Bellas! In the interest of always giving you beauty, style, and hair inspiration you can relate to and learn from, I’d like to introduce my newest Afrobella contributor.
Sherry Blossom is a freelance makeup artist, mom, FDNY EMT, native New Yorker, and beauty blogger/vlogger. I first became aware of Sherry via Twitter, she’s super friendly and is always there to share knowledge, makeup tips and words of inspiration with everyone. Then I checked out her blog and her videos and fell in love with her demonstrations. Sherry really SHOWS YOU how to rock a look! And she will be contributing monthly posts here on Afrobella where she demonstrates how to get the looks you wanna rock!
Sherry’s first post is SO apropos for holiday cocktail party season. I hear from so many women who are afraid of rocking a red lip, but there ARE foolproof ways to do it — depending on the kind of lip color, the product in question, and even your method of application! Take it away, Sherry Blossom!
5 Foolproof Ways To Wear Red Lips
1. Red Tinted Gloss
I’ll admit, sometimes less is more and there are times you may only want just a hint of color. Lipglosses are great for a sheer wash of your favorite shade. The beauty of glosses are their pigmentation: go as sheer as you like or opaque. In a previous post on SherryBlossomBeauty.com, I compiled a list of 5 Lip Glosses To Help You Overcome Your “Wearing Red Lipstick” Fear. A great red lip gloss to start with would be NYX lipgloss in Sunrise…
Wearing NYX Lipgloss in “Sunrise”
2. Red Lip Liner & Gloss/Lip Balm
Yes, you definitely read that right. Sometimes just filling in your lip with a red lip liner and covering with your favorite gloss or lip balm is all you need. It creates a nice natural lip stain that will last and last. I used NYX Lip Liner in “Plush Red” & Aquaphor (lol oh yes I did and I LOVE that stuff!!)….
Wearing NYX Lipliner in “Plush Red” (filled in entire lip) & Aquaphor
Wearing NYX Lipliner in “Plush Red” (filled in entire lip) & Aquaphor
3.Satin Finish Red Lipstick
I find lipsticks that have a little sheen to them sometimes work best when wearing a bold color. Cream finish aka satin finish lipsticks are silicone based, so they lock in moisture and stay put. No lip liner necessary so there is no fighting to perfect your lip line. Pop up the tube, apply and go. I used Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipcolor in Royal Red…
Wearing Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipcolor in Royal Red
Wearing Maybelline’s Royal Red
4. Matte Red Lipstick
It’s the ultimate red lip. Timeless! It definitely doesn’t get any better when you want to achieve a classic red lip. The key here is to exfoliate your lips prior to applying and using just a dab of lip conditioner. Be sure to use a lip liner! Matte lipsticks are unforgiving to your lip line so be sure to apply with a lip brush and use a lip liner to help you create symmetry. My favorite matte red lip is MAC “Ruby Woo” & I also used MAC’s lip conditioner and NYX “Plush Red” lipliner….
Wearing NYX Lipliner in “Plush Red” & MAC “Ruby Woo”
Wearing NYX Lipliner in “Plush Red” & MAC “Ruby Woo”
5. Matte Red Lipstick w/ Brown Lipliner & Highlight
I’ll be the first to admit that I used to fear bold colored lipsticks, ESPECIALLY red lipsticks. I grew up thinking that someone of my skin tone just couldn’t do it. Life as a makeup artist has completely nixed the idea that my skin tone can’t wear certain colors. I can wear ANY color and so can YOU. The trick is in the application and technique. For those who want a smoother transition from your skin tone to the color upon your lips, grab a brown lip liner or a lip liner closest to your skin tone and apply. Be sure to feather the lip liner in at the corners. Apply your lipstick to the area that’s bare. Leave the inner most center sheer. Take your favorite golden colored lipgloss and apply just to the center of your lips. And VOILA…done! You’ll have a red lip with awesome dimension that looks great in person and photographs like a dream! I used Kleancolor lip liner in “Hot Cocoa” , MAC’s lip conditioner, MAC “Ruby Woo” & NYX Lipgloss in “Africa”…
Wearing Kleancolor lipliner in “Hot Cocoa”, MAC “Ruby Woo” & NYX “Africa” (dab just on center of lip for highlight)
So the next time you find yourself shying away from red lips remember that you CAN rock that color and these are 5 FOOLPROOF ways you can do it!
Please give Sherry a warm welcome to Afrobella, and look out for her posts every month! For more Sherry Blossom Beauty, don’t forget to visit her official site, and follow her on Twitter.
Do you remember when you first wore red lipstick? What did you wear and how did you wear it?
Thanks so much! I am so humbled and honor to contribute! Please feel free to email me and ask questions or send blog requests. It just may become a post! I hope you all enjoy and remember you can WEAR ANYTHING!!! Have fun!
Wow Afrobella I really believe you can read our minds:) For the past month I’ve been searching for a tutorial on how to wear red lipstick. Every Christmas I say I’m going to do it and never follow through. This year thanks to you and Sherry Blossom I’m taking the plunge!
Awesome post Sherry Blossom.
PS. Usually I’m a lurker. It’s a shame red lipstick “unlurked
Wow Afrobella I really believe you can read our minds:) For the past month I’ve been searching for a tutorial on how to wear red lipstick. Every Christmas I say I’m going to do it and never follow through. This year thanks to you and Sherry Blossom I’m taking the plunge!
Awesome post Sherry Blossom.
