Red Lipstick: A How-To w/ the BeautyGeek on CanadianLiving.com

I admit it. I’ve been a bit shy about telling you about a how-to-apply-red-lipstick vid I did for CanadianLiving.com. I shouldn’t let the staff’s smirking get to me, I know. But I can’t help but agree with her on one point — I need more makeup! So focus your attention on the lovely Caye Maki (above, centre) and always fabulous Canadian Living assistant style editor Julia McEwen.

Enough about me — let’s talk red lipstick. Here’s a rundown of tips:

The Right Red
• choose a warm or orangey red if you have cool or blue/pink undertones in your skin
• choose a cool or pinky red if you have warm/orange undertones in your skin
• choose either tone of red if you have neutral or more golden tones in your skin

The Right Texture
• go for sheer gloss or gloss stick (such as Annabelle Le Gloss Stick or Estée Lauder Pure Color Gloss Stick) if red makes you want to run away
• try a sheer red stain (Benefit Benetint or The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain) if you want a bitten-lip natural look
• wear a creamy lipstick if you’re all over the red-lips look (Chanel Rouge Hydrabase Lipstick or Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Red Collection)
• avoid matte if you’re worried about looking aged (if you’re under 30, go for it)

Lip Prep
• smooth lips by buffing with the corner of a washcloth or towel soaked in hot water and wrung out
• or smooth with a lip-scrubby product — my pal Lesa loves Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15
• apply lip balm pronto, do the rest of your makeup, and blot before applying colour
• or instead of balm, apply eye cream; it sinks in so you don’t have to blot

Application
• outline lip area — yes, just outside the natural lip line — with clear lip liner, such as Revlon ColorStay Clear, which helps keep colour contained
• boost staying power by lining and filling lips in with a neutral or matching lip liner before applying lip colour (skip if you’re going for sheer gloss or would rather put lipliner over the lip colour)
• apply lipstick with a brush, starting from the middle of the lip and working out
• after lipstick application, if you opted not to colour lips in with liner first, lightly stroke matching-red lip liner over the lipstick as a top coat

I think for most of us red lip colour is as much an attitude as it is a cosmetic. I don’t wear it often — not even in the how-to (I thought about it, but decided to keep the focus on Caye’s lips). My personal makeup preference is an understated look, and red makes a statement. Plus, it’s a lip look that requires a certain amount of maintenance throughout the day. Still, every once in a while, the red urge strikes. Maybe today.

Well, I’ve delayed long enough. *grin* Click here to see the vid.

Look for model Caye Maki in a great eco-chic “Re-Fashioning” story in this month’s Homemakers magazine.

Tagged as: beauty how-to, CanadianLiving.com, Julia McEwen, red lipstick