Red (Lips and Nails)

The red lips trend is very classic. In recent years, many celebrities, including Rosario Dawson, have been fond of this look, but it hasn’t been quite the ‘it’ thing that it’s promised to be this fall.

Achieving this look can be kind of tricky. Red lipstick has a tendency to bleed once applied. The last thing you want is to look like your lipstick is smeared all over your face. Follow the steps below to prevent this from happening.

How to apply red lipstick:

1. Apply face makeup first (of course), going past the lines of the lips to make sure the coverage is sufficient. Set with powder.
2. Line lips using a lip pencil and then color in with the pencil as well.
3. Using a lip brush, apply lipstick. Make sure your lip pencil and lipstick are the same color so that when you apply the lipstick you don’t have to get right to the edge of the lip.
4. Using a concealer brush, go back around the edges of the lip with face powder to create a stark contrast from the lip to the skin.
5. If desired, apply a clear lip gloss.

Choosing the best red lipstick:

Go to a store like Sephora where you can apply the lipstick directly to your lips using a Q-tip. Buying red lipstick from a drugstore when you don’t know which shades look best on you will just end up bad. If the wrong shade is purchased, you risk the possibility of looking like a clown. The general rule is blue-reds for pale skin and orange-reds for darker skin. That’s not hard and fast, though, and can differ based on the amounts of yellow vs. pinks in your skin. Most makeup experts say that a ‘true’ red is good for anyone. I tend to agree. By ‘true’ red, they’re referring to the red London buses. If you can find a shade like that, you’re good.

Favorite red lipsticks:

MAC has been the go-to cosmetic for red lipstick ever since they created ‘Russian Red’ for Madonna. ‘Russian Red’ is good, but I tend to prefer the basic ‘MAC Red’ (I have pale skin). MAC’s lipsticks are only $14, so it’s a pretty good bargain. Make sure to buy a matching lip liner!

Bobbi Brown also has a good basic red lipstick. It’s called ‘Red’ and is one of those ‘true’ reds I mentioned above. It’s a little pricier than MAC at $22, but worth it if you think you’re going to wear it often. Bobbi Brown’s lipstick is by far the best I’ve ever used in terms of longevity.

My favorite drug store red lipstick is Max Factor’s ‘Rouge Passion’. Again, it’s a ‘true’ red. Not sure how much it is…drug store prices so probably $4-6.

Don’t forget the polish!

If you’re going to be sporting this look often, match your polish up too! Red nails are also in this fall. Pair them together and you have a super classic, trendy look!

Photo located at InStyle.com.

Purple (Eyes and Nails)

Purple is a huge color in fashion this fall so of course that’s also true for makeup. Just like with fall fashion, purple is best used as an accent color rather than an all-over color. So, for makeup, purple eyeshadows and purple nail polish are the two big items to have.

Purple Eyeshadow

To wear purple eyeshadow, try one of two ways.
1. For an everyday, subtle look, brush a medium toned purple shadow over your entire lid. Add heavy eyeliner and mascara, and you’re done.
2. To take it up a notch, create a smoky eye effect using purple eyeshadow instead of gray.

Favorite purple shadows

Bobbi Brown’s Eggplant and Fawn are nice purple shades.

MAC has LOTS of choices for purple shadows!

Or, you might just want to grab a drug store collection. I have a Cover Girl 4-pack called ‘Ice Princess’ that works pretty well.

Favorite purple polishes

OPI has a new purple called ‘Louvre me Louvre me not’.
Essie’s is called ‘Big Spender’, but is not quite so purple as OPI’s.

Photo from Bottega Venetta.

Gold (Eyes, Cheeks, and Nails)

Metallic gold is a huge, so much fun, makeup trend this fall. It can be a lot more artistic than red or purple and takes a certain amount of dare to pull off.

Gold Eyes

Gold eyeshadow can be used as a subtle accent or as an all-over statement.
To use an accent, try lining your eyes with a thick upsweep of gold.
To use as an all-over shadow, apply a light layer all over the lid. Then, apply a heavier line in the crease of your eye, keeping it heavier towards the outside of your eye.
Or, combine gold shadow with purple shadow. Apply gold shadow all over the lid and use purple shadow for the crease and outside corner. A little more artistic…

Try MAC’s ‘Gorgeous Gold’, Bobbi Brown’s ‘Gold’, and for more glitter, get Too Faced’s Shimmer Veils to apply over your gold shadows.

Gold Cheeks

I love this look! Just a little above the cheekbones goes a long way!

For cheeks (and eyes) you HAVE to visit the Chanel counter. Their fall collection is all about gold!

Gold Nails

OPI has ‘Curry Up, Don’t Be Late!’ that’s a metallicy gold.
And, of course, Essie has ‘Gold Nuggets’.

Photo located at Chanel.