The perfect red lipstick for you

Is there anything more classic than red lipstick?
According to Colour Psychology (the study of different colours as a determinant of human behaviour) red is the colour of energy, passion and power. Many experiments have concluded that women are seen to be more attractive in red and feel more confidence compaired to any other shade.

I'm wearing 'Orange Too' by Calvin Klein (£10.95)

Being such an influential colour it's important to get the shade right for your skin tone as it will make a considerable difference to your overall look.
First you need to determine your skin tone, there are a few simple ways to do this;
Look at your veins where they are most prominent (wrists or back of hands).
If your veins look blue then you have a cool skin tone. If your veins look green then you have a warm skin tone.
Another way to figure it out is by how your skin reacts in the sun. If you burn easily or turn pink then you have a cool skin tone and if you tan with ease then you're warm toned!

COOL TONED
Women with cool tones tend to have fair skin and their best bet is to find a shade of lipstick with blue undertones (also called a cold red shade) in it to compliment their complexion. Blue reds have the added benefit of contrasting against your teeth to make them look extra white! My favourite example of this shade is 'Russian Red' by Mac (£15.50)

Fair skinned girls like Megan Fox, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and Dita Von Teese have really made this their signature looks and there's no denying it's a strikingly beautiful combination! 

WARM TONED
If you have a warm toned complexion chances are you have a medium to tanned skin colour and should generally look for warmer red with orange tones to balance out the yellow in your skin and brighten your whole face! The exception to this rule is brown tones, although the brown counts as a warm tone it can really wash you out. One of my all time favourite lipsticks is an orange, red called 'So Chaud' by Mac (£15.50).

Red lipstick with orange undertones looks stunning on when paired with understated eye makeup and a few sweeps of bronzer. Miranda Kerr, Kim Kardashian, Penelopecruz Crux and Jessica Alba give great examples of this look.

All this is a good gereral guide to go by when it comes to picking your perfect shade but don't forget that everybody is different and some girls may suit both or feel these rules don't apply to them at all! Thanks for reading x

"Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. 

That, or a kick-ass red lipstick."

- Gwyneth Paltrow 

Flawless Skin Basics

Few things knock a girls confidence quicker than waking up in the morning and being greeted with problem skin. It kills me to see the dreaded, dark under-eye circles or a new spot on my chin and there's only so much foundation can cover without caking it on. That's why a basic understanding of concealer types and what ones suit best can be a girls secret weapon to flawless skin.

When it comes to complexion, the same rules apply as they did when we were in school learning about the colour wheel. Any colour on the wheel will cancel out the colour that is opposite when combined, or compliment each other when next to it. This is important to bear in mind when selecting what concealers to use.

PINK/PEACH CONCEALER 
Pink and peach undertone concealers are ideal for counteracting the purple/blue of under eye circles. As the skin is very delicate around this area I recommend lightly patting the product on with a slightly damp sponge or your ring finger as this has the lightest pressure. 

Anastasia Beverly Hill Cream Contour Kit £39.00 shades 'Banana' & 'Cool Pink'

YELLOW CONCEALER
Yellow concealer is a good all rounder and is the default tone found in most products. Yellow works well for brightening skin tone, concealing purple under-eye circles and darker skin patches.

GREEN CONCEALER
Green is directly across from red on the colour wheel and therefore is perfect for neutralising the red of pimples and discolouration around the nose.

NYX CW Concealer wand in Green & Lavender £6.00

LILAC CONCEALER

If you have any yellow discolouration or are sallow skinned then investing in a purple concealer will help you in contrasting this by brightening and evening out your skin tone.

WHITE CONCEALER
White concealer is not so much for colour correction but more for emphasising the natural highlight points on your face (cheekbones, nose, forehead, cupids bow). Many can find the white a bit harsh so mixing it in with a dot of foundation on your hand before applying tones the contrast down to look a bit more natural.

Illamasqua Skin Base Lift Concealer - 'White lights' £18.00

When it comes to colour correction these steps should be followed after applying your favourite skin primer. You should then carefully blend your foundation over with either a beauty blender/sponge or a stippling brush. I wouldn't advise using a foundation brush to blend your foundation over these concealers as they can move the product around and ruin the finish slightly.

If you want to try any of these methods a good palette to pick up would be the Makeup Revolution Ultra Base Corrector Palette as its a very reasonable price and the cream colours are very pigmented. 

Makeup Revolution Ultra Base Corrector Palette £6.00 

Morphe Corrector Wheel £9.95