Red lipstick, and all that that implies....

I recall being 24 or so and working for Bobbi Brown at the time. I had mother-daughter Latino clients come in and they were a blast! After getting through an entire makeup lesson with much laughter and onto lipstick discussions, i mentioned how sometimes being blonde and wearing red lipstick sorta made me feel like a hooker.  My client quickly rewrote that story for me... She gently grabbed my chin and said huunnny, no... (that was exactly the way she pronounced it). She said, "Wearing RED on your lips exudes confidence..." And all of life changed in that moment! Not really...but seriously, my FEAR of RED lips forever disappeared into the abyss of neutral colors that lined the bottom of my handbag!

Reds can be tricky, but there's one out there for every girl! If you're super uncomfortable, start with a sheer gloss, like Chanel Spark glossimer. It's so fun, with just a hint of red. If you still aren't sure, or aren't fond of glosses, try any sheer type of lipstick in berries or colors that have hints of red in them... Work your way into it!

A few of my faves are:
Chanel Rouge Allure Lipstick in Pirate, $36
Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Kate #1, $2.89 (Love, love, love these lipsticks! Want to buy every shade.)
Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Hollywood Red, $25

You may have to make a few adjustments, but lighter cheeks or almost neutral work well with red lips. Eyeliner could be bold or skip it entirely, but either way, try going with a simple eye palette to begin. No rushing here, but 'tis the season, so if there ever was a time, it's now. Show off your ever-so-confident side for the Holidays!