Other than keeping the rest of your makeup light, the first rule of applying red lipstick is that there are no set rules except what works best for you.
If you’re like the multitudes of females around the world, who wear makeup, you already know the powerful lure of red lipstick!
Once you’ve adhered to the only hard and fast rule of downplaying your face, you don’t have to avoid the classic lip color that has graced famous mouths from Marilyn Monroe to Angelina Jolie, Taylor Swift and BeyoncĂ©.
Oftentimes, tips given by makeup artists in various publications meant to help make the how-to procedure fail-safe for readers contradict other prescribed practices. You can line your lips either before or after applying lipstick.
Although industry pros have differing schools of opinion regarding their preferences, the majority agree on a few basic universal techniques when starting the all important application process. Finding just the right shade, an essential step in going red, is virtually impossible.
Basically, “choose what’s right for you; as long as the color gets on the lips, you’re good.”
I quickly learned no matter how great a shade looked on a display shelf, didn’t necessarily mean it would work with your particular skin tone. The solution advised? Experiment, “try a bunch of shades…and blend a few to create the perfect shade of red.”
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The first stick I ever bought was crimson red with a tinge of orange, which I thought complemented my complexion. Because I had no clue about the different kinds and finishes that were available; I purchased a matte type that made my lips appear flat.
Once I’d settled on a darker cream-based hue, I still had to get the application down perfectly. Having read cosmetic dos and don’ts’ sections in lots of fashion magazines, I wasn’t completely ignorant to the proper suggested methods.
I knew there was a routine beyond merely pursing the lips together and spreading on a layer of red color. Applied with precision, red can be a real stunner!
Among several finite points on which experts disagreed was choosing a lip liner. Realsimple.com recommends using one “close to your natural lip color.“
Oprah.com advocates you prime your lips with balm, use a brush to get “precise edges” and then “start in the middle of your mouth and move out to the corners.”
To alleviate the guesswork in your quest for perfect red lips, video demo blogs are also available to guide you in applying the bold color.