Red revisited
Wherever you look, red lips are in the picture. But which look is right for you?
YOU may have noticed that red lips have caught on and become a high street fashion cult (well as far as the journalists and fashionistas around Cyprus are concerned it has anyway). Girls and journalists are forever asking me where to get a good red lipstick from. Last season, fashion stylists here were plugging the retro thing in the fashion pages of our magazines and the trend has stuck. Several times in the last month, while I have been doing make up for young models for some shoot or another, I hear the words, “but red is the fashion now isn’t it?” and I have to calmly explain that yes red is very in at the moment but it’s not the only trend, plus it’s not suitable for this job, plus I was doing retro red in last season’s shoots and it’s more a street trend now. To be fair though, they are right, red is most definitely in fashion now if you are a follower of trends and besides, trend or not it always gives an air of confidence, eccentricity and makes a real statement.
Luckily for the untrained or the busy, most reds seem to be accepted as hip and happening. Just remember not to apply half a dozen other colours to the face and use lots of mascara to balance the look. There’s the retro letterbox red of the fifties, the true red, but slightly leaning towards brick red of the forties, (the seventies, greasy shimmering red didn’t even make it to the street), bright red to complement (or clash with) the fabrics and colours of those eighties fashions, namely purple, bright blue and green, that are in the chain stores now. Then there’s dark blood red and deep cerise reds, more a cherry red and not fuschia pink, for a grown up glamorous look reminiscent of the dark lips of the screen sirens of thirties Hollywood movies.
Another trend that hasn’t reached the street yet, not Makarios Avenue anyway, but probably London’s fashionista events is very dark, moody almost gothic or even S&M inspired lips but with a twist. The look needs to be a cross between the above and the thirties screen sirens! This dark look can be achieved using very dark blood red lipstick and the right hair do and outfit! I call it Frankenstein’s Bride with a twist.
It seems that all the red lips looks are being revisited this season and we love them all. In the real world of the high street, which our lives revolve around, whether shopping at the supermarket or picking up cherished offspring from school, stick to wearing retro reds like orangey red or letterbox reds which look cool and hip without being over the top. Dark blood or wine reds look great for a dressier event or evening attire.
For the most gorgeous and sophisticated dark reds or cherry tones go to an ESTEE LAUDER counter, where I found some to die for lipcolours. At CHANEL I discovered gorgeous dark browny reds and deep blue toned reds. MAC’s soon to arrive MAC COUTOURE and NOCTURNELLE collections are right on the mark with dark moody imagery and packaging with red lip colour as a feature in the promotional photo and even red eyeshadow. GUERLAIN always have a timeless red to offer. L’Oreal have some great reds in their range and have great textures as well as being budget conscious.
