How To Apply Red Lipstick To Fit Your Skin Tone, Lips & Skin Colour

Hi guys, been a while. I always don't like to say this but it's been my regular line for a while now. I'm so sorry I haven't been writing as much as I used to but I'll try to be more regular.

Red Lipstick............ That's one lip colour I wear often or....all the time, except once in a blue moon when I have my bubble gum pink on *covers face*
I've had lots of friends ask me why I only wear this one shade of lipstick. The funny thing is, I actually have over 50 shades of lipstick but I really don't mind wearing red.

Ook! Back to the topic... Red lipsticks are one lip product that have refused to go out of trend but still, lots of ladies are too conservative or scared to wear it. I've had several wedding/event makeovers where the client refuses to let me apply red lipstick on then (my strong persuasive/convincing skills never fail me though). I find this confusing sometimes because red is vintage. If your old mothers and grandmothers could be courageous enough to wear red, why not young & vibrant you?


There's one lady I know who wears red lipstick like no other, she was a makeup artist and someone I look up to for makeup tips. She's Adenike Ogungbe (RIP) of Ewar Make-Overs, here's a picture of her rocking red ;)....

                                                       Adenike Ogungbe (Ewar Make-Overs)
She knows how to use her brushes like no other....checkout some of her bridal makeovers on her blog: www.ewarberry.blogspot.com

I was able to pin point a few reasons why ladies pull away from red lipsticks & I listed them below;
* Some think it just won't fit them (you haven't even tried it).
* Fear of being noticed when all you want to do is be in the shadows.
* A few people think red only fits light skinned ladies.............

There are loads of other reasons I can't think of right now but hey! Everyone can wear red lipstick, it just depends on how you apply it. I'll be giving you a few tips on different ways to apply red lipstick to fit you.

Red & Light Skin: If you're light skinned, its best to wear red lipstick with orange undertone (e.g. Liable by Illamasqua) or coral red lipsticks because they blend better with your pale skin.

Red & Dark Skin: Dark skinned ladies liked me should wear brick red lipstick (Fire down below by Nars) or red with blue/purplish undertones (e.g. Ruby Woo by Mac or Gash by Urban Decay). I noticed most dark skinned ladies run away from red lipsticks because they think it'll look better on light skinned ladies. This isn't true because there's a shade for everyone.

APPLICATION
If you're able to find the right shade for your skin tone, the next step is knowing how to apply it properly.
You can either wear your red lipstick with shine or keep it matte. This also depends on your age group so you don't over shine or under shine.

The best, general & easiest way to apply lipstick is first by applying a lip liner that is one shade darker than your lipstick on the lover lip line, after which you blend it in with a lip brush, then the  application of your lipstick follows. After proper blending, you can add some gloss, depending on the look you want to have.

Red Lipstick & Late Teens
I'll always advice teenagers who want to wear lipstick to maintain soft or pastel colours. This keeps you looking young and vibrant. Pink is always your best bet but stay away from dark pink(bubble gum) or any other dark shade, they only make you look older.

Red Lipstick in Your 20's
This  group will always rock any time. You're young and vibrant and can always experiment. The best way to wear red is with shine. So, skip your lip liner, apply the best red lipstick (or lip stain preferably)  for your skin tone all over your lips, blend and apply some gloss & you're ready to rock.

Red Lipstick Meets 30's
At this stage, you want to look more sophisticated (though lot's of people in their 20's are struggling to fit in here) so its best to play matte. This is what I call The Hollywood Red (worn mostly for red carpets) & it's worn without gloss. All you need to do is buy matte red lipstick of any brand you like, apply it all over your lips, blend & you're good to go.

Red Lipstick in Your 40's 
This is the stage/age where your lips begin to loose their natural plumpness, so strong bright colours will only make your lips look thinner. The best way to go here if you want to wear red lips is by using/applying a lip stain which is easy to apply and helps retain the natural texture of your lips. No gloss is needed..

Red Lipstick For The 50's & Above.......
At this stage, you want to avoid blocks of colour. So, it's best to stick to sheer colours which even help moisturise your lips since it's their drying out season.

Lip Colour & Red Lipstick
Your lip colour can sometimes determine how you apply your red lipstick. Some people have really dark lips while some have two toned lips.
For dark lips, stick to "true" red lipsticks (lipsticks with blue undertones). Then for people with two toned lips, (i.e. people with their upper or lower lip darker than the other), let your darker lip take the lead by using a lip liner that is the shade of your dark lip to fill up the light lip before applying your lipstick.

Some people also have two toned lower lips. To achieve a well blended look, apply a darker shade of your lipstick on the light inner lip, then a lighter lipstick shade on the darker part but you can always use pink to highlight the inner lip, while the red remains on the outside.

I think I've been able to help a little but if you have more questions on how to wear your red lipstick, please leave a comment & I'll definitely reply.

Thanks a lot for reading through, please share with friends

~Perfect Mélange~