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shutterstock_190055630Red lips should no longer be ban­ished to black tie events. Red lip­stick, once reserved solely for ‘that even­ing look’, can abso­lutely be worn — whenev­er you damn well feel like it.

While it has to be said that although red lip­stick has stood the test of time as a glam­our staple, it can be an intim­id­at­ing col­our to wear on a cas­u­al, daily basis, and the com­mon fear of not being able to pull it off con­tin­ues to stop even the most ded­ic­ated lip­stick devotee from real­ising their full red-lipped potential.

I say break free! There is a red lip­stick out there for every­one, for any occa­sion. So wheth­er you’re a vet­er­an or rook­ie in the realm of red, these tried and true clas­sic hues from the pros help make red a more access­ible lip col­our for any time of the day.

 

Lipstick_RubyWoo_300

Retro Matte Lip­stick in ‘Ruby Woo’ by MAC, $40 | maccosmetics.co.nz | It’s per­fectly matte, and has great stay­ing power.

Bobbi_Brown

Creamy Matte Lip Col­or in ‘Red Car­pet’ by Bobbi Brown, $54 | bobbibrowncosmetics.com |As the name sug­gests: creamy and matte, in an eleg­ant red.

Revlon Super Lustrous - Certainly Red copy

Super Lus­trous Creme in ‘Cer­tainly Red’ by Revlon, $23 |revlon.co.nz | Anna Hard­man from Revlon New Zea­l­and says this lippy achieves “rich, full col­our, with a great shine”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YSL

Rouge Pur Cou­ture in ‘14 Rouge Feu’ by YSL, $59 | kircaldies.co.nz | Decent cov­er­age with a sat­in finish.

Lancome

Rouge In Love in ‘146B — Miss Coquelicot’ by Lancôme, $52 | kirkcaldies.co.nz |Light on your lips, strong in colour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red lipstick for dummies

 

Pre­ci­sion: This is key when attempt­ing a red lip — it is not a look to be achieved willy-nilly in the back of a taxi. Avoid the scary clown look and find a mir­ror. Kiekie Stan­ners, MAC Cos­met­ics’ New Zea­l­and nation­al artist, sug­gests: “Apply your red lip­stick with a brush to ensure a per­fect application.”

 

Use a liner: Get your lippy applic­a­tion down pat by start­ing with a liner that’s the same shade. Anna Hard­man from Revlon New Zea­l­and recom­mends a liner: “It ensures the per­fect line and helps pre­vent lip­stick bleeding.”

 

Keep it simple up top: If you’re wear­ing a bold lip col­our, don’t go over­board with your eye makeup; let your lips do the talk­ing. Kiekie says: “Wear a clas­sic red lip as the key fea­ture of your makeup, keep­ing skin fresh and creamy, and eyes more natural.”

 

Keep your lips hydrated: The crumbly, flaky look ain’t a good one, so prep your lips with a gentle exfo­li­ant and choose a mois­tur­ising lip­stick if you’re prone to chapping.

 

Lip­stick, not teeth­stick: The old thumb trick should sort this prob­lem out. After apply­ing your choice of rouge, put your thumb in your mouth and gently press your lips togeth­er while glid­ing your thumb back out, remov­ing excess product.

 

Take the leap: Wor­ried you won’t pull it off? Just go for it — it’s only lip­stick. And what bet­ter time to tri­al your new red pout than this Valentine’s Day?

 

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About Eliza Romanos

A con­firmed Wel­ling­to­ni­an, Eliza comes from a fam­ily of journ­al­ists and has recently com­pleted a BA at Vic­tor­ia Uni­ver­sity in Art His­tory and Media. Now mak­ing her own way in the world of journ­al­ism, she has par­tic­u­lar interests in fash­ion and art. She misses the DTL in lower Cuba Street and the dance floor being at the oth­er end of Good Luck Bar. Eliza lives in a bit­terly cold flat in Brook­lyn but appre­ci­ates the walk into town through Cent­ral Park every morning.

Eliza Romanos

A confirmed Wellingtonian, Eliza comes from a family of journalists and has recently completed a BA at Victoria University in Art History and Media. Now making her own way in the world of journalism, she has particular interests in fashion and art. She misses the DTL in lower Cuba Street and the dance floor being at the other end of Good Luck Bar. Eliza lives in a bitterly cold flat in Brooklyn but appreciates the walk into town through Central Park every morning.