a Daytime look, I recommend that you keep the focus on the lips and downplay the rest of your makeup by using only a soft mascara, and a strong groomed brow to appear as effortless as Kirsten Dunst. Nighttime can be revved up with a glamorous smoky eye, with a beautifully highlighted cheek and a shimmering champagne shade on the lids.
Ultimately, the best tip for wearing red lipstick is to wear it with confidence, as it is a beautiful look that can look great on everyone and is the beauty equivalent of the little black dress.
TIPS:
Find the right shade for you. For brunettes and women with olive complexions it is best to find a red color with tinges of blue in it. For Blondes or people with fair skin that have a tendency towards redness, it is best for go for cherry reds or reds with pink undertones.
The red lip can absolutely be worn during the day if it is the main feature of the face. Look at your face like a triangle, with the eyes as two points, scaling down to the cheeks then the lips. Only one of the three areas of the triangle (eyes, cheeks or lips) should play the starring role- not two, and certainly not all. Following this rule can help you avoid looking overdone like a clown. I suggest that to wear the red lip during the day it is best to use only mascara to define the eyes and a subtle blush for the cheeks. For night play it up with an eyeliner.
If you are running late to work, for example, the red lip can really brighten your face and pull your look together quickly.
To apply always use lip liner. Start by lining the lips and then feathering the liner in, avoiding the central area of the lip. Then apply your lipstick or gloss. If you wish to make your lips look fuller, you can apply clear gloss in the center of the lip on top of your lipstick.
Use foundation or brightener on the skin around the mouth to highlight the lip and make it appear expertly applied. This will give you that professional polish those 40s film stars had.
As for your concerns about how to eat with the red lip, there are three options:
Apply a lip stain that will last all day. You can apply the stain and then a clear gloss on top to create a moisturized look. You will not have trouble with your red lip color coming off while eating if you do this.
If you don’t want to wear a lip stain, you can fill in your entire lip with the lip liner before applying your lipstick. This will not ensure that it does not come off while eating but if you’re careful the lip liner can help to preserve the look while you lunch.
If you are really concerned that your lipstick will come off (or end up on your chin) while eating, you can take it off all together and reapply after lunch.