Here’s the first in what I hope will be many posts about one of my many loves, makeup. In this case, as you have probably surmised, red lips.
They say there’s a red lipstick out there for everyone. Red lipstick was the first lipstick I wore at age 15, and it’s still my favorite today. Red lips are very important to creating a retro look, so face your fear, and let’s talk about how you can go about finding the right one for you!
There are various methods you can use to find the right red for you.
1) Know your undertone.
It’s usually pretty easy to know whether you have more pink or yellow in your skin, and generally, pink undertones look better in pink or blue (cool) shades of red and yellow undertones look better in warm, brown or orange-based reds.
2) Your natural lip color.
Another trick is to use the natural color of your lips as a guide. Look for a shade that’s within two shades of the color of your lips.
3) Your skin color.
Fair girls can go for blue based reds or true reds. Light to medium skin tones look great in more muted reds, with gold undertones. Deeper skin tones look gorgeous in brick reds, brown reds or burgundy shades. But again, these are guidelines. Once you accept that yes, red lips are not for the shy, choose the shade that makes you feel good about yourself!
My favorites
Some of my favorite brands include NARS, MAC, Chanel, and Clinique. There are also bargain reds to be had from Revlon, Rimmel and L’Oreal.
Reds I love:
NARS- Cruella jumbo lip pencil.
NARS- Red Lizard
Shu Uemura- RD 175, a good sheer red
MAC- Russian Red. C’mon, if Madonna wears it you know it must be good.
MAC Red- A brighter, satin finish red. Blue undertone. More moist than Russian Red.
MAC Ruby Woo- Bright, pinky red.
These are just some reds that I like. If there’s a brand of lipstick you already love, then see what they have to offer!
Some additional words of advice.
Until you are used to this look, try going lighter on the eye makeup. Doing this keeps you from looking too made up, and it’s how our grandmothers wore the look in the 40′s and 50′s. A neutral shadow and a little liner and mascara are all you need. Also, always use lipliner, otherwise your lips are likely to feather, and not wear as long. Always have your liner, lipstick and a lipbrush if necessary with you when you go out wearing this look — especially if eating and drinking are involved. This is not a low maintenance gloss you can slap on without a mirror. You will need to excuse yourself to reapply!
2 comments
Quotes: Red lipstick, game changer? (click for more) | The Diary of Louise LeMans says:
Jul 11, 2011
[...] Thank you to my lady Katy for sending me this one. I heard red lipstick, obviously. [...]
3rd Friday at Donna’s Dress Shop! | The Diary of Louise LeMans says:
Sep 20, 2011
[...] find the right one for her skin tone. If you aren’t sure how to choose a shade of red, I did write a post on this! I definitely recommend going to Donna’s and trying them [...]