Pucker up~! Red Lips please!

I know a lot of girls who shy away from red lipsticks thinking that it's too lethal to be used...haha! LOL!
Seriously?!

I know that most men also have an aversion to red lipsticks... how can that be?!... when they revere Megan Fox, Dita Von Teese & Marilyn Monroe?!
What the?!

They keep on saying that "it looks so slut-ish"...
*rolls eyes*
It's because they always equate it as RED LIPS=KISSING. They find it too sensual & since men are visual creatures, the color just drives them over the edge thinking of carnal thoughts.
Tsk! mga lalake talaga,o! (Tsk, guys really...)

It's all in the mind, peeps!
Just count 1 to 1000000000000 so that you'll be able to stay away from bad thoughts..hehe.

Good thing that Walter doesn't mind if i don red lips.
Anyway, i asked him before about it & he said even if he doesn't want me to wear reds, will i stop?
I said "NO!"...he said "I figured, so i just didn't bother to say so. Anyway, you look good in red lipstick."
Hahahaha! LOL!
Napilitan lang ata sabihin yun e! (Looks like he was just forced to say that!)

I personally love red lipstick.
I think every woman has to have at least one red lipstick.
It's just like a black dress... It's a classic & will never go out of fashion!

Since i love them, i do try to wear it as much as i can.
I learned from experience that applying red lipstick could be quite tricky & very unforgiving. Depending on how you apply it, it can make or break your look. A tiny red flick above your natural lip line can be very obvious so you have to take proper care when you go all-out in using red lipsticks.

I personally don't use lip liners.
I find that there are some lip liners that look quite different with the lipstick shade that i have. I just use a lip brush in making sure that the edges are equal.

I'm sure that everyone has their way of applying lipsticks. This is just how i apply mine...
Step by step tutorial of how i achieve red lips without using lip liners. I'm not a professional, i'm just a red lipstick-lover sharing a couple of things that i think might be handy for some girls... a couple of tips that i picked here & there might be helpful.

Let's start...

This is how my bare lips look like.

Pretty pigmented & it's quite hard to figure out where is the exact edge of my lip line that's why i can sort of play with my lip shape. I can make my lips a bit wider by extending the color just a bit or make it smaller by applying lip concealer for a more defined/clean look.

But it's not easy...it's almost always a hit or miss so i take a long time trying to achieve a perfect lip shape.

Lip Balm is very important especially if you are planning to use a matte lipstick. It will zap the moisture from your lips so make sure you prep your lips not just before lipstick application but hours before.

MAC Lip Conditioner 

In my case, i moisturize my lips every night by applying lip balm after i brush my teeth or if my lips are extra dry then i slather in a thick coat of Nivea Creme over my puckers. Always works like a charm!

Apply a thick coat of lip balm because it will help make the process of exfoliating the lips easier.

Just use wet tissue & gently rub you lips with a circular motion to remove any remaining dead skin.

I prefer to use wet tissue compare to toothbrush because there's not risk of accidentally poking your lips with any bristles that might result in nicks or any wounds. I am clumsy so it's better to cut any risk of a lip wound...hehe

Then apply lip balm again to prep your lips.

In this case, i'll use a concealer so that it would be easier for me to decide how i want to shape my lips. I also make sure that i blot the excess out because it could result in lipstick bleeding. I would just want to create a nice, even, neutral base for my lipstick to adhere to.

If you already have a well-defined lips then good for you! You won't have to go to the trouble of thinking how you want your lips to look like & taking a long time just defining it.

Benefit Gilded 

I, then, apply a highlighter on my cupid's bow & also on the center of my lower lip line.
Highlighting this area will give an illusion of a rather 'pouty' lips. I prefer to apply my highlighter under my color so that it would look natural.

I blend it downwards using either a brush or just my finger...

Beauty Treats Matte Lipstick in Hot Gossip 

Using a lip brush is the key point in being able to achieve a well-defined lip without any lip liners so make sure you keep a lip brush,ok?

