Before we begin, let me say that I am in no way paid to endorse any products mentioned here, I only mention them if I have personally tried them and found them to be successful.
Firstly;
Preparing your mouth.
While I have read articles touting the colour correcting benefits of certain red shades on stained teeth, I do not believe this is the case. If your teeth are stained, then using a particular shade of red to balance the colour, may trick the eye when in comes to the teeth; but if it is wrong for your skin tone, it is WRONG.
I suggest using whichever teeth whitening method is within your budget. Whether that is as simple as a whitening toothpaste, having bleach trays made by your dentist, or going the whole hog and having the laser smile thing done. Just don’t over do it, you don’t want to cause cornea damage every time you smile at someone.
Check your upper lip. If it is seen to be wanting, get thee to a beautician. When you draw all that attention to your mouth, you don’t want a soup-strainer getting in the way of your new found glamour.
Give your lips a gentle exfoliation with a soft tooth brush to remove any dead skin cells.
Apply a good quality lip balm morning and night. I like to use one by L’Occitane, as I find the preparation works well alone or under the lipstick without getting sticky or causing the lipstick to ‘melt’.
Small lips? Most advice will tell you to steer clear of red lipstick. While I don’t advocate drawing in oversized lip lines and then filling them in, I do think there is still a place for red on the less well endowed lip. Two things are your friend. Lip plumpers (the Avon Beyond Colour lip plumper is a great cheap fix) and sheer reds, not gloss mind you, but sheer red lipstick. It is less intense and doesn’t require a hard lip line.
Choosing a colour.
This is the hardest part for most people. Simply, you need to know whether you skin is a blue based or yellow based skin. I suggest using the old colour consultant trick and holding up a piece of fabric under your chin. Using a true yellow and a true blue fabric, hold each one alternately under your chin. Then see which colour makes you look more rested, more awake and your skin more alive. You will know straight away. Then which ever colour was best, is the base colour in the red that is right for you.
When shopping, if you are having trouble determining which is a blue red and which is a yellow red, rather than relying on the consultant, keep a little swatch of your fabric in your bag and hold the lipstick against it. Blue based reds will just look ‘right’ against the blue and visa versa. I test the colour on the inside of my arm as I find this is the closest skin colour match to my face.
Chosing a formula.
There is every kind of stay-on red lipstick out there, but I am yet to find one that truly does stay on, without making my lips feel like the Gobi desert by the end of the day. They are either sticky, drying, bleed or make my lips peel. Even the much touted ‘lip seal’ that Marilyn Monroe allegedly wore, doesn’t work for me in the rigors of my day. So here is what I do. Chose a formula that is moisturising, creme not pear,l and with a good pigment. Getting a lipstick with good pigment is the key to a longer lasting look. They can all look red, but varying degrees of pigment is added in manufacturing and you need something with a higher pigment to wax ratio. When you are testing the colour on your skin, see which one leaves the most red stain on your hand after a quick wipe off with the tissue.
Choosing a Liner.
You’d be surprised just how important this is. I spend more money on my liners than on my lipstick. Many of the cheaper liners are either too hard (impossible to draw with) or too soft (melt and bleed into all the lines on your lips). I find almost all of the twist up liners to be too soft and have a low melting temperature. My best lip liner is by YSL, not too expensive, and always works a treat.
Application.
You have research, shopped and prepared your lips; now you want to add your perfect red lipstick. Apply your lip balm, then using a good quality liner, outline you lips, starting from the outside of the lip and working in towards the bow. This helps prevent you from creating a super sharp point on the top of the bow.
Use the lip liner to colour in the lip about 2/3′s of the way. It will give the colour more staying power. Fill in your colour. You can use a lip brush to apply the colour, but I find this really makes no difference to its staying power and takes longer to apply. (Some say it gives better control, but if you aren’t controlled enough to use a tube without getting it all over your face, then red lipstick really isn’t for you!) Blot on a tissue and apply a little more. To avoid getting any on your teeth, pop one finger in your mouth allowing the lips to blot around the finger. It saves any embarrassing moments later on.
