I love this video I found on Refinery 29 this weekend. It is a simple how-to that makes going for that classic fifties "Mad Men" look pretty easy.
I am a recent convert to the red lip. I am still feeling it out and trying to find the perfect shade and brand for me. For night I am officially a YSL pour couture glossy stain convert. This stuff is amazing! For day I am still looking for a nice fresh look and shade. I don't feel completely like me with a really done day look. I sort of like being the girl that can go out with no make-up if I want and don't want to fall into the pit of full make-up every day. The red she uses in the video looks pretty good. But red for day is still tough for me to wrap my head around — I can't quite seem to get past the continual feeling of just knowing that I have a huge smear of red on my teeth or half way across my cheek. I find myself constantly checking my reflection in anything shiny and that kind of self-scrutiny and insecurity completely off-set any inherent sexiness and worldliness a red lip gives a girl.
I am working on it.
I was in San Fransisco this past weekend (more on that soon — promise) and on Saturday afternoon I bumped into Dita Von Teese while out shopping. There was me half drenched because My Guy and I tossed a too small umbrella into our suitcase and that umbrella was broke — of course — and I am in running shoes (cute coach running shoes but still... .) and there was her, in black fitted perfection, immaculate hair and make-up and the absolute perfect red lip.
I just knew that her red lipstick would never dare smear on her cheek or end up on her front tooth. It was both encouraging that the perfect lip was perhaps obtainable after all, and at the same time completely discouraging. My inner insecure girl who-got-teased-relentlessly-on-the-playground was having hysterics at the thought that I could ever achieve that level of Dita Von Teese perfection. And in between the wails of laughter she reminded me to absolutely forget ever trying to carry it off at one o'clock in the afternoon in the rain while traveling and dressing out of a suitcase.
Ha she squealed — you are mortal girl
M. O. R. T. A. L.
She is such a little bitch that inner girl is.
This video helps a bit. Enjoy and if you do try a red lip and realize at some point in the day that you have a smudge or a bit of red where it should not be — or that horrendous half red rim that happens as it mysteriously disappears on the inner part of your lip and the stuff near the outside edges seems to self procreate... you just stop, glop some more on and raise your hand in a silent wave to me — I am there for you girl. I am there.