What is it about a patent red lip that unfailingly turns heads? Throughout history, red has often been utilized as a symbol of guilt, anger, warning, murder, and sin (ahem, The Scarlet Letter, anyone?). But it has also been associated with lust, love, beauty, and passion. Red catches attention, and psychological research has proven that men find women wearing red more attractive (it causes their heart rate to increase)! Gwyneth Paltrow said it best when she proclaimed “beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.”
So why not rock a red lip? There’s a perfect red out there for every woman, from sheer and mild to rich and wild. In fact, back in the day, almost every woman wore red lipstick (and even straight men, I swear). Thin lips? A sheer wash of any bright color can instantly give your lips more pout – and a deep red can make any large lip look more defined and sexy!
I’m going to be bold and start by saying in all capital letters: DO NOT USE RED LIP LINER!
Instead, dab a little concealer around the lip line and follow with a nude lip liner (this shade should match the deepest color in your lip). Line your lips (with your mouth closed, smiling to pull the lip tight) and lightly fill your entire lip as well. Nude liner is really all a woman needs, it looks great with every color and never looks out-dated and ‘drawn.’
When choosing a finish for your lips, keep in mind the amount of maintenance you’re willing to put in. A lip stain, for example, will stain your lips red for the entire day without the need for touchups (or even lip liner). However, the color often doesn’t have the impact, shine, or depth of a lipstick. Matte red lipsticks are classic and timeless, but I prefer to use matte reds only when my client’s skin is hydrated and dewy. Matte on matte looks great in photos; not at the office. A satin lipstick will give you a natural shine and sheer to rich color, and is probably your best option for daily use. Of course, I’m a huge fan of red gloss over red lips (see photo), there’s nothing sexier than a perfect slick crimson!!!
Try applying your lipstick with your fingers. This melts the color into the lip, giving your pout a ‘bitten’ look that looks oh-so-chic!
Also, give your matte red more dimension with a touch of clear gloss in the center of your bottom lip!
Some of my favorite red lipsticks include:
‘Jungle Red’ by NARS
‘Legendary’ by Smashbox
‘Revolution’ by Urban Decay (pictured)
‘Ignition’ by Vincent Longo
‘Box’ by Illamasqua
‘No. 9′ by Armani Cosmetics
‘Russian Red’ by MAC
‘Red No. 5′ by Chanel
‘#17 Rouge’ by Bourjois
Followed by glosses:
‘Starlit’ and ‘Siren’ by Smashbox (’Siren’ pictured)
‘Guys Love Betsy’ by Urban Decay
‘NSFW’ by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics
‘Turbulent’ by H.I.P.
‘Glossy Full #1′ by Make Up For Ever
‘Strawberry Smoothie’ by Dior
Feel free to comment or write in with photos of your best reds!
Modeled by Karla Jae
Makeup by Jordan Liberty
Photo by Jonathan Sorber
Additional Sources: Wikipedia
Jordan.Thanks for this amazing post.
YES! I’m so glad you wrote about this – I’m loving red lips right now. Specifically, “Russian Red” by MAC so I was glad to see it got an honerable mention here.
Honestly, it’s the only lipstick I’ve seen so far that has EVER flattered me (in ANY shade), but now I have a list of a few more to go and check out
Thanks Jordan!
Favourite red lipstick would be MAC Red, with Cult of Cherry lipglass being my favourite gloss.. sadly the later was limited edition. I hate when that happens..
Will keep the list in mind, next time I’m shopping for reds. :]