Red Light District

26Aug09

Wouldn’t it be fab if you could test out sanitized samples of potential beauty buys in a private stall with natural lighting, and a basin for washing up afterword? Sounds like this little street I once saw in Amsterdam. So if you’re seeing red, lets get to talking about some foolproof ways to wear red hot lips.

There is a red lip color for everyone. This bears repeating: there is a red lip color for everyone! Red lips can convey good health, strength and sophistication, playfulness, or firey sex appeal. A sheer red balm or gloss like Lip Fusion Color Shine $38 in “Ripe” makes my best girlfriend Sara look pretty and polished. It’s the only makeup she wears. A rich matte red like TRUE pure lip color $24 in “Muse” gives my petite friend Elizabeth a powerful, high-fashion look. The right reds flatter women of all skin tones and age groups. Here’s an easy rule of thumb: swipe a little of the color onto the back of your hand and check for pinkness or an orange tone. Now, if you turn your wrist up and look at the veins along your inner arm, they’ll appear mostly blue or purple (cool skin tone) or mostly green (warm skin tone). If you have cool skin, choose pinky reds, also called “blue” reds by makeup artists. If you have warm skin, stick to orange-red or brown-based lip colors. There are also neutral reds that stay true to the color they appear in the tube, and all of us can wear them, but they are few and far between. You’ll want to be aware of the whiteness of your teeth, as a very blue (cool) red will emphasize yellow tones. Pick up a box of Crest Premium Plus Whitestrips $32 and a tube of Jemma Kidd Classic Couture Lip Color $16 in “Siren” for a sultry combination at a great price.

There are a lot of popular rules about red lipstick, most of which I feel are total hooey. For example, “Never wear red lipstick during the daytime,” or, “Emphasize your eyes or your lips, but never both.” I wholeheartedly disagree with both statements. Red lips look clean and youthful against clear, glowing skin and nothing says “cheerful” to me like great skin and a happy smile in broad daylight! And while a very precise, light-colored eye makeup application looks fresh with red lipcolor, a smoky, heavily lined eye with a sheer berry gloss can be dead sexy.

I do subscribe to the age-old advice that if you try on a lipcolor in a department store, you should wear it around for a few hours outdoors before you buy it. The fluorescent lights in said stores dull bright colors, and add unnatural greenish tones (the real reason your Makeover Specialist is wearing orange foundation!). If you buy your products in a discount or drug store, ask about their return policy. Many such stores will take back an undesired shade and exchange the item or even give you a full refund. Save your receipts!

While there’s no harm in projecting a little hooker-chic from time to time, remember there are several ways to make reds work for you, without making you look like you’re… ahem, working, wink wink.

Filed under: Beauty Products, beauty tips, Lipstick   |  1 Comment
Tags: beauty, beauty tips, cosmetics, Crest Whitestrips, Jemma Kidd, lipcolor, LipFusion, lipgloss, Lipstick, makeup, red, Red Light District, TRUE