By Suzanne Patterson - Emmy Award Winning Makeup Artist, and Creator of Natural Born Cosmetics
I love a red lip! As a pro makeup artist, I love applying red as the crowning finish to a beautiful makeup. Red is bold. It makes a statement before a word is ever spoken. Let’s face it, lips can be the most alluring feature of women and they love to outline, color, and gloss them up! But red is …..unique. It’s special…..it’s sophisticated, and it’s a stand-alone color that simply speaks all by itself. It’s also the most favored color worn by many dance performers on stage.
Red lips are an expression of love, and the expression of love is a kiss. The classic red lipstick has a long and storied history and will always have a strong cultural following. Red has a distinctive way of teasing out fullness in any set of lips no matter their natural volume. It's why virtually every woman owns and loves wearing at least one favorite red that brings out what I call her lip "aura" quality, which gives a special overall brightness to her look!
Whether you wear it for holiday parties, social events, or those corporate power meetings the secret to wearing admiring red lips lies in your complexion. This means canceling out any visible red discolorations in the makeup process with a neutral toned concealer. Or, wear a foundation that delivers smooth and natural adjustable coverage, such as Graftobian's Ultra HD Glamour Creme™. Your red lips will fully bloom against a clean looking facial “canvas” and compliment your features and skin tone.
Make sure your pout is in perfect condition to rock your red! Skin on the lips is thin and more delicate than anywhere else on the face. They don’t have oil or sweat glands, and they are constantly exposed to irritants, such as lip licking, food, drinks, weather, etc.
Dry, flaky, or peeling lip texture is unsightly and that will magnify on a red colored lip! You need to gently exfoliate lips with a mild lip scrub first. Or, you can massage a lip balm on your lips then use a very soft toothbrush or wet washcloth to gently rub away the excess.
Lips naturally appear more fuller and fine lines are minimized when kept moisturized, so it’s smart move to keep a lip balm on them when not wearing lipstick. Wear it nightly at bedtime and it will go a long way to prevent dry or chapped lips, keeping them soft and supple.
Here's my 3 step guide to finding your perfect shade of red lipstick for your undertone:
Cool skin undertones have a ruddy or pinkish cast, so choosing a red lipstick with a yellow, coral, or orange tone will make skin look more grayish, and with a yellowish cast to teeth. Choose reds that have a blue undertone or ones with a purple or pinkish hints to them for a naturally luminous rosy look and whiter looking teeth.
Warm skin undertones look best in reds with yellow, golden or brown undertones They enhance and bring forward the natural warmth and yellowish golden hue in skin, and make teeth look clear and bright.
Neutral skin undertones have equal amounts of both cool and warm influences. They can wear either warm or cool undertone reds, but they look best in classic true red colors that also have the same neutral undertone characteristics. Choosing a yellowish or golden undertone red will make the skin look brighter, whereas a blue undertone red will have a sharper, higher contrast against skin and teeth.
Bottom line: Whatever red calls out your name and wins your heart, you will know it because the proof will be in the pretty!
Grab your perfect shade of red below with Natural Born Cosmetics special lipstick edition in Radiant Rubies or Relevé Reds gift sets. They are great to give or keep this holiday season! Limited availability – don’t miss out!
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