Red Red Lips

So Valentines Day is coming up and red is the color of the month (in my book!) So I invited the one and only self-proclaimed product junkie Molly Reynolds to come over and show us how to get the perfect red lip! 

It can be scary to rock bold lips - but let me tell you, Molly does wonders and with her help, we can all have the confidence to be bold with our lip color!

Hey there lovelies! I am Molly Reynolds and I am a self proclaimed product junkie, also known as a makeup artist. I am so excited to be over here on Joanna's blog today! I am a lover of red lipstick and I think every woman can pull it off beautifully. Red lipstick is classic, elegant, and can never go out of style. Now its not as complicated as you think and I am going to break it down for you step by step for you, so let's do it!

First start by using a lip conditioner to prime the lip, then use a tissue to blot the excess moisture, I love using Smiths Rosebud Salve (it's a cult favorite) and by priming the lip you set a moistened foundation which will easily blend the lip color. 

Then use a primer, I use MAC Prep + Prime as a base to hold on tight to that beautiful lip color and make it last throughout the day. Make sure you are getting it around the lip line to prevent your color from bleeding. 

Now lightly dust your foundation or concealer around the lip to conceal the natural lip line and color giving your lips a clean canvas.

Now we are going to add the fun part! I like to start from the inside of the lip and work my way out, it makes it easier to find the natural lip line. The perfect shade of red for this is MAC lip pencil in Redd, it will blend with just about any shade in the red family. 

When applying the lipstick you want to use a lip brush with a firmness to it, this is going to help set in the color and really work it into your lips. My absolute FAVORITE red lipstick is Ruby Woo from MAC. It is the most universally flattering lip color and it truly works with any skin tone, its fabulous investment! Brush the lip color on using the brush and don't worry about getting it perfect, the next step is a little trick that is vital in perfecting the trend. Take an angled brush and dip into your foundation or concealer and clean up your color around the lip, now you look like your a professional.

Thanks so much Molly! You're the best! You can bet that I'm gonna rock those lips on my Valentine's date this year :)