We all have that one outfit that always makes us look the best, a hairstyle that suits us the best, and a nail polish color that looks gorgeous on our hand, a classic red lip is just that too. Since the 90s and even today, the classic red lipstick is something that has never been overrated, outdated or boring. If we talk about makeup looks, a teeny tiny detail can instantly change your whole look and same as one mistake can ruin everything. So, if you are a fan of red lipstick or even if you are someone who has never worn red lipstick before and figuring out how to wear a red lipstick without looking too bold, I have some inspo for you here.
Red lip game has been too strong since the 90s, and now it is updated from the only bold red lip to subtle and minimal shades as well. You can easily find a lot of different red lipstick shades and pigments out there in the market and can create a bunch of looks with them. Before getting into the ways to do natural makeup with red lipstick, let’s first get to know what you should consider before buying a red lipstick for you.
How To Apply A Red Lipstick
Here’s how you can flawlessly apply a red lipstick so your makeup look on point all day long:
Step 1: Prep Your Lips
Just like we prep our skin with hydrating serum and moisturizer before putting on makeup, we all should do the same to our lips too. It’s a common mistake that most people make and ignore and forgets to take care of their lips by using lip balms and lip oils that make them appear hydrated, fuller, and luscious at all times. We suggest using Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask ($24) and don’t forget to wear hydrating lip balms and lip oils throughout the day so you don’t have to put a lot of effort to prep your lips for lipstick. Another great way to make sure your lips stay healthy and luscious always is to exfoliate once a week with a lip scrub. And when you don’t have enough time to do these things before getting ready just put your lip balm and go ahead.
Step 2: Use A Lip Liner
Using a lip liner has saved me in so many ways that I cannot even explain. Lining and defining your lips instantly give you a polished and fuller looking lips which makes the lipstick look even more flawless and attractive. Using a lip liner helps you achieve a flawless shape of your choice and make your lip stand out as the liner makes the corners highlight which instantly boost your lips. We love Gucci Long Lasting Lip Liner ($35) in Rouge which is also called The Gucci Red, as it’s the perfect shade of red and it works great for both lining your lips naturally or overdrawing.
Step 3: Apply Lipstick
Now that we have shaped the lips perfectly and have the desired shape we want to wear, now is the time to bring the real product into the game. The red lipstick! Bring the favorite shade so you feel extra confident while wearing a red lip. We suggest Maybelline SuperStay Liquid Lipstick ($11) in Pioneer, the perfect shade of red to wear. Also, this lipstick has a subtle matte finish which looks great for all occasions. You can also go for the shade Exhilarator in this lipstick if you want more depth and rich looking lipstick shade. Now, apply the lipstick in the center to fill the space, and keep the focus on the center after filling so you can give that stained and shiny effect.
Step 4: Fix and Go
When we are trying to achieve a bold and vibrant lip color, we most likely make mistakes and smudge them sometimes and as they are vibrant shades they look messy and cannot be ignored. So, what we just need to do to make sure we look perfect is to use some concealer on the areas around your lips and blend it properly with Anisa Beauty Angled Concealer Brush ($28), this angled brush will help you erase the smudgy effects near the lip properly with their angled design.
Ways To Achieve Natural Makeup with Red Lipstick
Natural makeup with red lipstick can be done in a bunch of ways, and ahead are some of our favorite looks you can try on yourself from fair tones to olive and dark tones so you can easily figure out what shade works best for your skin tone.
Calling all the fair tone girlies to get inspiration from Cheryl blossom who knows how to rock a red lip whether she is roaming around the Riverdale or at a red carpet! Fair and light skin tones have mostly the pinkish undertones which makes a pink and blue based red lipstick perfect for them as they compliment the pinks which helps your smile pop a little more. Now for the overall makeup, you can keep the blush and eyeshadow game low by going for neutral and barely-there shades like nude pink for cheeks and nude beige for eyeshadow and just adding a subtle highlight to your cheekbones and nose to add a hint of shine to the look. Lastly, if you want your eye makeup to stand out while still being natural apply a lengthening mascara and micro eyeliner to finish off your look.
Now this is how a soft red monochrome look should be, right? Just the right red lipstick shade with a soft shine that works great for light skintones as they are orange based which picks the goldens of your skin tone and instantly gives you a bright look. To create this look you just have to go for an orange based red lipstick and a similar colored blush which is soft to medium red to get the perfectly flushed red cheeks. For eyeshadow, opt for a nude brown eyeshadow to keep the monochrome effect on highlight while keeping the overall makeup minimal. A bushy eyebrow effect like this one would look great with this look for sure as it’s also one of the hottest beauty trends these days.
If you are going for a bold red lip and wanting a natural look overall you don’t have to always opt for barely there effect but you can play safe with the makeup products to achieve the look you want, like this. This skintone is a bit tanned and overall medium and for these types of skin tones orange based lipstick works great. Here, you can clearly see the suntan on the forehead and how beautifully she balanced out that on her face by contouring and bronzing a bit. The highlight on the nose is definitely taking this look to the next level and she did a soft eye makeup by going no-eyeshadow and a sleek winged eyeliner.
An extremely gorgeous caramel complexion is looking heavenly with this makeup look, as you can see. Caramel skin tones work great with the cherry red shades as the yellow undertones in them get brighter when paired with cherry reds. Love the glossy and dewy finish, as these days the glass skin trend is the hottest and every other girl’s dream (with or without makeup). Here the makeup look is extremely glowy by using a glowy base, a subtle glossy cherry lip, glossy nude eyeshadow, and a perfectly placed bronzer and highlighter around the cheekbones.
Here comes the golden girls, the golden dark tones go great with red pigments as they have a yellow undertone, the bold the better. So, it’s best to choose a rich pigmented red shade of lipstick to make your skin tone glowy and bright. Love the way only a bold red lip can stand out while keeping the overall makeup minimal with subtle highlights, barely-there blush, highlighted inner corners, and soft glittery eyeshadow.
What To Know Before Buying A Red Lipstick
If you are planning to achieve natural makeup with red lipstick, you must be needing the perfect red lipstick to do so, here’s some tips before you buy a red lipstick to make sure you are choosing the right one for you.
- Know Your Skin Tone: This is definitely the first and the most important step to take before choosing a red lipstick for yourself, as not every shade of red will compliment your skin tone. And in fact knowing your skin tone is so important to choose any makeup product. Your skin tone either has cool undertones or warm undertones, brick red and orangish reds go well with warm tones while blueish reds for cool undertones.
- Type of Finish: By the type of finish what I exactly mean is to choose between the glossy and matte red lipstick. There are many lipstick finishes available now in the market from completely matte to subtle shiny, and from glossy to satin finish, you just have to choose according to your personality and what suits your skin tone the best.
- Type of Occasion: We definitely keep the dress code in mind wherever we go right? Well, there is also a lipstick code if you look deeper into the details. As not every shade and finish will go with all the occasions. For example a glossy and bold red lip would not be a great choice to wear for the workplace. While a matte lip may not do a job for you when you want something more playful and fun. So, my personal suggestion would be to go for a matte red lipstick for night outings and events, while for the daytime the glossy and luscious pout would do a great job for you.
Conclusion
Using red lipstick for natural makeup can be a game changer, but it requires the understanding of your skin tone, the right application method, and right makeup products. With the right techniques, you can create a stunning and effortless natural makeup look that enhances your features and boosts your confidence.
