For years I’ve had a vendetta against red. After all red, as we so often joke, is the opposite of pastel, and so we’ve vowed the two never shall meet.
Until now.
Maybe it’s the Christmas spirit in the air, or my new neutral, more natural hair colour (more on that later I promise), but something is making me rethink red, especially when it comes to my beauty routine. Who doesn’t love a strong red lip?! The only problem is avoiding red lips my whole life has made me a little bit useless in the bold lipstick department.
With the help of a few handy youtube tutorials, tips from our favourite local makeup artists and some really great vegan, cruelty-free products (thanks Annabelle), I’ve managed to master the red lip, just in time for the holidays. It may be the opposite of all things pastel, but gosh does it look good with sequins and sparkle!
Scroll down to find out how we get red-lipped and mistletoe ready!
Here are a few super quick and simple bold-lip lessons, and I promise they’re doable no matter how low maintenance your routine may be.
Prep // use a lip scrub for a smooth smooch, then add a thin layer of moisturizing lip chap and just a touch of makeup primer.
Line // I don’t do a full outline because I’m a little too impatient/messy, so I just stick to the bow and fill in uneven spots on my natural line, then colour everything in for ultimate stay power. I used Annabelle “Glam Red” for this step.
Fill // With lips fully lined as a base, apply your lipstick. I went with Annabelle’s “Red Carpet”, then topped it with their Big Show Lacquer in “Love Fiercely” to get that candy apple shine.
Blot // I’m a big fan of blotting, but the jury is still out in the beauty world, so this step is totally your call.
Finish // dust your lips with pressed powder to seal in the colour and head to your nearest mistletoe!
So pretty!