How to Master the Art of the Bold Red Lip

One of the most critical items on today's agenda is to practice (for the purpose of mastering) the clean face + bold red lip.  This look may have been a bit too much for the sunny days of summer. But it's just perfect for fall.

The success of the look hinges on the proper execution of the main elements.  Sure it looks easy (just slap on some red lipstick) but it's not that simple. You must lay out the right elements as the ideal backdrop for the red lip to shine.

If this look were a soup, the broth would be the flawless look of the skin.  Creating a perfect canvas is crucial.  You want an overall matte look with subtle highlighting and a minimal focus on the cheeks.  More importantly, make ample use of your favorite concealer to camouflage any discoloration and dark areas on the face.  Take your time on this step to make sure it's as perfect as possible.

Next we move on to the eyes.  Just as important as the lips are the appearance of the eyebrows.  This will really bring a sense of balance that perfectly compliments the bold red lip.  If the brows are not done correctly, the lip will be overbearing.  The look you want to go for is a defined, yet natural looking brow.  If you're sporting this as an evening face, you make the brows a bit more dramatic. But, as a rule of thumb, keep it natural.

Ideally, we want to give off the illusion of a natural looking cat eye. A woman who wears a bold red lip must also have seductive eyes.  And much like the brow, the eyes should compliment face without taking away any of the attention.  You do this by putting your efforts into creating a perfect winged eye.  Feel free to play around with how bold or minimal the line appears based on your preference.  Once the winged eye is complete, we then draw attention to our lashes to add a bit of flirtiness.

Then we arrive at the main course of this exquisite look.  What excites me most, is that one can choose from a multitude of crimson shades.  You can opt for the brightest of reds to a deeper shade with brown undertones.  The choice is yours. If you're one of those people who haven't found the perfect shade of red yet, keep looking.  Trust me, there's a shade out there that compliments your skin flawlessly.  To shorten the duration of your search, start with brands that cater to deeper skin tones like blackUP, Iman, Milani, or MAC.  To keep the look practical for everyday wear, opt for a matte finish.  A lip pencil is probably your best option.  I love the velvet matte finish pencils from Nars and blackUp 2 in 1 because they give a matte finish with a + bit of hydration (at the same damn time).

Sure, this might now be a look you wear everyday. But I strongly believe that you should invest time to master it nonetheless.  Keep it in your repertoire as one of your many signature looks.  Or maybe, you love the end result so much, that you rock it on the regular.  Listen, if you can master the bold red lip, you have unlocked the door to your infinite power.  Who wouldn't want that?

What's your favorite red lip color at the moment?