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CGl la m osuir q u e
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Parisian
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Everyone who knows me is well aware of my affection for red lips and nails. It’s hard to pin point the exact
moment the obsession began. I was attempting to reinvent myself, and a chic daily dose of red did the trick. This is
a Parisian glamour philosophy: consider your red lips and nails as a fashion accessory. Even simple jeans and a tee
shirt will suddenly have that je ne se quoi. Read closely, I’m about to spill a makeup artist’s secrets to perfect lips.
COLOR
Many people ask me how to
pick the perfect red. First of all,
note that some special shades are
universally flattering. I know this
from my days working the makeup
counter. I would apply the same
red lipstick on 50 women, and
it would somehow look amazing on everyone. My all time
favorite is Rouge de Guerlain
#25 Garconne. Summer, fall,
winter, spring, it always works.
Nothing photographs quite like
it, and its longevity and lipconditioning properties make it the
superhero of lip wear. Other popular
shades are M.A.C Ruby Woo and Lady
Danger, Guerlain Rouge Automatique
#121Rouge D’enefer, and YSL Rouge Couture #13
Le Orange. If these do not work for you, don’t panic there
is still plenty of hope. The truth is there is only one sure way
to find the perfect shade: you must try them on until you find
“the one”. The right red should have a light switch effect, your face
will instantly brighten. As a rule of thumb, tanned skin looks better
with a bit of an orange, and pale skin suits blue base reds. However,
the unfortunate thing about makeup (and also the reason why I love
it) is that there really are no rules. So the only way to find your magic
red is to go out there and try a few on until you get that happy feeling
in your gut that you have found the one.
TEXTURE
The second common question I am faced
with is how to keep the lipstick on all day.
To answer this question, I simply must stress
that not all lip products are created equal. The
majority of the time, you get what you pay for,
and a luxury lipstick is worth the investment. Its not
just about how long it lasts, but also how lovely it
looks when its inevitably wearing off. 8 hours old
lipstick can look like a strategically applied stain
if the quality is t