Beauty Tips

Red Hot

Red Lipstick is iconic, powerful and sexy. Our resident celebrity make-up artist, Melli, gives us some tips on how to go bold with red lippie in 2020.

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who rock a red lip on a regular basis, and those who wish they could.

Generally speaking, if you’re hesitant about red lipstick, it’s because you’re unsure which shade will work for you – or because you don’t want to stand out. I totally get it. There are so many reds out there and the cosmetic counters can be confusing at the best of times. I’m here to help!

What’s great about a red lip is that you can keep the rest of your makeup quite minimal. I love pairing a red lip with lashings of mascara and definition on the top lash line, using a gel cream pot liner which is waterproof and smudge proof, keeping the lower lash line bare. Then, complete the look with just a smudge of a taupe eye-shadow underneath the lower lash line to balance it out. Keep blush minimal for an understated classic look.

Red is an empowering shade. They say that if you are in the boardroom at work or in a situation where you really need people to listen to you then a red lipstick will command attention. So why not make a simple New Year’s resolution to give it a try!

Rules for Red

I always say with makeup: there are no rules, only techniques. So, if you want to rock a red that breaks the ‘rules’ because you feel mighty fine wearing it – I say go all out. But if you’re wondering about colour theory, then here’s the lowdown.

• Fairer skin tones work best with blue toned reds – think of your cherry reds.

• Warmer skin tones work best with warm reds.

• Then there’s a neutral red. Just about everyone suits a neutral red. That’s the oldworld Hollywood Glamour red. It’s not quite a blue red and not quite an orange red but somewhere in between.

If you’ve never gone down the ‘Red Road’ before, here are my tricks.

• Start off wearing it as a stain. To do this, coat your lips ever so lightly then blot down with a tissue. This will sheer out the shade and give you the chance to get used to it.

• Or, layer a red lipstick on top of one of your neutral lippies. This will also help to ease you into a red.

• I love layering a red over a bright pink – it creates a cherry statement shade that really brightens the face.

• Line your lips and use a lip brush. You will achieve a much more polished finish – especially helpful if you are going out.

• I recommend exfoliating the lips with a lip scrub first, followed with a swipe of lip balm to prep. Lush has some really yummy lip exfoliators. I love the Cookie Dough flavour!

The number one thing with a red lip is to own it! Wear it proudly and confidently.

When not creating addictive wearable shades and pretty packaging for her Cruelty Free Makeup Range, Melissa “Melli” Carter freelances as a makeup artist looking after some of Australia’s best-known faces in the TV and film industry. Her favourite thing to do is to share the ‘magic tricks’ she has collected over the last few decades with everyday women to bring out their confidence and natural beauty. Meet her at our exclusive Gorgeous Excuse events in 2020. Click here for more details.