Over at The Fedora Lounge, we ladies always seem to have a post (or two or seven) going on about lipstick. Red lipstick. What shades do we wear? How do we apply them? What tricks can we share with others? And while in the vintage world of fashion I'm still a toddler, there are a few things I have learned!
Amber's Recipe for Perfect Red Lips
Before we begin... do yourself (and your mouth) a favor by making sure your teeth are brushed and your lips have been buffed. Simplest way to do this is taking a washcloth, wetting it with warm water, and rubbing it across your lips to remove any chapped or dead skin. I do this twice a day; once at night after I've taken off my make-up (and then I slather my lips in chap stick for the night), and in the morning before I put my lipstick on.
1. Start with a lip primer (like MAC Prep & Prime).
This is #1 on my list for a very big reason. Having your lips primed for something as bold as red lips is crucial. It helps prevent the color from feathering or bleeding into the skin around your mouth--and I don't care how young or old you are, the lipstick will find a place to go. I've found a good trick is to also use the primer on the outside of your lips as well (some people use foundation for this).
While we're hovering near the subject... foundation and eye shadow primers are also great investments! Urban Decay makes an eyeshadow primer that kicks some serious tail--I once wore eyeshadow for 14 hours with no creasing because of it. Sephora carries their brand of foundation primer which I find very pleasant; it works well and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
2. Line & fill in your lips with a neutral color (like Victoria's Secret Very Sexy lip liner in "Warm Honey").
I find by lining my lips with a neutral shade helps me to a.) secure my lipstick to my lips and b.) tweak with the color a bit. I tend to favor blue-reds or brick reds as opposed to orange-reds. "Warm Honey" being brown based helps me anchor those colors better.
3. Line your lips with a red liner (like Sephora brand's lip liner in Red #45).
Step 3 is often heavily debated on TFL. Some ladies swear by using a matching red liner, other's say phooey! and just use the neutral shade. I'm in the first lot! With the reds I use, Sephora's #45 has been a great color to match them all, which negates the need for multiple liners. Bargain alert: Sephora brand lip liner is only $5 and it lasts! I've had my lip pencil since North Carolina, almost a year ago!
4. Fill in lips with chosen shade (like VS Very Sexy lipstick in "Don't Stop" or "Vixen" from I Am Trouble by Masuimi Max), using a lip brush.
A lip brush has become one of those items in my arsenal that will never be replaced. Woe unto the day that I lose it, because there will be a serious hissy fit! Using a lip brush, apply some of the lipstick to the brush directly from the tube. Then apply to your lips, making sure to blend well into your lip liner.
The following steps would be to blot, re-apply your lipstick, and finish off with a powder. I usually use the old finger-in-the-mouth routine to remove any lipstick that may end up on my teeth--just stick your finger in your mouth and pucker up baby! Today I did use a setting powder applied through one-ply toilette paper, but I haven't decided how much I like it.
And there you have it! My recipe for the perfect red lips!
Amber's Recipe for Perfect Red Lips
Before we begin... do yourself (and your mouth) a favor by making sure your teeth are brushed and your lips have been buffed. Simplest way to do this is taking a washcloth, wetting it with warm water, and rubbing it across your lips to remove any chapped or dead skin. I do this twice a day; once at night after I've taken off my make-up (and then I slather my lips in chap stick for the night), and in the morning before I put my lipstick on.
1. Start with a lip primer (like MAC Prep & Prime).
This is #1 on my list for a very big reason. Having your lips primed for something as bold as red lips is crucial. It helps prevent the color from feathering or bleeding into the skin around your mouth--and I don't care how young or old you are, the lipstick will find a place to go. I've found a good trick is to also use the primer on the outside of your lips as well (some people use foundation for this).
While we're hovering near the subject... foundation and eye shadow primers are also great investments! Urban Decay makes an eyeshadow primer that kicks some serious tail--I once wore eyeshadow for 14 hours with no creasing because of it. Sephora carries their brand of foundation primer which I find very pleasant; it works well and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
2. Line & fill in your lips with a neutral color (like Victoria's Secret Very Sexy lip liner in "Warm Honey").
I find by lining my lips with a neutral shade helps me to a.) secure my lipstick to my lips and b.) tweak with the color a bit. I tend to favor blue-reds or brick reds as opposed to orange-reds. "Warm Honey" being brown based helps me anchor those colors better.
3. Line your lips with a red liner (like Sephora brand's lip liner in Red #45).
Step 3 is often heavily debated on TFL. Some ladies swear by using a matching red liner, other's say phooey! and just use the neutral shade. I'm in the first lot! With the reds I use, Sephora's #45 has been a great color to match them all, which negates the need for multiple liners. Bargain alert: Sephora brand lip liner is only $5 and it lasts! I've had my lip pencil since North Carolina, almost a year ago!
4. Fill in lips with chosen shade (like VS Very Sexy lipstick in "Don't Stop" or "Vixen" from I Am Trouble by Masuimi Max), using a lip brush.
A lip brush has become one of those items in my arsenal that will never be replaced. Woe unto the day that I lose it, because there will be a serious hissy fit! Using a lip brush, apply some of the lipstick to the brush directly from the tube. Then apply to your lips, making sure to blend well into your lip liner.
The following steps would be to blot, re-apply your lipstick, and finish off with a powder. I usually use the old finger-in-the-mouth routine to remove any lipstick that may end up on my teeth--just stick your finger in your mouth and pucker up baby! Today I did use a setting powder applied through one-ply toilette paper, but I haven't decided how much I like it.
And there you have it! My recipe for the perfect red lips!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for dropping by! I love comments and I read each and every one of them. You can also contact me by e-mail if you want to chat!
"Never miss an opportunity to make others happy, even if you have to leave them alone in order to do it."
~ Author Unknown
In other words: Be nice or I will delete you!