I love the look of classic red lips. Paired with a slightly smokey eye and paler face or minimal eye makeup and a bronzed face, red lips add a timeless and effortlessly chic look to any outfit and can be worn on any occasion. Recently, red lips have become super trendy and have been seen everywhere from the red carpet to the grocery store. When I think of a red lip, old Hollywood glamour icons such as Marilyn Monroe come to mind. Marilyn was constantly photographed wearing bright orangey-red lips with flirty long lashes. Today, celebrities like Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, Kourtney Kardashian and many others rock the same look Marilyn made famous decades ago.
Gwen Stefani's signature look is a matte red lip, a black winged eye and a pale, flawless face.
MAC Ruby Woo is the perfect matte red. It's thick, creamy and a rich blue-red color. The perfect red for pale to medium toned skin colors. Because it is so matte it will last throughout the day, so no need to worry about smudges or reapplying!
To achieve Gwen's flawless skin, choose a foundation that will give you strong coverage. Make Up For Ever HD Foundation goes on really smooth and lasts all day. It also covers any imperfections without feeling too heavy or cakey.
Apply a liquid or gel liner to your eyes and mascara to finish the look. MAC Fluidline is a great gel liner that applies really easily when used with a fine angled liner brush. It's also totally smudge proof and lasts all day. Line your eyes normally or wing the liner out for a more dramatic and Gwen-inspired look.
Here, Christina Aguilera goes for a glossier and darker red lip, a natural eye and a bronzed cheek.
Try MAC Russian Red for a deep orange-red color. Add a clear gloss, like MAC Clear Lip Glass, on top for extra shine. Orange-red shades work great on every skin tone.
Bronze up your cheeks with a matte bronzer. Apply it all over with a big powder brush and focus it a little more on the inner hollows of your cheekbones. I've really been liking Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder. It's a rich dark brown color that actually contains real cocoa powder in it which is supposed to neutralize any redness and even out your skin tone. It even SMELLS like chocolate. Makes me hungry every time. Super cute product for any chocolate lover out there!
Finish your eyes with mascara and line your inner waterline with a white eyeliner pencil. The white pencil will brighten up your eyes and will add subtle drama to balance your already bold lip. Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in White is a great waterproof white liner that has really good staying power, making it perfect for your waterline. These liners are amazing and I recommend trying any of their colors for all other looks you do.
I love the look that Kourtney Kardashian is wearing here. It's a total glam look that is heavy on both the eye makeup and lip color but is balanced out by a fresh, even face with a touch of peachy blush.
Kourtney is wearing a super bright red lip here. Try NARS Jungle Red. It's bright and semi-matte so you get a little bit of shine to it. Probably my favorite red shade.
A perfect smokey eye for this look incorporates tons of heavy black liner, big lashes and a shimmery, neutral eye. Swipe a shimmery beige shade all over your lids, like MAC Naked Lunch.
Along your crease, apply a matte brown like MAC Soft Brown. You want to really define your crease with this color.
Line your upper lids with a black gel liner and your lower lash line and water line with a black eye pencil. Finish with mascara and thick false lashes. I love Ardell Eyelashes in Glamour. They're big, thick and really dramatic. Perfect for this look.
Finish with a peachy blush. Nars Deep Throat is a pretty peach color with lots of shimmer. Apply to the apples of your cheeks.
Red lips can be worn in so many different ways. These were just a few ideas to inspire hundreds of gorgeous looks!
