Lush Red Lips for Fall

Tips on the perfect red pout from our makeup maven.

Jul 31, 2007

by Kathy Krakora
Scosh Makeup & Skincare Studio

As I scoured the news for all things fashion I discovered two things for fall '07 ... shoulder pads and red lipstick! As a makeup artist it was yippee skippee for the red lipstick. But personally? Not so much. I mean really, I haven't worn red lips since the last time we wore shoulder pads.

How in the heck am I going to pull this one off? We've been wearing gloss forever. And red isn't as easy as it sounds. There are a plethora of blue reds, orange reds, brown reds and plum reds to choose from. So I thought I'd break it down to understand the color red a bit better.

• Blue reds are my favorite. These are user-friendly reds with the added bonus that they makes your teeth look whiter.
• Orange reds are tough. This particular red family has a tendency to make your smile look yellow. But never say never because I have a few red-headed clients who wear a red with a slight gold shimmer and it works beautifully for them.
• Brown reds are better left to younger faces. These shades can age you with a mere swipe of the tube.
• Plum reds are very similar to the blue reds, usually a deeper hue with just a bit more blue.

The modern approach to the perfect red pout is in the texture. If the idea of going red scares you, try a gloss or sheer lipstick formula. But if you're ready to dive in, a creamy, velvety or satin formula is just what the makeup artist ordered. Tip: If you're going to use a lip pencil, it's always been my practice to match the lip pencil to your lip color. So when your lipstick wears away, you won't have that telltale red line around your lips.

There are a few things to remember if you're going to make this luscious lip statement. First, you need to keep your eyes somewhat bare. Heavily shadowed eyes are a no-no here. Think Christina Aguilera or Marilyn Monroe with the strong red mouth and a perfectly lined eye, touch of mascara or perhaps light-weight lashes.

Second, to pull off this look, cheeks need to be kept sheer or else we're right back to the 80's and Dynasty. I prefer a more matte approach on the cheeks.

Now about those shoulder pads....