Corinna B December 19, 2016

How To Apply The Perfect Red Lip

Have you been to Barnes and Noble and picked up a copy of Luca Magazine yet?
I have an article in this issue (just in time for all your holiday parties) that is all about how to apply the perfect red lip.

All images in this post were photographed by Kelly Cappelli,
Hair by Lisa Marie, Makeup by Corinna Cooke

HOW TO APPLY THE PERFECT RED LIP

Nothing says “hello, gorgeous,” quite like a sensational, bold red lip!

Red lips are the perfect accessory for winter. They’re fun and flirty! Once the new year arrives with its bleak, dull, gray days, and spring feels like it’s never going to get here, a feisty red lip adds excitement to your look and your day.

Red lips make such a statement; you barely need anything else. They look fantastic with a pared down makeup look for day, then add a cat eye and structured brow for night. They dress up jeans and a white shirt, compliment an all black ensemble, and pair up perfectly with a party dress and faux fur.

Check out these 5 steps to perfect your pout and wow the world!

1. Exfoliate

Dry, flaky lips don’t look good in red. To pull off a red lip, you need to have silky smooth lips, so the first step is to exfoliate. You can use a store bought lip exfoliator, or you can make one at home. A super soft baby toothbrush makes a perfect lip exfoliator, as does a warm washcloth. Just remember to be very, very gentle. If you rough your lips up, they’ll still look dry and flaky.

2. Hydrate

After exfoliating, and ideally, a couple of hours before you get ready to go out, apply liberal amounts of lip balm, and let your kisser soak it in. Your lips need to be nicely hydrated so that your red lipstick looks smooth and luscious. Before applying your lip liner, you’ll gently blot the lip balm away.

3. Line Your Lip

Red lipstick needs to know its boundaries, and you want to color inside the lines. Use either the lip liner that matches your lipstick or one that’s a shade or two darker, (for a little extra dimension), to give your lip a perfect, crisp outline.

4. Stain and Apply

The perfect red lip has more than one layer. Apply your red lipstick, then blot with a folded tissue to help set the first coat into a stain. This step is super important because it stops your lips from looking patchy as the top coat wears off! Now apply a second coat, making sure to stay inside the lines.

5. Get Precise

Run the edge of a lip brush through your lip liner, making it disappear into your lipstick while giving your lip a crisp, fresh edge.

My Favorite Red Lipsticks

In this story I use Infared Matte from Smashbox

I’m all kinds of crazy for Charlotte Tilbury Red Carpet Red

One of the greatest blue based reds ever made is MAC Ruby Woo

Corinna B March 15, 2016

Keeping It Simple ~ Makeup For Spring 2016

I just had a new editorial come out (a couple of weeks ago), and I think it’s one of my favorites. So I’m showing it to you today.

Keeping It Simple

French girls understand the key to beauty is keeping it simple.
Create a beautiful complexion opting for a sheer foundation instead of a heavy one, add a little accent to the brow and then complete the story with a lovely lip.
I wanted to evoke a little Parisian beauty for this fashion story, and keep it on trend for Spring 2016.
You can read about the major makeup trends for Spring 2016 here
and find out about the red lips I’m loving for the new season.

Corinna B November 30, 2015

The 6 Best Red Lipsticks For The Holidays

A red lip is the perfect accessory for the holidays!

It’s bright, it’s fun and with one quick swipe can turn your look from boring to bold.

photo by Kelly Cappelli
Makeup by Corinna Cooke

A well defined brow paired with a kick-ass red lip is classic.
It’s also a quick and easy look to pull off.
A red lip makes such a statement on it’s own that you can scale back the rest of your makeup, keeping the eye and cheek simple and letting the lip do all the work for you.

My favorite red lip look for the holiday season is a rich, matte lip paired with glowing, luminous skin.
Check out 6 of my favorite matte reds for the holidays:

The 6 Best Red Lips For The Holidays

Tatcha Kyoto Red is a geisha inspired red that is universally flattering – it looks great on everyone. And it packs a serious punch.

It’s a matte lip with a silk finish.

Tatcha Kyoto Red

Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope Matte Lipstick in Black Tie.

Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope lipstick in Black Tie

This gorgeous, lightweight matte lipstick

Tom Ford Lip Color in Cherry Lush

Tom Ford Lip Color in Cherry Lush

Tom Ford believes the lip is the focus of the face and has the power to define your whole look. No wonder his lipsticks are so luscious!

Nars Pure Matte Lipstick in Vesuvio

Nars Pure Matte Lips are super pigmented and very long wearing, which is ideal when you are going bold – you don’t want to be wearing a lipstick formula that requires a lot of maintenance and upkeep.

MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo

MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo

Ruby Woo is a timeless, iconic red lipstick that will never go out of fashion.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Red Carpet Red

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Red Carpet Red

One of my all time favorite red lipsticks, Red Carpet Red hasn’t been around very long, but will become another of the iconic red lips. It’s wonderful.