Your Foolproof Guide To The Perfect Red Lip
While working on Empire for 4 years, my character, Anika, almost always had a signature red lip (she always had a cat-eye too - tutorial on that one soon!).
I fell in love with it so much that a bold red lip began to be a part of my personal look for appearances, public events, red carpets and even, speaking engagements.
Here are a few of my past favorite red lip looks:
During this time, so many people would come to me and say: “Girl, you can totally pull off a red lip. I really wish I could.”
Well, I’m here to tell you, you can. Yes. YOU. But, how exactly do you discover the secret to a show-stopping red lip?
I’m glad you asked.
To help de-bunk myths and guide us through this crimson excursion, I’ve enlisted the help of one of my favorite celebrity makeup artists; Ashunta Sheriff-Kendricks. Ashunta’s makeup artistry experience spans decades in the industry and ranges from celebrity faces such as Alicia Keys to Sharon Stone to Taraji P. Henson and Mary J. Blige (just to name a few).
So. Ready to find your perfect red lip? Let’s do it.
G. First things first. What are the skin tones that one could likely classify themselves as?
A. Fair / Light / Medium / Tan / Olive / Caramel / Cinnamon / Mocha / Dark Chocolate are the basic skin tones.
G. Once determining your skin’s classification– is there a way to choose the right shade of red to complement it? I’ve heard the standard: light skin tones = blue-based reds, medium skin tones = warmer reds, and deep skin tones = both. What are your thoughts?
A. My philosophy is that blue-undertone reds, whether bright or deep, work amazingly on all skin tones. (So, if you are new to trying a red lip, start by experimenting with a range of blue-undertone reds from bright to medium to deep to see exactly which shade you prefer against your skin). I’ve found that blue-undertone reds actually help the skin to look brighter and teeth to look whiter, as well. They contrast beautifully with all complexions and skin undertones.
G: So, it isn’t true that there are only certain skin tones can pull off a bold red lip?
A. All skin tones can wear a bold red lip. Especially, if the red is of a blue-undertone, it will read beautifully on all skin tones regardless of complexion.
G. Love it! As a quick cheat sheet, what are some of your favorite fool-proof, blue-undertone reds that anyone can experiment with?
A. Here are some of my current favorites:
1.) Giorgio Armani – Rouge D’Armani Matte Lipstick; Shade: #402
“This is a perfect red that is sexy for brown girl beauties of all shades – plus the violet-blue undertone will pop those pearly whites and enhance smiles.”
2.) Urban Decay Vice Lipstick; Shade: Hex - Mega Matte (Deep Red Wine)
“Urban Decay mega matte lip in this deep garnet color plays no games when it comes to giving you something sensual and vampy.”
3.) Nars Powermatte Lip Pigment; Shade: Starwoman (Vivid Blue Red)
“NARS liquid pigment is a bold pigment liquid that even has a precision applicator for a striking, vivid, ruby pout.”
4.) The Lip Bar; Shade: Bawse Lady (Liquid Matte)
“The Lip Bar is one of my favorite brands that has been creating vegan cruelty-free makeup long before anyone else thought of it. This liquid matte red lip color glides on smoothly and easily.”
5.) Black Opal Colorsplurge (TM) Patent Lips; Shade: Red Intensity
“Black Opal has brought affordable quality beauty products that have a luxury look. This high-shine formula is an intensely pigmented color that is non-sticky and non-frying. Since it’s enriched with moisturizers, lips stay conditioned. This is vital when wearing any bold color.”
*Apart from adding the above newbies to my makeup collection, two of my personal go-to reds (which also happen to be blue-based!) are MAC’s Ruby Woo and Fenty Lip Stunna in Uncensored (my Mother-In-Love’s favorite red). *
Putting it to the test
After garnering all of this amazing info, I decided to put this theory to the test. So, I snagged three of my girlfriends (Court, Nik + Tam!) to help compare a blue-based red (Fenty Lip Stunna in Uncensored) to see what it would look like on four different skin tones.
Here were our results:
Same color, but we were fascinated with the way in which this blue-based red reflected differently on our skin tones! Needless to say, we were thrilled that this was flattering for all of our skin tones – and, after this, we’re definitely picking up a range of them for our respective makeup kits (thank you, Ashunta)! x
Ashunta sheriff-kendricks
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