Giving A Little Lip Service

The big trend is to wear less eye makeup and a bright red lipstick to show you're stylish and care about how you look, even casually.

So I must admit that I've tried that look. And my dilemma is which red is the right red for me.

Unless you go to a boutique makeup store or the name brand departments in the high end malls, you don't get to try on the lipstick before you buy it.

Many celebrities are doing this look successfully.

   



But most (except for Sharon Stone) of them are younger than I.  I have noted that many older celebrity women know their signature look and stay with nudes or neutrals.


 

Reds do brighten your face, especially when you are not wearing makeup and running errands. But the right red is still a challenge. If you, like me, buy them in the drugstore, you'll end up with a large supply of red lipsticks - most of which you will never wear because they just don't suit you.

Here's some good advice that I will use from now on and maybe you, as well.

Finding the "right" red lipstick:

• First things first. You need to figure out what tone range you fall into. Are you a cool blue red or a warm orange red? To figure this out, just look in the mirror at your complexion.
• If you’re fair, then you would benefit from colors in the cool blue red range, which helps brightened up skin and balances out tonality, while creating a “depth of lip,” with the rich, deep red that will be beautiful against fair skin. Colors in the warm orange red range would be too glaringly bright for fairer complexions.
• For medium to darker skin tones, a red from the orange red family will work best on this skin color. Orange-based reds are punchier and are for people who can handle attention--because of the intensity of the color. Warmer/darker complexions have an innate brightness to their skin. An orange red lipstick would create more light and depth to darker skin, which helps balances out its own tonality. If a dark complexion were to wear a blue red color, it would be too cool in tone and sallow out the skin.
• Once you figure out which color range you fall into (cool or warm), then it’s time to play and experiment with different hues of red. Since red is such a strong pigment, you just need to dab a little on your finger and apply it to the lip.
• Lightly blot your lips to remove excess color. This will ensure that you see the true color on your lips.
• You can apply strips of color onto your hand to compare all the different shades, but it won’t be as accurate on the skin of your hands as it would be if you apply it directly to your lips.
• After you've sampled one red on your lips, remove it with some makeup remover poured onto a tissue and rub it off or simply use a disposable makeup remover cloth.
• Repeat the above steps in trying out another red and wiping it fully off before you start again with yet another shade of red.
• Continue playing around with the different shades until you find one that perfectly suits your face and complexion.

This means buying a few lipsticks that could end up in a drawer, but you might just find the perfect one to brighten your smile.

Or you can go the way of nude or neutrals.  Mauves are a safe bet as they are darker than nudes and still provide color.  And berries are a nice color palette for most skin tones. Dark wines are a fun way to experiment (although they are better in cooler weather or evenings out). There's even a black lipstick but I can't imagine ever wearing that color!

As we age, our lip line changes. And our lips get thinner and our smiles look overly "soft." This causes our lip lines to wrinkle, and lipstick can move around or run.  I don't recommend that you use a lip liner that matches your lipstick. Instead get one that is the same color as your natural lip. You won't look so severe or odd.

And be sure to check your teeth. Not a pretty look on anyone.

I recommend that you exfoliate your lips weekly. You can use a little baking soda mixed with water and gently scrub your lips or a face loofah. I've even heard that using your toothbrush on your lips works well.

I'm sure you want to put your best face out there. It's what people see when they're doing business with you, talking with you, encountering you anywhere you go, gazing at you adoringly.

A little tinted gloss, bright lipstick and white teeth show you off beautifully. As that little red-headed moppet sings in her show:  "You're never fully dressed without a smile."  Annie

So dress up your smile.... and smile a lot! You're alive, you're attractive and you have much to be grateful for.  Smile and show it!

Until next week, I remain,

Stylistically yours,

Sooz