Valentine Week: Bold Red Lip - "The lips take center stage in this classic makeup look. Red lips exude the aura of love, romance, power and everything else in between. A bold red lip can and will take you places. It is the epitome of high glamour and classic look that will never go out of style."

The Bold Red Lip Palette

Happy hump day! I'm really enjoying Valentine Week as I get to play with my makeup a lot. I feel quite relaxed nowadays, despite a particularly bad 3-day bout of allergies which caused my nasal passages to be severely congested. I'm still recuperating right now, but I feel better and I'm breathing better so all is good. *_* For my ultimate nod to V-Day, I have the ultimate sexy, bold makeup look everybody should try.

BASE: Make sure that you have a good base to counteract any redness in your complexion. Your skin should look even and flawless so that the bold red color can really shine. Cancel out any spots and marks with a heavy-duty concealer.

LIPS: I started with the lips for this look because this will anchor the whole makeup. I can adjust everything else (eye makeup, blush) depending on how intense and bold I want my lips to be.

Step 1: Start with a good hydrating lip balm and apply generously on your lips. Massage in the product to get rid of any old skin. Cracked and peeling lips will make your lipstick bleed and look uneven.

Step 2: To get a long lasting lip apply a red lip liner over your entire lips. Find a shade that will complement the lipstick you are using. (Note: I didn't use a lip liner for this look as I feel that Ruby Woo is matte enough to stand on it own).

Step 3: Apply a red lipstick (I used MAC Ruby Woo, a deep blue-toned red with a matte finish)

For this classic look, I prefer the lips to be matte for maximum impact and sexiness. If you feel, however, that your lip still needs to be cranked up one notch add a gloss on top.

EYES: Neutral, barely-there eyes will complement but not overwhelm the entire look. I used the lower three neutral shades from theBalm's shadyLady Palette (mischievous marissa, tempting tara and devilish danielle).
Step 1: Apply devilish danielle (a frosty champagne peach) all over my lids. Blend out towards the crease.
Step 2: Apply mischievous marissa (a frosty muted bronze-orange) on the outer corners of the eyes out towards the crease line in a V shape.

Step 3: Apply tempting tara (a frosty white) on the brow bones as a subtle highlight.
 *Note: I forgot to add that I smudged a brown eyeliner on the upper and lower lines of my eyes (Maybelline Color Show in Brown)

Brows should be well-groomed but not truly defined. Just brush out the hairs and make sure that they look even, otherwise leave them looking pretty natural.

Final Look: Bold, Red Lips

This is pretty much a quick, 10-minute makeup that looks effortless yet put together. I like this look just the way it is, with the focus just on the lips alone. For those looking to add more dimension and color, you can certainly add a complementary blush, in the same color family.

NYX Cream Blush in Red Cheeks

For this look, I used my ever favorite NYX Cream Blush in Red Cheeks. This blush is very pigmented so use sparingly and blend well.

NYX Cream Blush in Red Cheeks

Red lip with (Slightly) Red Cheeks ^_^

Styling Notes: The key to this look is t keep the rest of your makeup fresh and toned down. It ensures that the focus is on your lips. Stick with your guns and wear a sophisticated, simple yet classy outfit, otherwise your bold red lips would be all for naught as you can look too overdone.. LBDs, golds, and neutrals would pair best with this strong look.

Valentine Week: Bold Red Lip Look