I trace the line of my lips using the brush, also on the inside of the sides as well using light feathery strokes.
This is something that i notice when i watched Moulin Rouge & Nicole Kidman has that very obvious space between her upper & lower lip. I think it just breaks the over all look of donning red lipstick.

I find that tracing the shape by not smiling works a lot better because i get to see the shape of my lips as to how it's supposed to be. If i line my lips by stretching it, i tend to have uneven shape when i pucker up or when my lips are just relaxed. So i trace my lip shape while my lips are just relaxed.

When you are done defining your lip shape, then it's time to fill in your whole lip with the color remaining on your brush. You won't need to dip your brush again on the lipstick.. anyway, you'll be blotting it out so it would just be a waste.

Just lightly run your brush back & forth on your lips while smiling so you get to fill in any crevices with color. The point of this is to give your lips a nice even stain from the lipstick. It would serve as a foundation for the color & will make your lipstick last longer.

With a tissue, blot your lips.

Taking out the excess color of your lipstick...

... leaving you with a very nice stain.

Time to reapply your lipstick!

In this case, you can apply it straight from the tube if you want to.

Trace the shape of your lips once more using your lip brush.
I think light feathery strokes would be the best way in achieving a well-defined shape. Most often than not, a straight application tends to not be straight so it's better to just do it gently.

Basically you are done.
If you want your lipstick to last longer, a couple of women apply a powder on top of their lipstick.

In my case, i'll finish mine with gloss for now...

MAC Dazzleglass in Stop! Look!

Instead of applying it with the applicator that's included, i just put it on the back of my hand then use my lip brush. The thought of putting the applicator back on the bottle with red lipstick from my lips is not appealing.
It's better to just use the lip brush that you used since it's harder to sanitize applicators compare to brushes.

Think you're done?
Nah-ah!
You have to do the most important part of all....

You don't want to ruin your look with horrendous lipstick stain,right?

Smiling with lipstick stain is just plain ugh!
Major turn-off!

So what do you do?
Do the finger pop!

This is something that you always have to do whenever you go on with bright lipsticks!
You'll save yourself from any embarrassment caused by lipstick stain.

Once you are done with everything it's now time to flash your brightest smile & dazzle the people around your with your sexy red lips!

I am not in the mood to do a full make-up now so i'll finish this post with 2 of my past pictures with red lipstick on.

I used MAC Red in these pictures.
I love it so much that i can't believe i'm almost out of it!
I sure hope that this shade is not limited edition because i fairly remember not seeing it on the rack of MAC stores here....

Red Lipstick definitely speaks for itself.
There's something about red lipsticks that can make you feel sexy. You ought to try it to know what i'm talking about!

Extra tips:

• If you want an extra oomph you can apply highlighter not just on the cupid's bow but also on the plump/center part of your lips too! (lower & upper lip)
• If you don't have a lip concealer, then i think applying foundation just on the side of the lips can work as well. You're not really concealing your lips but more on just creating a neater base for your lip shape.
• I find that gently patting on the lipstick over & over straight from the tube on the second application makes the lipstick stay longer. It's just like packing the color on your lips!
• If you don't like that too-defined shape look then lightly smudge the edge of your lips for a softer look.
• It's been said that if you apply your lipstick vertically it would be able to hide your lip lines (i'm just not sure about this)
• Your red lipstick is too bright for you? Tone the color down by applying a bit of brown lipstick on it.

Don't be afraid to wear reds.

It's made for you!

In fact i think it makes the teeth appear whiter if you put on red lipstick. I have naturally yellow-teeth but i feel that my teeth gets hundred times whiter with red lipstick on unlike pinks.

So pucker up & unleash the inner vamp in you!

What's your favorite red lipstick?
Mine is still MAC Red...
^_~

Have a great day!
Jaa ne~!
^_^