Loving Red Lips

      Over the last year or so we have been seeing red lips everywhere, all of the major celebrities wear red now, even Kim Kardashian who's signature looks is smokey eye and pale lip. The popularity of the vintage look is probably due to the success of shows like Mad Man, Boardwalk Empire, Pan Am and the recent release of the "My week with Marilyn" film (which I haven't seen yet but dying to see it!!!).

  Most women love red lipstick and think it looks great on other women but they don't think they can pull it off personally. They often tell me that red looks too overpowering, especially if they have fuller lip; and they don't feel like themselves with bright lips. 

I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT EVERY WOMAN CAN WEAR RED LIPSTICK!!!

  You only have to find the right shade, coverage and texture. There are many kids of red out there; some have cooler tones to them, some warmer. Some are super shiny and some mat. 

  From my experience the best finish for red lipstick is one that is light,  mat and on a sheer side. To make the look more approachable there are two rules to follow when applying red lips: 

1. Use a lipstick brush. I find that when using a lip brush the application is more precise and you have more control with how much product you apply. Experiment with it and you will see for yourself!

2. Skip the lipliner. Using a lipliner when applying red color might make the lips look too dramatic, too strong. I like to skip the liner for a softer and more modern look.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SHADE:

• There is no way going around this... you will just have to be patient and keep trying!
• I would advise that you go to such retailers as Sephora or Bluemercury. This way you can just keep trying different shades without being "a pain in the butt" for the sales person.
• Bring your own lipstick brush, you might also want to bring some alcohol pads (Spehora has alcohol on their makeover stations), which you can use to sanitize product and your brush.
• Look at the colors you are drawn to and simply apply them. Look at the result in at least two different mirrors.
• If you don't like it, take it off and try another one. (Sephora has cotton rounds and makeup remover but if you like you can bring your own makeup wipes) It might be helpful to bring your own foundation since sometimes the red lipstick are hard to remove. Make sure you touch up the area around the lips between applications, if the skin around the lips is red the lipstick will not look good!

There are so many brands out there that it is hard for me to tell you which one is the best. You will have to see which suites you best. Through my explorations I found Dior Addict in Smoke and I really love it for my personal use.

On last note: Try different shades even if you think they might not work. You never know! Also usually the more toned down versions of red look best for ever day look!

GOOD LUCK!

xoxoxoxo!

Aleksandra