TRICKS OF THE TRADE Crimson lips are hot By Kelly Misa Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 02:26:00 07/25/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Take a cue from stars Jessica Alba, Penélope Cruz, Mischa Barton and Dita Von Teese who have recently been seen at the red carpet, wearing glamorous red lips.
There is just something about crimson lips that makes a woman look and feel alluring. The color red translates to power, and when it is put on lips is sexy, sultry and dramatic. It requires confidence from its wearer and demands attention from its onlookers. And when worn at the right time and place can be striking!
For most women though, scarlet lips can be intimidating. And too many times we’ve seen the wrong way of wearing red lips on other people. Images of rouge bleeding over the lip line, smears from careless application and the most common, getting lipstick on the teeth are only a few reasons to remain faithful to our favorite nude lipstick.
Pulling off red lips may be easier than you think. With these tricks you can dodge one or two beauty blunders and instead look polished, elegant and stunning. Shu Uemura makeup artist Angie Cruz gives us her expert advice on how to wear red lips.
Find your perfect shade. Getting the right shade of red is critical; the key is to get the shade that complements your skin tone. “If you have fair skin, go for reds with blue undertones, and if you have olive or dark complexion, warmer reds with brown or orange will flatter you,” says Cruz. A tip for finding that perfect shade is to smear four or five tones of red that you initially like at the back of your hand. Doing this can help you see the subtle color differences of each lipstick and find that one hue that suits you.
Moisturize your lips. Dry or chapped lips can look worse in red lipstick! Give your lips a 24-hour head start and treat them the night before. Slough away dry skin with a soft, wet toothbrush and apply a moisturizing or repairing lip balm at night to keep your lips nice and soft. Or better yet, make this a nightly habit so your lips look great at all times.
Apply with care. Follow the lead of makeup pros and use a lip brush when applying red lipstick. It keeps you within the natural line of your lips and helps avoid messy mistakes. “Start at the bow of your lips and blend the color out towards the corners of your mouth. But do not apply the lipstick directly on the corners of your mouth as it can look harsh and clownish,” Cruz says.
Work in thin layers. It is easy to get engrossed with making your red lips look perfect that you end up applying the lipstick on too thickly. A thick pile of red lipstick on your mouth can look scary and messy. It is best to apply the lip color thinly, and in layers. Cruz tells us how she does it: “After the first coat, lightly blot the lips with a single sheet of tissue and apply another thin coat of color. A few thin layers will last longer than a single thick one.”
Prevent the red from bleeding. Easily clean up a messy application by lightly brushing on concealer on the edges of your lips. This intensifies the contrast between the color of your skin and the red color of your lips.
Keep the lipstick away from your teeth. Getting lipstick on your teeth is a definite no-no! So rather than checking on your teeth the whole night, try this little trick—after application, stick one finger in your mouth and pull it out while enclosing your lips on it. This will remove the excess lipstick inside your lips that goes to your teeth.
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