Thank you, ELLE, for the photo.
Ah, red lipstick. How I love thee. How I question your ability to stay put, and flatter my pout, without being too much…
Red lips are classic, bold, feisty, and fun, but they can be a hassle. To pull them off well, you must remember the rest of your face; red lips with crazy eye makeup is just too much. That said, if you have blemishes or undereye circles, you need to wear some makeup aside from your lips or the red will just bring out the imperfections. Sigh!
I have a Revlon hue that I really love, so I set to work building a makeup look around it that would make my eyes pop and conceal any skin problem areas while still letting the lips do the talking. We were headed to a Fashion’s Night Out in Dallas, a somewhat glam but not over-the-top event. I wanted the lips to look good, but not to overpower the dress, of course.
I was having a particularly bad skin day, so I prepped my face by applying a light oil-free moisturizer first and letting it dry. Then I applied Clinique Acne Solutions liquid foundation to my entire face, a bit heavier on the trouble spots. For maximum coverage of the blemishes, I used Diorskin powder foundation in place of concealer. I finished off with this great MAC blush to warm up the cheeks. I personally find that bronzer + red lips is a bit much.
Then I used a mix of brown, gold and cream eye shadows to brighten up my eyes without a seriously smoky effect. To make them pop, I added a narrow line of black liquid liner to the tops and a surprising punch of blue liner to the lower lids for something extra. I finished off with two coats on top and bottom lashes of this high-gloss mascara from Maybelline.
The finishing touch, of course, was the lipstick. Apply red lipstick from the center of the top lip out, making sure not to go outside of your natural lip area. If you create an uneven line or go outside your lips, clean up with a Q-tip dipped in makeup remover. Easy! I like a creamy lipstick like this one with plenty of pigment; it is not drying like a matte stick, but it has serious staying power for kissable red lips that last all night.
The look:
The toolkit:
From top: Eyes by Design shadow palette in Bronze, it Cosmetics powder brush, Revlon Super Lustrous Creme lipstick in Fire & Ice, Christian Dior’s Diorskin powder foundation (used as concealer), CVS brand shadow brush, Essence metallic eye liner #5, MegaEyes liquid liner in black, Maybelline Turbo Volum’ Express in black, Chanel soft touch eye shadow in Blazing Gold, MAC Office Hours blush in Rosy Outlook, Clinique Acne Solutions liquid makeup.
The on-the-go kit:
Who has room in her purse for a million products? Streamline a look by bringing just the essentials– in this case, the same blak liner, red lipstick, and mascara I’d used prior in case anything rubs off. Also, the Clinique foundation to use on spots as they emerge throughout the night, and I toted an Estee Lauder cream shadow for easy application on-the-go.
The late-night shot:
I was pleased that the look held up for a good three hours with no need to touch up. Even after a few of those delightful complimentary champagnes 
