When it comes to wearing a red lippy, picking the right shade for your skin tones is key. A candy apple red works well for fair skin tones. Look for shades with blue undertones to add some warmth to your complexion. “A bold, brick red is perfect for medium skin tones. Don’t worry about going too deep; just select a shade that is slightly darker and richer than a cherry red. Chocolate skinned beauties should use a purple-based red such as an ultra-ripe pomegranate or an under-ripe plum,” says beauty expert and entrepreneur, Ishika Taneja. Your natural lip colour also makes a difference when it comes to selecting the right shade. “Pale lips look gorgeous in a cherry or tomato red; for naturally reddish lips, try blood red or cranberry; for dark lips, brick red, maroon and burgundy will look ravishing,” says Ishika.
From a rich wine to a dramatic pink, we pick our favourite Lakmé shades. Featured above are: Lakmé Absolute Gloss Addict in Red Delight; Lakmé Absolute Gloss Stylist in Berry Cherry; Lakmé Absolute Creme Lipcolor in Red Carpet; Lakmé Absolute Matte Lipcolor in Brick; Lakmé 9to5 Matte Lip Color in Red Coat.
Prep your lips by using a sugar scrub to remove any dead skin and follow up with a moisturiser. Your lipstick will look better if applied on soft, smooth lips. As glamorous as they look, red lipsticks tend to bleed. And in our humid climate, it’s difficult to make them stay put. Ishika advises choosing long-staying lipsticks. “Creamy textures tend to fade faster. If using these, apply and blot with a tissue. Reapply and blot some loose powder on your lips to make it stay on for hours. Finish with a dash of gloss,” she says. Another trick to prevent bleeding, is to line your lips with a liner that perfectly matches your lipstick. Put your lip liner in the freezer for five minutes before you line your lips.
Keep the rest of your face neutral while wearing a red lipstick. “Just stick to using a sheer foundation, a hint of blush and a touch of winged black eyeliner along with a swipe of mascara,” says Ishika. For the evening, a subtle gold eyeshadow looks fabulous with red lipstick. If you want to create the illusion of full lips, dab some gloss only in the middle of your lower lip. Red lipsticks with blue undertones make your teeth look whiter while the opposite is true for pink undertones. Remember to not wear too much lipstick. If you can see it on your teeth, it means you have worn much more than is needed. Dab a tissue between your lips after applying your lipstick to remove any excess.
Written by Faye Remedios on May 21, 2014