How to Wear Red Lipstick

A lot of women are timid about wearing red lipstick, a classic lip color that's a hot trend this season.

Red lipstick was the first shade of lipstick that "fast" women wore, but mainstream women quickly adopted.

I've got a lot of different lipstick shades from nude to bright red, and I like wearing red on certain occasions—usually when I'm feeling bold and assertive. *LOL*

I wear it a lot at parties. It's like makeup artist, Charlotte Tilbury said, "Red lipstick is instant glamour." I've had women say, "I wish I could wear lipstick that color." I always reply, "You can! Just wear it."

4 Steps to Wearing Red Lipstick

1. Make sure you choose a red that is in your color "wheelhouse." I still think the 4 seasons of color matching works. I'm an autumn, and I look good in orangey reds but a blue-undertone of red looks hideous with my skin color.

If you don't know what I mean about the 4 seasons of color, here's a book that explains it: Color Me Beautiful: Discover Your Natural Beauty Through the Colors That Make You Look Great and Feel Fabulous.

This book was published back in the late 1980's, but I, and millions of women, swear by it. Trust me, you'll want the print version of this book so you can see the color photographs well.

2. When wearing red lipstick, make sure the clothes you choose aren't pale pastels. You want an outfit that's bold—something black or dark. Maybe leather if you have it. With bold colored lipsticks, you want bold clothes. That's true even if you're trying the new yellow, purple, and metallic black lipsticks.

3. Put all your makeup on first and use a red lip pencil to outline your lips. Then apply your lipstick. If you put red lipstick on before using your blush, you'll think it looks too bold and your face looks too pale. You'll end up wiping it off. So do your entire face, then add lipstick.

4. If you've never worn red lipstick before, then you might need to give yourself a good talking to. Make sure your ready to go then look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are, "Bold, beautiful, strong, self-assured, and ready to have a good time."

Takeaway Truth

If wearing red lipstick requires an attitude, you can develop that attitude.

Wearing it, and liking it, is the first step toward feeling like I described, "Bold, beautiful, strong, self-assured, and ready to have a good time."

Take the plunge. It's a simple thing to do and may make you bold enough to tackle a bigger challenge.