How To Do The Perfect Red Lip (With Rosie HW)

Lips

Honestly, give us a red lip and we can conquer the world… But it HAS to be executed well. And when it comes to a red lip there are so many elements you can mess up  – an ‘off’ shade, bleeding edges, over-overlining, and of course the worst of all… Lipstick on the teeth!

When we got together with supermodel and Founder of Rose Inc., Rosie Huntington-Whitely, we talked about ALL things beauty (watch our full interview with her here). Inevitably, the application of the iconic red lip came into question so we thought, together, we’d show you how to execute a red lip to perfection. Here’s everything you need to know:

1. Prep the lip

Prepping your lip is always important, but when it’s going to be the focal point of your makeup look, your lips need to be a flawless, smooth canvas. This means no dead skin and plenty of hydration. If there is, it simply won’t look as clean and polished as the dead skin can make the lipstick look flakey and uneven.

Start by exfoliating the lip with a sugar scrub like the Bite Beauty Agave+ Weekly Lip Scrub,$20; it’s made with organic golden sugar so it’s super soft on the lips. Alternatively, you can DIY your own with some sugar and one drop of coconut oil or essential oil (peppermint will have a plumping effect). Another great hack is to simply use a towel as soon as you’ve stepped out the shower: dip the corner of a towel into a little moisturizer or oil and rub in on your lips in a circular motion. It’s so simple, but as your skin is softened from the heat of the shower, any dead skin is buffed away easily. Follow with your fave lip balm (we used the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, $20, in vanilla) and then blot dry to remove any excess residue.

2. Line the lip for added definition

Now you have a clean canvas for application, grab your lip liner and mark an X on your Cupid’s bow to create definition. On the bottom lip, begin by lining the center then join up the outer edges of both the bottom and top lip. To make your lips look more voluptuous, you can trace over the natural edges of your lips just a little.

3. Fill the lip

Once you’ve nailed your lip liner,  fill the lip with color then use a flat brush to make sure it’s seamless. We used our Power Bullet Matte Lipstick in El Cinco De Mayo. If you like a super matte finish, blot with a tissue. Et voila, a sexy red lip!