Just got around to reading the January issues of Allure and Vogue, and one thing stands out – Red Lips are here. A lot of women tend to shy away from red lips, but glossy siren-red lipstick is only one option. Red lips can be natural looking, a quick perk-up, or dramatic. We’ll consider a few options in upcoming articles, but let’s start with the basics – a no-frills, pretty red.

First step, make sure to moisturize your lips first. This is no time to have dry, flaky lips. Try dabbing a little bit of a moisturizing eye cream on your lips – it will smooth them out and plump up any lines. Make sure to get the corners of your lips as well – any lipstick won’t look it’s best if you are dry around the mouth.

Second, a lip brush helps when trying to be precise with red lipstick (otherwise, it looks messy fast…) You may want to practice a few times to get comfortable with a lip brush before you head out for the night. The nice thing about a lip brush is that you can control how much lipstick goes on and in what spots. If you apply thin coats, you can layer until you have the color/consistency you want. Another benefit of thin layers is that you can take it down a notch if you goof – and it’s easier to remove if you stray outside your lip line.

Third, you may want to dab some concealer/foundation around your mouth to put the focus on your lips. If you have highlighter on hand, gently tap some around your cupid’s bow to give a youthful glow to your mouth. To make your lips look fuller, tap a tiny amount in the middle of your lower lip.
Below is a picture of a basic red lip – the lipstick is Liptini’s Bloody Mary Straight Up Lipstick, which is a classic, universally flattering red. This is one coat with a neutral lip liner on the top of the lip for definition. It’s a great red lip for everyday that can be glammed up for a party, and layered for a more dramatic red, which we will be showing in the upcoming days.

Enjoy trying out a few shades to see what works for you – and don’t be afraid of the red lip!