Lady in Bold
Friday, November 20th, 2009
Red is usually the go-to lip colour where a sexy look is concerned but it is not the easiest color to wear.
Red lip colour is a high maintenance colour. It’s very noticeable when it starts bleeding, a special concern for those of us with lip lines or fine lines that radiate outward from the lips, usually as a result of aging or premature aging caused by smoking, or when it starts to wear throughout the day/night.
Red, like other richly pigmented lipcolours but moreso, highlights any imperfections on the face, so to successfully wear bold red lipstick your foundation and concealer application needs to be on point as any wrinkles, blemishes, dark spots or hyper-pigmented (darkened areas) on your face will be on full blast.
For minimalista ‘bold’ lip colour glam consider:
- Layering red lipstick over lip balm to create a softer look, with just a hint of colour or
- Choosing a bold but translucent lip gloss instead.
Some tips for successfully wearing red lip colour are below. The same steps would aid in extending the wear of other bold lip colours; fuschia, plum, cherry et. al.
For bold lip colour glam:
1. Select the right red
Finding a tone of red that compliments your skin tone can be difficult for some skin tones.
Typically, these work best for the following skin undertones:
- Warm Yellow skin undertones - Brown reds. Brown undertones in lip colour often bring out the yellow-ness in teeth though so pick your peony. If you are particularly conscious of yellow teeth consider wearing Red’s cousin; a plum or berry based lip colour.
- Warm Red undertones – Blue reds
- Warm red/ orange undertones – wear similar red/ orange reds
- Cool blue undertones – berry and plummy reds
The same guide can be used when selecting plums, pinks & cherries
2. Exfoliate & Moisturize lips
Red, dry, flakey lips is not the business.
Read more about exfoliating lips here
3. Apply foundation to lips
You can use the same shade of foundation that you normally use for your face. This attempts to even lip tone and provide the best possible palette for even application.
Limit application to lip area. In the event that foundation gets on upper and lower lip area, blend well.
4. Layer lips with loose powder
Dust lips with loose powder using either a powder puff or powder brush. This sets the foundation on lips, much like it would on the face, and helps colour last longer.
5. Line lips with lip liner
- Starting at the right corner of the top lip, move toward the middle of the lip with lip liner, in the exact or similar shade to your desired lipstick colour, using short controlled strokes.
- Move to the left corner of the top lip and repeat.
- Repeat entire process on the bottom lip.
Lip liner applied in this way helps prevent bleeding of lip color, especially where lip lines (fine lines around lips, usually as a result of aging or premature aging caused by smoking) are present.
TiP: Placing the pinky finger (of the hand holding the lip liner) on the chin area while you apply the lip liner on step 5. and 6. can help stabilize and ease application.
6. Fill in entire lip with lip liner
- Starting again at the right corner of your top lip, using the same short, control strokes, fill entire lip from corner moving toward the middle of the lip.
- Move to the left corner of the top lip.
- Repeat entire process on the bottom lip.
7. Apply lipstick
Using a lipstick brush, apply lipstick with lip brush in the same manner that the lip was filled in with the lip liner.
TiP: For added dimension add a dab of lip gloss on the middle of tip and bottom lip and and blend.
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Pucker up!
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Supernova
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