Photos: Karen Blanchard

Not sure if you know this but I’m a huge fan of playing with make up – always have been.  You’ve seen snippets of it but I’ll try showing you more as time passes – especially my personal favourites and new finds which I realized I’ve not shared too often with you and I think that I should.

With that said last month red lips with a bare face got my attention.

I will say this though: I agree that whichever color it’s cleaner/prettier if you keep the rest of the face make up to a minimum.

Here’s a breakdown of the different shades and ones to try:

I thought Aziza Azim for Curve Magazine in photo 1 looked fantastic: bare faced with a slick of classic red (yes I love that jacket too and the red lips and bag are so good).  MAC’s Ruby Woo or Russian Red are good versions that I’ve noticed work on all skin shades (I wear the first a lot).  NARS Dragon Girl is my latest blue/red find that feels like velvet and lasts all day.

MAC’s Lady Danger on Joanna Hillman from Harpars Bazaar in photo 2 is my favorite from all of the above. It’s a fiery wearable orange.  I first discovered it on fashion journalist Indigo Clarke two years ago and after months of avoiding I caved and have loved it ever since.  I practically lived in it in St. Lucia.

For a bright pinky red (see photo 3 of Teen Vogue’s Eva Chen) try Sephora’s Forever Fuschia. It’s a bright fuschia pink and it stays put. It’s looks like a gloss but dries matte.  MAC Show Orchid is one of my faves (click here to see me in it plus more recs that YOU gave me).

Photo 4 looked like a burnt orange – MAC So Chaud is a good lookalike – it’s a darker version of Lady Danger.

Sometimes adding eye liner works* – see photo 6 of Nadia Sarwar from the blog Frou Frou with her signature winged liner + Maybelline Super Stay 24 colour in Everlasting Wine (thx Nadia!).  Try MAC’s Rebel which is a dark wine too (notice I’m a MAC fan).  Sephora’s Dark Berry is good option too that lasts all day.  I think deep wines work on dark and pale skins – just like in the last photo.  

*A How-To video on eyeliners is in the works ; -)