How to Update Classic Red Lips in the Winter
Red lips are a winter favorite. Even women who are normally tame in their makeup choices turn to red over other deeper shades of lipstick during the colder months. This is because red is a classic and is deemed the ideal shade of lipstick for a lady. For proof, just look at pictures of old Hollywood actresses. If the only way you've ever worn red on your lips is to smear it on directly from the tube, here are a few variations you can play around with when you update your makeup for winter. Who knows--you might fall in love with red and make it a year-round favorite. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Foundation
- Makeup primer
- Highly pigmented dark red lip pencil
- True red creme lipstick
- Midtone pink creme lipstick
- Lip brush
- Lipstick sealer
- Red lip stain
- Deep red lip gloss
- Matching red-toned blush
- Creamy dark red lipstick and nude lip liner
- Artist's palette and spatula
Instructions
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Apply foundation over clean lips to create a blank canvas. Pat a makeup primer on top of your lip line and around your mouth to ensure your color does not bleed nor feather. Trace over your natural lip line with a highly pigmented dark red lip pencil. Using a lip brush, apply a deep, true red creme lipstick slightly lighter than the lip liner onto your lips. In the center of your bottom lip, pat on a midtone pink creme lipstick. Blend the edges seamlessly into the surrounding red, stippling some of the red on top if the pink appears too light. Apply lipstick sealer over the finished product for long-lasting, transfer-resistant color.
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Pat a red lip stain carefully all over your lips. Make sure that you meet the boundary of your natural lip line without going past it, since lip stains can take a while to fade and you want a neat, clean lip. On top of stained lips, layer a sheer but deep red gloss. This way, you get red lips that are pretty but not high-maintenance. Even when your gloss starts to wear off, the lip stain stays.
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Pair it with a matching blush and eyes free from eyeshadow. Make the red the focal point of your look by working a blush similar in tone on the apples of your cheeks. Don't worry about overdoing it; apply only a little of the blush at a time, blending away harsh lines for a natural but flushed winter glow. You may line your eyes, powder your lids and wear mascara, but do not apply any eyeshadow so you do not detract from your red lips and rosy complexion.
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Wear it as a smear. To get this look, apply a highly pigmented creamy dark red lipstick on the center of both top and bottom lips. With your finger, spread the color outwards until it touches your lip line. The highest concentration of color should be in the middle of your lips, gradually fading as you move outwards. Do not line lips; you are purposely creating an unstructured look here. For color that stays in place longer, fill lips in with a nude lip pencil prior to lipstick application.
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Tinge it with another winter color. After putting on your classic red lipstick, layer a lip gloss in a deep shade over it. For a more creative touch that helps you avoid getting streaky lip color, you can also use an artist's palette and a spatula. Simply mix some of the red lipstick with another product on the palette. Perhaps you want to play around with a shimmery lip gloss or a multi-purpose mineral powder. To stay on the classic path, you may also just blend a plum or a mauve lipstick with the red. Use a lip brush for an even application.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure that any cosmetic you apply on your mouth, such as the multi-purpose mineral makeup, is safe for use on the lips.
