CLASSIC RED LIPS NEVER OUT OF STYLE

A woman can never go wrong by wearing a red lipstick. It's like the "little black dress" of the makeup world. Even on a day when your feeling a little down and not in the mood to do a complete makeup job, a swipe of red lipstick will light up your face and brighten up your day.

However if you are serious about creating the perfect red mouth there are some tricks to doing it right. First you need to find the right shade of red lipstick, they range from a orange based red, to a blue tone, a brown red, and the clear or true red. Now there are general rules that say an orange based red is for brunettes, red with a blue base are for blondes, and the brown based reds are good for a darker skin tone. But when it comes to color I believe a woman should just try the shade of red that appeals to her, and if anything, match your lipstick to the color of the clothing you are wearing. But even that rule is not written in stone, as sometimes, it looks great when your lipstick is in contrast to what you have on.

So be creative and go with what appeals to you most. Now that we have discussed the shades of red, let me share with you a tip for applying red lipstick. If your very young you can get away with just dabbing it on straight from the tube. But for most woman, and for those of you that want to look more sophisticated, you need to start by preparing your lips with a light coat of foundation over the lips plus powder on top, or use a lip primer such as M.A.C. Prep + Prime. Either one will act as a base for your color and help stop your lipstick from feathering. Next you will need to find a lip pencil in a shade as close to your lipstick color as possible. Use the pencil to out line your lips, following the natural lip line. If you want to make your lips look fuller or to correct uneven lips, just draw slightly outside your lip line. After lining your lip shape, take the same lip pencil and fill in your entire mouth. This will give your lipstick staying power. Now take your lip brush and the lipstick shade of your choice and carefully paint the color over the lip pencil you just applied. If you really want your lipstick to last all day blot your lips with a tissue and lightly powder over your lips before applying a second coat of lipstick.

 Nows the time to decide if you want a matte or glossy look. For a matte look, place a thin layer of tissue (pull the tissue apart until you get just one layer) on top of your lips and lightly powder over the color. To go glossy, choose a clear lip gloss, and carefully apply to the center of your lips and just lightly blend it up to your lips edge. (Photo courtesy of Bazaar magazine in homage to Man Ray).