Rock a Red Lip on Your Wedding Day

When it comes to lipstick there are so many shades and textures to chose from, but I feel a red lip in particular on your wedding day can look really classic, beautiful and timeless.  The most common worries are bleeding, smudging or just generally looking OTT but choosing the right shade and ensuring you take the right steps to apply it, means going bold with your lipstick on your wedding day doesn't have to be scary. Here's my run down on what you need to do to get wedding ready red lips. 

Exfoliate 

First and foremost (and this step stands for any lip colour to be applied) you must exfoliate.  There are lots of products on the market and you can even make up your own sugar scrub at home to gently exfoliate the lip area and ensure you get a smooth and clean canvas to work on.

Prime

Next you want to prime.  Again, there are lots of different lip primers out there but instead of needlessly spending money on more products, you can use a lip liner (either a nude tone similar to your natural lips or that of a similar colour to your lipstick) as a base to fill the entire lip.  This will provide staying power for your lipstick as well as keep the colour true. 

Define

Next up you want to take that same lip liner and define your lips, ensuring you create smooth and even definition.  This will also act as a barrier and stop the colour from bleeding away from your lips.

Apply

Always apply creamy lipsticks with a lip brush so you can get precision.  If you are going for a more matte shade or lip tint then this can be patted on with your finger or brush also.  I’d always put 2 layers on for good measure and make sure you blot the first application with a tissue and then re-apply.

Perfect

To ensure that your lip shape is absolutely perfect, use a concealer and fine brush on your skin around the edges of your lips to correct any mistakes and really make the colour pop.

Seal

And lastly you want to set and seal the lipstick with a translucent powder.  Use your finger to apply and ensure you tap off any excess powder for patting over the entire lip area.

 Recommended Products...

As for specific product recommendations - "Russian Red” and “Ruby Woo” by MAC are both well known and an extremely popular choice as well as Bobbi Brown’s Burnt Red colour. Rimmel also have some great shades of red in the Kate Moss collection that won’t break the bank.

Final Tip

I always suggest when going for a bold lip to keep the rest of your makeup simple.  Perhaps just gently contouring the eye with browns and cashmeres, although you could add a liquid liner flick for the perfect vintage look!

So really you just have to trust in the process and use these important steps to eliminate any lip disasters on your wedding day or any other time!  And most important when wearing a bold lip - Own it!  It’s all about the confidence!