Retro and Thrift: A quickie: Red lipstick

A red lipstick 'how-to' posts may have been one of the first posts I wrote for this blog, however after 4 years I think we could do with a little update. Ironically not much has changed except for my writing and editing skills. I'm still in love with red lipstick; I love how it looks and I love how it makes me feel. I think there's something so symbolic and empowering about painting your lips red!

I had some great feedback on my eyebrow and eyeliner tutorials so go check them out if you haven't already! I'm unsure whether this can be called a quickie because it's probably the longest tutorial I've written - but it won't take YOU five minutes to do!

1. MOISTURISE

Make sure you moisturise your lips, especially if you're using a matte red. I tend to use a lipbalm before I apply any of my makeup, regardless of if I'm planning to wear a red lip or not. I've been loving this Burt's Bees Lip Balm - a warning though, it leaves your lips slightly tingling!

2. FOUNDATION

Now, bare with me on this there is method to my madness! Applying a little bit of foundation/powder to your lips will not only serve as a base for the lip product but will also cancel out a lot of your natural lip colour so that when you apply the red, it will be the truest red possible. My natural lip colour is often pretty dark (especially if I've been stressed and have bitten them), so this step really helps me out.

3. LINE

Using a liner will help the lipstick stick - which is a must if you want to have red lips all day. You can either outline your lips as shown in the photo, or to create a more solid base you can fill your entire lip in with liner. Liner is such a good, and often cheap, way to transform a lipstick. If you want a more orange toned red, wear an orange liner underneath it, but if you're going for more of a dark 'vampy' look try a brown or even black liner.

I'm lucky that I have quite 'full' lips, so I rarely overdraw them... but if you feel that you need to over draw yours then make sure you only overdraw your cupids bow (the M bit) and not the sides - else you may end up looking like a clown. If you do want to look like a clown (or rather a Harlequin) - be sure to check out this tutorial!

4. THE FUN PART

Basically APPLY THAT LIPSTICK! This is personally my favourite part because it makes me feel like a glamorous old-school Hollywood Actress. I know a lot of women use a lip brush but I like to apply it straight from the bullet (#YOLO and all that).

5. BLOT, APPLY, BLOT, REPEAT.

Depending on how much time you have/how long you want your lippy to last there are a couple of steps left to ensuring that your lips stay red. Blot the excess product off with a tissue then reapply the lipstick. You can repeat this step as many times as you want (obviously don't go too overboard and waste your lipstick).

6. MORE TIPS

Lipcote became my best friend not too long after I discovered lipstick. If you've not heard of it before, it's basically this clear liquid that you apply after your lipstick to keep it in place all day. It's not foolproof but it's still damn good! I rarely leave the house without it in all honesty. Again, it can tingle your lips a bit and really does dry them out but it is a really great (and affordable product).

To avoid getting lipstick on your teeth, put your index finger into your mouth, lightly bite it and pull it out slowly. It will look really sexual and odd but it gets rid of he excess lipstick, that would have ended up on your teeth.

Food and drink. Always grab a straw for your drink - this may be why I get so drunk so quickly! And when eating/ordering food think about it! If you're going to an event where you'll be eating a huge meal, stick to nudes! If you insist on wearing red then cut your food into bitesize portions. I always eat sandwiches so weirdly by picking them into chunks - but it saves you looking like the joker!