Luscious Red Lip Tutorial

Finally I get around to this! I have so much to upload, but I lost the USB cord to my camera so unfortunately all that will have to wait :(
For now here's another tutorial I made.. another basic one, while I get the hang of making picture tuts. This was pre-foundation, so don't hate on my skin.

My Take on Luscious Red Lips ;)

Always start out with a freshly sharpened pencil to get rid of bacteria and give you more precision. I used some nameless liner I've had forever since I don't opt for red lips that often.

To prep the lips, I exfoliate gently with a warm washcloth, then smooth something moisturizing on them (I prefer alba's unpetroleum jelly or aquaphor to a wax-y lip balm before lipstick).

Begin by lining the cupids bow (the top-of-a-heart shaped section of your upper lip) from the middle point up and outwards. Then line the bottom lip. On both the top and bottom lips, leave about half an inch of unlined space on each side of the line.

Finish lining the upper lip by starting from the outer corners and connecting to what you already drew. Repeat the same for the bottom lip: outer corners to previously drawn line.

Use one side of a q-tip to blend and soften the liner into your lips.

Use the opposite end of the q-tip to clean up any messy edges.

Lined lips :)

Using whatever red lipstick you choose, brush a thin layer of color onto your lips with a lip brush. I used Sally Hansen's (Natural beauty) inspired by Carmindy lipsticks in "Sangria".

First layer of lipstick. Not too thick.

If you want your red lips to last through the day or night, do not skip this step! Set your lip color by pressing your lips down on any type of tissue.

This layer will last and last, and creates a base for the second layer of lipstick. The cracked look is what you're aiming for, it's what shows that the inital layer of lipstick is really worked in there, and there will be no funky looking skin-colored lines in your lips when you smile!

Apply a second layer of lipstick. If you want a matte-ish finish, you can continue to brush on color until you get to your desired result. But the look I'm going for is luscious, not business! It's often said that adding gloss to red lips will goop up your look, but I beg to differ.

I finished off with a single layer of clear gloss, and I'm done! I usually pair red lips with nothing more than some winged black liner and sweep of bronzer on the cheekbones.

Hope you enjoyed :)