Gorgeous!
Maintenance.
Take a stunning compact and your lipstick out with you to reapply after lunch. Learn to eat without your lips touching your fork, and avoid greasy food and hamburgers. That’s all you have to do for a sirens red lips for the day.
While this may all sound like a lot, the process only takes one minute. It is all in choosing the right products. And while I could have given you a long list of choices, I hope I have rather given you the information to find the right products to suit you budget.
So now you know how I do it, if you haven’t already, give it a try. Your inner Vamp is just waiting for her moment.
It’s just perfect. Dark, spiced and a...
I live for red lips.
Ooh I’ll have to try the YSL Liners. Red lips are amazing and the maintenance is worth it!
I added you to my links!
xx
Fabulous, fabulous post…when I come home I’ll sign up for a one-on-one…hahaha
i love Red Lipstick!
but i look bad with it..
I LOVE red lips and I admire how you can wear them all the time. At 16 I don’t think my dad would much appreciate it if I did yet though! Oh well, that’s what parties are for!
I’ve been lurking your blog for awhile and it’s entertaining and helpful to read.
- Cait
(In Company With Sparkles is my non-personal blog)
Saray~ You CAN wear red, it’s just a matter of finding a shade and texture that you feel comfortable in. A “classic red” can be wine, berry, brick, cherry, raspberry… Textures make a HUGE difference. You can pull off a bloder color if it’s more sheer, or even glossy. Try a soft red in a matte for a more classic look. You just have to go to a makeup counter and try them all on. Good luck!
I think dark red lips are perfect. Especially in the winter. Lately, I’ve been doing a dark pink, but until maybe 6 months ago, I was in Bobby Brown cassis constantly.
Saray – I’m sure you can wear red lipstick. I had a look at your photo on your blog and I think a sheer, orangey red would work very well for you.
Katie – Thanks for the link, I know you are an EXPERT in red lips.
Imelda: I would love to see that.
Wendy and K.Line: You both look great in dark lips. It can become such a part of your personality.
Cait:I just asked my mum what she thought of me wearing lipstick at 15. Her answer is that I didn’t wear it all the time, (school was a big no) but if I was going to wear lipstick anyway, what did it matter what colour it was. Besides, I think that was probably the least of her worries about me at the time!
What a beautiful blog and what a beautiful post! Your quirky & retro style is just elegant and sweet! I love red lips – I cannot imagine a better and simpler post to show every useful technique and little detail
Great post! I love red lips. I’m going to try using a liner maybe that will help me get the look just right! Thanks for the tips.
Love, Betsy.
Fabulous post! I love red lips – who doesn’t it?
Whenever I’m in the shop you’ll find me suitably attired, although I must admit that I’m not nearly as careful in my application. I’d also be lost without lipcote, which protects my lipstick from the rigours of life. I concur, too, on the importance of colour and a suitable (and suitably sharp) lip liner.
Great blog! Thank you for sending me here *blows kiss*
I, too, love red lips. You rarely see me without them, and when you do, you can be pretty sure that I am either sick or tired. Or sick and tired! Even when I am at home I have my reds lips on, and I havepeople aske me why. My answer is not only do I feel naked without, but also, I like to look nice for myself and my love, not just when we are going out, but also at home.
Candy AKA working wife&mom
I’m wondering how you manage to drink! I don’t like getting lipstick on cups and glasses, I’m wondering what your drinking solution is.
Catherine: Well generally speaking, anything that comes in a bottle requires a straw. I don’t believe it is very lady like to drink straight from the bottle – as well as it increases your chances of swallowing a wasp or something untoward.
But I do of course drink coffee and tea from cups so there is a danger there. I do find that because I most often wear matt formula lipstick that has been blotted, the amount and frequency of transference is greatly reduced. I don’t apply gloss over the top as, not only does hair tend to stick to it in the wind, but also makes it very difficult to remove lipstick from crockery.
