Master the Perfect Red Lip

Red lipstick is pretty iconic in the beauty industry. However, there was a time when red lipstick was synonymous with prostitutes but,  today red lipstick represents femininity and strength. When you rock a firey red lip you have to be bold, brazen and dismissive of the backlash that accompanies the shock value. Truthfully, not everyone is crazy about a red lip but who cares about “them” anyway. I’ll be honest I wasn’t always crazy about red lips and if you’re a brown girl like me you can relate. I never saw women my complexion rocking red lipstick. Essentially, I programmed myself to believe I was too dark to wear red lipstick. Boy, was I wrong! Once I found my perfect red I never looked back. I now cringe at the thought I was too dark for red lips. For me red lips is an absolute must for every special event. I believe every woman should have at least one red lippie in their makeup arsenal. I’m here to help you figure out your perfect red lippie and give you some tips on how to execute it flawlessly!

Step One: Exfoliate 

Exfoliate, Exofliate, Exfoliate!!! I cannot stress this enough! There is nothing cute about crusty lips. Dry lips can cause flaking, bleeding and most importantly it’s impossible to distribute lip color evenly over dry lips. So breakout your favorite lip exfoliant and gently scrub off the dead skin on your lips. If you have some time you can create your own lip exfoliant with a tablespoon of brown sugar, a squirt of honey and a drop of vanilla.

Step Two: Moisturize and Prime

Immediately moisturize your lips with your favorite lip balm after you’ve exfoliated. I personally love MAC Cosmetics lip conditioner ($16). MAC lip conditioner leaves my lips feeling silky smooth. Blot off any excess lip conditioner and prime your lips with any lip primer of your choice. I prefer MAC lip primer ($17.50). Lip primer ensures that the lip color goes on smoothly, adhere to lips, last longer and it helps prevent feathering.

Step Three: Line and Fill 

Whatever shade of red you choose is totally up to you. The shade of red you choose should make you feel bold and powerful. I have included a little guide to help you figure out which hue of red may be more complimentary to your skin tone.

Fair Skin Tones: Bright reds with blue undertones such as cherry or a classic red are perfect for this skin tone. MAC Cosmetics Ruby Woo ($17.50) is a great option.

Medium Skin Tones: People with this skin tone maintain a lot of flexibility because they can wear a wide range of shades. Orange based reds and brick reds are extremely complimentary to this skin tone. Mac Cosmetics Russian Red and Lady Danger ($17.50) are excellent options.

Deep Skin Tones: Deep red shades are beautiful against deeper skin tones. MAC Cosmetics Viva GlamVI and Ruby Woo ($17.50) are great options for deeper-skinned beauties.

Once you’ve chosen your lipstick shade, line your lips with a complimentary lip liner shade. If you want to add dimension to your lips choose a plum or crimson liner. The liner will keep your lipstick from bleeding. Fill in your lips with your lipstick and blend your liner into your lipstick. For a glossy finish apply a clear or red lipgloss.

Step Four: Clean Up

To create a flawless pout select a small concealer brush and a small amount of concealer/foundation that is your skin tone. Trace around your mouth with the brush and clean up any excess lipstick outside of your lip line. Set the concealer/foundation with a translucent powder.

There you have it! The Perfect Red Pout! 😉