Wearing Red Lipstick
When I was a teenager, it was easy. Two dollars on Revolon’s Cherries in the Snow, a half glance in the rearview mirror, a quick application, and I was off. In my early twenties, Lancome’s Matte Royale was my color of choice. The dark wine was a nice compliment to my buzz cut and combat boots. But the color would have looked good with anything because I was a kid!
That is one of the lessons most of us learned the hard way: youth comes with a carefree aesthetic that you will not appreciate until it is gone. When you get older (I am 36), that red lipstick will bleed from your lips into the hairline wrinkles around your mouth, unless you use these hard-learned techniques:
- First, stay away from colors that are too matte; stick with light, shiny shades. Chanel Allure Lipstick No.18 Sexy is my current favorite.
- Second, always wear lip liner. The lip liner needs to be close to the color of your skin, not to the hue of the lipstick. I like Spice by MAC. This will keep the color from bleeding.
- Third, apply the lipstick with a brush, not from the tube, to avoid the stage-makeup look.
- Third, if it is a red lipstick day, hold back on eyeshadow and blush so that you don’t look like a tramp.
Comments
I wish I had time for lipstick. With three kids (ages 15, 13 and 4), I am happy when I have time to sit down, let alone put some makeup on.
Posted by: Barbara | October 16, 2006 11:18 AM
You had a buzz cut? That's adorable.
I haven't worn red lipstick since right after college, but maybe I should rethink.
Posted by: Erin | October 16, 2006 01:16 PM
Priceless information from all writers. Every woman here has her own voice & it rings loud and true!
Posted by: Susan Hoy | October 18, 2006 12:59 PM