The red formula I use most often that has the best staying power (on me) is Mac’s Russian Red, applied over foundation and blotted. There will be a little left behind, but no huge blemishes on the cup.
Oh – and a word of advice – if you are drinking champagne, always drink from the same position on the glass. Otherwise, due to the narrow nature of the glass, if you keep turning it around as you drink there is a great danger of ending up with a line of lipstick across the bridge of your nose!
I find the L’Oreal Infallible longwear lip duo compact really does stay on for hours and hours. I put it on in the morning when I get up, and maybe a touchup after lunch if I’ve had something a bit greasy. Otherwise it’s there till the next morning.
Oh, and the “Stay on Fire” red is what I’m wearing right now ^_^
How do you drink without leaving lipstick marks on the glass? It’s really a problem for me… :s
I’m sorry, didn’t see that you already answered the same question
[...] hindsight, I don’t think it was red enough. I should have stumbled onto superkawaiimama’s guide on red lipstick 2 years [...]
This is such a great post!
I’ve got quite small lips and I think I pull off red lipstick fine. However, I’ve never been able to work out the skin tone thing so I’m definitely going to try the fabric test!
Am definitely going to try the YSL lip liner.
I had the problem of getting red lipstick on my glass last christmas and this was my stepmother’s advice:
Subtly lick the rim of the glass right before you take a sip! I know it sounds gross and you might think that you’re friends will wonder why you’re licking the rim of your drink, but if you practice a bit you’ll see that no one will be able to tell you’re doing it.
If that doesn’t work for you then at least you’ll be able to tell what glass is yours by the colour of the rim!
ystar: I don’t think the licking thing would work for me as it is almost impossible to wash it off glasses most times, so a little lick isn’t going to do much. I just alway drink from the same place so I don’t end up with traces of lipstick on my nose! LOL
[...] to ” How do you wear red lipstick?” the second most question I’m asked by readers is, “How do you get those amazing [...]
i do have slightly smaller lips with the top lip being smaller relatively speaking.
can you recommend any sheer reds ? brands maybe ?
thanks
Connie: Don’t be afraid of over drawing the lip line with your pencil. It is an art to get it balanced but with a bit of practice you’ll be right. As for Sheers, I like the Loreal Sheer Cherry the best.
I adore red lipstick and wear Estee Lauder signiture in Scarlet.
But I have noticed it feathering a bit and it is embarrassing (just turned 40).
I put balm on then lip liner Mac Cherry filled in then the lipstick.
I don’t want to go back to pink, any tips SKM your lips are always
perfect!
Pinky: The big problem you have here is putting the balm under the lipstick. Because the lipbalm has a a lower melting temperature, it effectively ‘melts’ the lipstick causing it to bleed. If you must use balm, use it in the night time and during the day opt for a moisturising lipstick. Give it a try and let me know how it works out for you.
I would love a list of the lipcolors you wear when you post pics cause I love them all!
Sorry I meant lipliners! Not lipcolors…I know you post most of those.
Thanks!
Ashley: I’ll see what I can do, but I find so many of my favourites are now discontinued. Always looking for new options on the liner front, but many just aren’t up to scratch.
[...] questions, and unfortunately there is only so much you can do short of tattooing your lips. My everyday tips for wearing red lipstick will help you to a degree, but serious staying power? I always thought that was the realm of fantsy. [...]
[...] more detail and other great tips on how to apply your red lipstick, check out this great post over at Super Kawaii Mama – that girl sure knows how to rock a red [...]
[...] Candice DeVille’s (Super Kawaii Mama) how to wear red lipstick [...]
I was reading through the comments, and I never thought of the whole getting lipstick on your nose thing, thank you so much for bringing it to my attention!
My technique for applying red lipstick and getting it to last is almost the same as yours, although it will never last all day!
Tegan: It’s a funny one isn’t it!