If you desire a look that's guaranteed to garner attention and allows your inner starlet to shine, look no further. Ruby red lips are a captivating statement of eternal elegance, adding an instant level of confidence and allure to any woman who models them.
To keep things current, opt for a fresh face and minimalistic eye makeup to compliment your bold choice of lip color.
Get the Look:
To ensure your skin looks radiant and not excessively matte, apply a lightweight foundation, like Stila's Illuminating Liquid Foundation, with a foundation brush and mask dark circles/spots with an illuminating concealer. Next, lightly dust your t-zone with a loose powder (I love Lancome's Color ID Portable Powder as it's fuss-free and easy to use) to keep excess shine at bay whilst still allowing your skin to glow. I'd also keep a few blotting papers in your purse to touch up every few hours if you find your skin becomes a bit too shiny.
Now that you've created a flawless canvas, add a hint of color by using a neutral cream blush that subtly highlights the contour of your cheeks. Apply the blush sparingly just under your cheekbones and blend lightly with your fingertips or using an angled sponge. You can also finish with a pearlized illuminator, adding it under your eye sockets towards the apples of your cheeks, above your brow bone, and anywhere else that catches light for a more luminescent complexion.
Next, you can either leave your brows bare or lightly fill them in for a more dramatic look. If you're filling them in, it's generally best to choose a shade of powder/pencil that matches your brow if you have darker hair and a shade darker than your own if you have fair eyebrows.
Now, to dress the eyes. To keep this look youthful and fresh, opt for a light, shimmery nude or champagne eyeshadow which will draw attention to your eyes without competing with your bold lip color. Apply the shadow over your eyelid and blend towards the brow bone. Next, apply the shadow ever-so-lightly, with an angled brush (whether it's cream or powder), under the lower lash line to add a bit of sparkle to the eye. Finally, curl your lashes, to open your eyes, and apply two coats of rich black mascara, like DiorShow Black Out Mascara by Dior, on your top lashes and one coat on the bottom set. When applying mascara to your top lashes, brush on the second coat of mascara before the first has dried to avoid clumping and flaking (one of my most treasured discoveries).
To complete this look, you'll need to master the seemingly tricky application of bold color to the lips. There are many tips and techniques for painting a perfect pout in a rich shade like red, but I've found that focus and attention to detail are the two main points to remember. If you're not used to working with bold colors, try lining your lips in a lip liner that best matches your natural lip color first to avoid (difficult to erase) red lip liner stains. Once you've perfected the shape of your line, go over the line with a lip liner that matches your ruby lipstick and lightly fill in the edges of your lips (towards the center) so there's no longer a distinct line around your mouth. Now simply apply your chosen shade of red (I love Chanel's Rouge Hydrabase or Rouge Allure), and blot your lips on a tissue or piece of paper to remove excess lipstick. As a finishing touch, blend a little dab of clear lip balm or gloss in the center of the lips to add a subtle shine and give them a fuller appearance.
PRODUCT CHECKLIST:
Illuminating Liquid Foundation
Lightweight Concealer
Loose Powder
Blotting Papers (Optional)
Cream Blush
Illuminator (Optional)
Brow Powder/Pencil (Optional)
Nude/Champagne Eyeshadow
Black Mascara
Nude Lip Liner
Red Lip Liner
Red Lipstick
Clear Lip Balm/Gloss
