The Casual Red Lip

I started wearing lipstick around 2 years ago. For a long time, I thought that it looked good but I didn't think that I could pull it off. Red lipstick particularly scared me. I tend to associate red lips with an old hollywood or pinup girl look. I definitely wanted to stay away from those looks because that's not me.

I always thought that if I wore red lips I would look like I was trying too hard. During my junior year of college, I found a way to wear red lipstick that didn't make me feel awkward or too dressy. I wore it with casual outfits, usually with jeans or a relaxed skirt. The rest of the beauty look was also key. I wore my hair down every time, and it always made me look more undone. It may be that my hair felt like a security blanket, but if my hair was pulled back it drew more attention to my makeup. I also found that it was important to keep the rest of my makeup simple, with a neutral eyeshadow color and good mascara but no eyeliner.

It's surprising to me the number of looks I got for a while. Not many girls at my university wore bold lips to school. But by that time, I'd honestly been used to second glances at my hippie headbands and braids so it wasn't an issue. I'm convinced that wearing a red lip in such a casual way that made me feel comfortable is what worked for me. If I didn't feel like I was trying too hard, then others didn't either. And I had to remember that looks from others isn't a bad thing, usually people were just intrigued and interested in what I wore. And quite often, a strange look would be followed up with a compliment and a question about what lipstick I was wearing.

Now that I've been wearing red lips for a while, I feel extremely comfortable wearing whatever I want with them. My trick to keeping everything else super casual is a good way to get started and I do sometimes still wear red lipstick that way. But now I feel like I can dress up more and wear my hair up. It all depends on my preference that day.


My Red Lip Role Model: Taylor Swift

These days, it's nearly impossible to see pictures of Taylor Swift without her signature red lip. I read in an interview that she always wears red lips because she thinks that her face looks better with them. That means that she wears red lips with every outfit. So if you're feeling uninspired or nervous about wearing them in an everyday setting, look to her!

Here are some photos of her walking around New York in her favorite beauty look. Get inspired!

What Red Lipstick to Buy: In general, I recommend any lipstick from Revlon. Their lipsticks have amazing formulas that are hydrating. For this upcoming fall, I'd recommend this tomato red and this dark matte red. For a more bright, blue-toned red like in the first picture, I recommend this watermelon red.