Can You Pull Off A Red Lip?

Let's talk about red lips. A woman wearing a red lip can mean a variety of different things. She’s classy, confident, empowered, sassy, powerful or a combination of each. Red lips can promote influential statements. Make sure the statement you make is saying the right thing.

If you choose to wear a bold red lip, make it stand out. An outfit with bold lips, statement shoes and a smoky eye is too much. Tone down the rest of the outfit and makeup down in order to let the red lips shine. Here are a few tips where a red lip is generally appropriate:

When you have time.

A perfectly executed red lip completes a look and draws attention, but it takes time. Planning a look based off of a red lip takes a lot of commitment. If you have time to exfoliate your lips the day before, use primer, lip liner and concealer, then a red lip is for you.

On Christmas Day.

Is there a better way to celebrate the holidays than a festive red lip? Red is a classic Christmas color that will add to the merriment of the day. Make sure to take and post a Christmas selfie featuring your flawless red lips.

Walking around in New York City.

There’s nothing worse than standing out because you don’t fit in. And in New York, a red lip is a staple that should be worn frequently.

LBD parties.

Little black dress parties provide the opportunity to have fun with accessories and makeup in order to spice up a plain black dress. Red lips are the perfect addition! This goes for other types of female group parties like bachelorette parties and girl’s nights out. 

A tool as powerful as a red lip should be used with caution. Not every occasion calls for red lipstick, and not every girl can pull off the look. Here’s when NOT to wear a red lip:

On a date.

If you’ve ever worn any color of bright lipstick before, you know that lipstick gets everywhere. If you accidentally touch your lip without noticing, pretty soon little red smears start showing up on your fork, napkin, hands, teeth, sometimes in your hair or on your date. It’s embarrassing. Lipstick shows all the flaws in your manners. Although you look awesome, boys don't want to kiss girls wearing red lipstick.

On a long day.

If you aren’t constantly looking in the mirror and checking your appearance, odds are you’ll forget you even have lipstick on. Plus when you don’t touch up the lip color often, it fades, smears and cracks, ruining your entire look.

If you’re not used to it.

If you can’t handle the look of your face with a bold lip color, you should never wear it. The look means nothing if you’re not confident about yourself wearing it.

If it doesn’t go with your color scheme.

I’m not only talking about your outfit color scheme. Of course, don’t wear red lipstick with pinks. But also, if your skin tone is pinker naturally, go for a different shade of lipstick than a true red. And last, remember to whiten your teeth the night before wearing any bright lip colors.

ENDNOTE: if you’re Taylor Swift, none of these rules or any other rules about anything apply.

“Cherry lips, crystal skies I could show you incredible things.”