Going to a Sunday BBQ, night on the town, or a fancy glitz party, or saying I do?… a red lip can and will always work.

Red lips, to me, are a vintage staple.

So many reds! How do you know what shade to go with? It can be so overwhelming. Have no fear, you will know by the end of this post.

Here is the easiest way to determine what shade of Red to go with. First off you need to figure out your skin’s undertone. Blue undertone, Green undertone, or a Combo of both. Look at the inside of your wrist, what color do you see from your veins? I see blue, which means I have a cool undertone. Coley, from J in the Trunk, sees a combo of both on her inner wrist. Coley is a neutral undertone. She can wear a variety of color well. There are other ways to find your shade, but I (and many other makeup artists) follow this method.

Blue = Cool Tone = Blue Reds, Raspberry Reds, True Red.

Green = Warmer Undertone = Pinky Reds, Orangey Reds.

Combo= Neutral Undertone = Deep Red, Ruby Red, True Red.

These are two of my favorite, blue undertone reds. MAC Russian Red and MAC Ruby Woo.

Remember, even if a color falls outside of your “undertone” but it looks good, YOU SHOULD WEAR IT. Half of makeup looking good, is the confidence it takes to wear it.

Now that we know how to pick a shade. How do you apply the color?

Photo Credit: elan photographie

1.Hydrate: Lip colors tend to be drying. Make sure while you are applying your foundation to prime your lips with a moisture balm. I like Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Hydrating Lip Balm. I say to do it while applying your foundation so that it has time to settle and your lip color does not slide off.

2. Lip Liner: always line when wearing RED! This helps the color from fading. Makes it bit easier to apply. Color within the lines.

3.Lip Color: Go ahead and apply the lip color of choice. Start at the inner heart of your lips, and work your way to the crease. Apply pressure for even coverage. Use 2-3 Coats. Apply a gloss over if your want that look.

4. Clean up: Take a concealer and paint around the lip line to sharpen up any bleeding color, or mistakes. (don’t worry we all make mistakes with Reds)

Thank you to the ladies of Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market for having me over to guest blog.

xoxo, Mariana Marie

“Keep smiling because Life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.”

From the Famous Red Lips herself,

Marilyn Monroe