PS. Usually I’m a lurker. It’s a shame red lipstick “de-lurkered” me:)
Hugs and Mocha,
Stesha
*sorry about the duplicate comment*
This is an AWESOME post! Love the pics and the tips! Sherry is soooo pretty (and an awesome blogger, MUA, vlogger, person, welp—she’s just awesome all around)
Yay! See the power of red lipstick the ability to “de-lurk” a reader!!
Take the plunge! I’m so glad it could help! Try taking the plunge a few days before and see which fool proof way feels most comfortable to you!
thanks so much for reading & commenting!
Enjoy!
Thank you soooo much! LOL @welp because I definitely did a “welp” face when I read this comment…Aww we are a bunch of saps! I see a red lip in your avatar! Awesome!
You look hawt. love the red lips and the brown skin
Looooved this post and welcome Ms. Sherry! I’ve been rockin’ a red lip continuously for a little while now and still getting used to it. This definitely gives me the inspiration to try it out more and wear it proudly!
Great tips! I’m always wearing neutral colors on my lips and have wanted to try red, but was apprehensive about doing so. These tips give me a push to go ahead and give it a try.
Thanks for this! I have been crazy about red lipstick this year, thanks to June Ambrose. Glad to see other colors beside MAC’s Ruby Woo. The author is my complexion so this article has been super useful. Look forward to reading more from you, Sherry Blossom.
I take this as a sign that I need to get me a tube of “Ruby Woo”… I was just checking out that color this weekend and chickened out, afraid it would look too red on my skin tone! I am going to “woman up” and get some! 🙂
Thanks! Neutral colors are great too but sometimes color gives you that extra sass! I’m happy it has helped! I’m sure you’ll find a way that works best for you!
Yes June Ambrose is AWESOME!! There are so many colors besides MAC Ruby Woo….it’s one of my many favorites! I’m glad you found this post helpful! Thanks for reading and commenting!
LOL!! The blog is talking to you! Yes grab that tube of Ruby Woo you will LOVE it! Try one of these foolproof ways and you will see its not as bad as it may seem. Be BOLD woman LOL
It is funny, I bought my first red lipstick 2 weeks ago, and wore it twice, and I like it, it add something sexy.
It is the L’oreal colour rich serum, I find confortable and lasting.
I bought a tube of Ruby Woo about a year ago and been chicken about wearing it. I brought it out for a birthday party a couple of weeks ago and I got so many compliments on it. Think I should bring it out more often. Looks fabulous in pictures ladies!
I LOVE red lips! I have been wearing red/burgundy lips for years. I use the brown liner method. Works like a charm in blending the brightness into my dark skin tone. Plus it’s very sensual which I LOVE! Thanks!
I love red lipstick. However, lately I have been struggling to find one that looks amazing and is not going to bankrupt me. Lol. Thanks for the tips.
My sister and the sales woman at Sephora talked me into buying a tube of red lipstick. It has been sitting in my vanity for 4 months. I am going to go and purchase lip liner and give it another try based on your tips. Thank you for the post.
Thank you so much! I appreciate the compliment!!
A comfortable and lasting lipstick is important. Add sexy and you’ve gotten a winner!
This is a pretty cool article. I love red lipstick so it’s just for me. I’ve never used matte lipstick though. Mmmh
Yes bring it out more often! It photographs like a dream. It’s matte so there is nothing to reflect the flash so it comes out true to color in pictures. Talk about a BOLD lip!
Yes using brown liner helps me when wearing a bold lip AND for helping to make bold lips wearable throughout the day and in the work setting. Sensual is definitely connected to the color red it always has been.
There are so many red lipsticks and even glosses between $1.99 and $11.99. Between these 2 posts I’ve compiled quite a list. Start off with a drugstore brand to “get your feet wet” and then splurge when you find the color that best suits you. There is a red for everyone!
You are welcome! Enjoy the new possibilities with lip liner and red lipstick!!!
Thanks for reading. Yes with proper exfoliation matte lips are amazing!
I’ve also liked a red lip. I like Venetian by MAC. Also YSL makes some good reds.
Awesome! Another red lip lover! 🙂 I haven’t tried that shade from MAC or YSL shades of red. Thanks for the heads up! I love reds in general and no 2 reds are exactly alike.
Thanks! I appreciate the love! Someone would have to wrestle with me to get me away from my red tube lol! Makeup is versatile and lipstick/lipgloss is no exception!
Hi I absolutely love your site, it has great posts! Please check out my blog, thanks.
Didn’t it feel good to find out that you could wear anything you wanted w/just the right technique? That freed me up to know that all that money I thought I wasted on products could actually be revamped into some cuteness. I love this article and I love ur face. It makes me happy! Thanks so much for sharing. And Mac Ruby Woo is the truth. I need to check out the Maybelline (sp?) Royal Red. Sooooo pretty on you.
Thanks for reading and commenting! We appreciate it!
This is a lovely blog too!
I’m late to this thread, but your post is so timely for me since I have fallen in love with red lipsticks again.
It’s funny – I wore it every day for ten years until about ten years ago, with no drama at all, just some shade by Chanel whose name I’ve forgotten – the past few months I’ve been going crazy trying to find the right red, the right texture, the right technique – and now I’m sitting here with four gorgeous shades of red, each with a different texture, but still a little lost, but so happy to wear red again!
Your post is one of the most informative ones I’ve found in these months – you cover all the bases and so clearly (and beautifully!). Thank you so much!
Hello my loved one! I want to say that this post is awesome, great written and include almost all important infos.
I would like to peer extra posts like this .