As seen on the runways of Giorgio Armani and Yves Saint Laurent matte red lips are it for fall. Starlettes such as Scarlett Johansson and the ever-so-sexy Megan Fox have also recently been spotted sporting the look. Now, it's your turn. MAC Senior Artist, Gina Bettelli, gave me the scoop on how to wear the perfect matte red lip so you can rock it with confidence.
"The lips need to be prepared to accept a matte formula and look like velvet," explains Bettelli. First, exfoliate your lips with a lip scrub using a clean mascara wand and immediately moisturize with your favorite lip balm. I like the Sara Happ Lip Scrub and Rosebud Salve Lip Balm. Next, wipe away any excess moisturizer and press loose powder onto your lips with a sponge. Make sure to press it into edges.
Now that your pout is prepped, it's application time, but think twice before you swipe it on. Bettelli suggests using a flat, crisp brush to get a perfectly clean edge. Stamp the color slightly inside the lip line and "shimmy" the brush to the edge for a runway-ready result. To keep the color from bleeding outside of your lip liner try applying a lip primer like MAC Prep + Prime Lip prior to the color.
Remember, when doing a bold lip, you always want to keep the rest of your look simple and classic. Opt for a simple eye and some blush to add a balance of color in your cheeks. Choosing the right red depends on your skin tone. If you have olive skin, choose a red with blue undertones, warmer skin tone, choose one that's yellow based.
